[MGSA-L] Theatre Play Reveals Unknown Greek Vampire History

[June Samaras]

http://greece.greekreporter.com/2014/01/17/theatre-play-reveals-unknown-greek-vampire-history/

Theatre Play Reveals Unknown Greek Vampire History

By Konstantinos Menzel on January 17, 2014 In Culture, History,
The Greek vampire

It may seem unbelievable, but there were vampires in Greece! The engaging
theatrical performance by Konstantinos Dellas and his theater company
“boulouki,” narrates the story of Greek vampires, based on reports in
medieval and modern Greek literature.

“The Greek Vampire,” currently playing at the Municipal Theater of Piraeus,
attempts to shed light on these mythical beings. While relying on the
musicality of speech and the action of their bodies, the three actors
provide a theatrical essence to the mainly narrative texts.

“I conceived the original idea of the play while reading an article by a
Frenchman, about travelers visiting pre-revolutionary Greece and witnessing
many incidents of “vampirism,” and the population’s reaction to these. I
was impressed because until that time I wasn’t aware that such extreme
incidents; exhumations of the dead, burning of hearts or mass incidents of
paranoia, had taken place all over Greece,” said Dellas in a report in the
Greek edition of euronews.

On being asked about research involved in the play, Dellas referred to
several reports by travelers, urban legends from various regions of Greece,
articles from local newspapers, literature, folklore and ecclesiastical
texts. Together with material found on the internet, Dellas used the
reports to create the play.

A person may be transformed into a vampire for many reasons, in Greek
called “vrikolakas,” said Dellas. “According to local beliefs and
prejudice, people who were born or conceived on a sacred day, heretics or
those who had been excommunicated, professional magicians, those who had
harmed society, or deceased people who’s funeral  had been conducted
wrongly, were all at risk of becoming vampires.”

As for getting rid of vampires, the director makes reference to both
well-known and obscure methods, the use of the cross, fire and wooden
stakes, decapitation of the corpse and burning of the heart. Of course, one
shouldn’t forget the weapons provided by nature, sun and seawater.

Dellas also makes reference to some key stories and incidents. “While
reading about a mass paranoia incident on Mykonos in 1700, along with
another witness report where a dead person was considered a vampire, as he
wouldn’t obey the priest’s order to eat the food brought to his grave, a
text by Manos Hadjidakis came to mind, entitled “The Return of the
Vampires,” in which the famous Greek composer talks about the expansion of
Neo-Nazism in Europe.”

Are there truly any vampires in Greece? Dellas answers with a smile, “as
long as we’re touching wood to avoid tempting fate, there will also be
vampires.”



 Greece, Greece news, Greek, Greek news, Greek vampires, Konstantinos
Dellos, medieval history, Municipal Theatre of Piraeus, neo, theatre play,
theatrical performance
-- 
June Samaras
2020 Old Station Rd
Streetsville,Ontario
Canada L5M 2V1
Tel : 905-542-1877
E-mail : june.samaras at gmail.com
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