"Somewhere there in Aspro there was a fountain, which spoke, saying that its water is drunk by the lions they cry, the wolves become furious, the Fairy also drinks it and her blonde hair turns white."
Thessaly is one of the regions of Greece with a long and rich culture. In Greek mythology, it was the birthplace of heroes such as Achilles and Jason, but also a place of mythical creatures like the Centaurs and the Lapiths.
In this virtual exhibition you will find landscapes of Thessaly- paintings, engravings and photography, mainly from the collection of the Municipal Art Gallery of Larissa. You will also find local traditions of the Thessalian plain which reflect religious beliefs, folk tales and legends dating back to Byzantine times.
Themes explored include the social organization during the Ottoman times and characters of the past: the craftsman, the shepperd, the village madman, the animal thief, the turkish occupiers, the old hag.
Traditional toponyms, in some cases difficult to match with current locations, are linked to local traditions which gave them their names, or that justify weather phenomena (the procession from day to night, adverse weather phenomena, sowing periods). Many speak of Saints' appearances and folk practices of worship, tell stories about monasteries, chapels and miraculous relics.
"Beside the Koutzianitiko tributary and through a steep slope, some water comes out that smells like gunpowder. This water benefits the kidneys and helps rheumatism. Tradition says that an old man passing by, said some words, then weighed down the slope with his crutch and water immediately appeared. They say the old man was Saint Elias"
Among the stories told by the elders, pagan beliefs and stories emerge about otherworldly beings, such as fairies, ghosts, dragons, vampires, river elves and enchanted fountains.
"Drakos = dragon, a mythological figure...He came to have the meaning of the devil."
"Vroukolakas - a shadow, an idol of the dead, transformed into an animal. His blood is hard and invulnerable - he comes out of the grave, often sits on it, sometimes he goes to his family, sometimes to that of his relatives, he eats what he finds, he often condemns his own people ”
"...he saw some wild elves with red eyes, coming out of the water caves, jumping into the depths of the riverbank causing a terrible disturbance in the water, making strange noises. Since then they say that Thanos did not come back to this place."
The exhibition contains items from the following institutions:
