In the Greek world September, the month of
vintage, is also referred to as ὁ(O trigitìs) “the vintager”.
Vintage begins and ends with a series of celebrations and practices most of
which date back to very ancient times.
In the old days in Eastern Thrace, the
peasants picked grapes all day to the tunes played on traditional musical
instruments. Each vineyard had its own group of musicians. At day's end when
the grape-gatherers went back home with songs and music, found a well-laden
table waiting for them. This merry feasting continued till midnight and the day
after everybody had to be back in the vineyards.
On the first vintage day, the
grape-gatherers in the rural community called Sarànda Ekllisiès, in Thrace,
used to assemble in an open place wearing masks and dancing till midnight. In
Roumeli, when the vintage starts, friends, relatives and neighbors, all lend a
hand to the vineyard-owner pick the grapes, expecting no other recompense but a
few grapes. According to old customs,
the vineyard-owner roasts a whole lamb on a pit for the grape-gatherers
and when he dismisses them at night, he fills their hampers with bunches of
grapes. It is also a habitual custom to bestow grapes on whomever happens to
pass by the vineyard that day.
The trampling of the grapes is carried out in the vineyards where special wine presses are supplied. The trampling of the grapes is always performed by me because the vine growers believe that if women did it, the wine would turn vinegary.
In the region of Thrace the last day of
the vintage constitutes also an opportunity for the population to let
themselves go to the celebration of great festivities. The last bunches of
grapes are tossed into a big farm cart drawn by buffaloes. The cart can contain
as many as 500 lbs of grapes. The buffaloes are crowned with garlands of wild
flowers and the vintagers’ baskets are hung at the side of the cart. The cart,
thus bedecked, departs from the village, followed by young women ornamented
with flowers and singing. The musicians follow at the end of the cheery
procession.
In Roumeli, in Central Greece, when the
time comes for the wine to be poured into the barrels, the vineyard owner
invites the priest to come to his vineyard and read a special prayer. He
removes the spigot, fills a glass with must and offers it to the priest to be
blessed. In return, the priest, receives one or two kilos of must. A few weeks
later, usually on St. Demetrius’ Day (October 26th), when it is time
to open the barrels, the priest is asked to come over again to bless the casks.
As soon as he has done so, a rubber tube is inserted into the barrel, and the
first draught of new wine is drawn to the cries of “many happy returns of the
day”.
The extraordinary English translation is of Rae
Dalven.
DIONYSUS
AND HIS CREW
Damon
the artisan (there is no one more
capable
in the Peloponnese) carves the crew
of
Dionysus in Parian marble.
At
the head, the God in sublime glory,
with
power in his walk.
Acratos
follows him. Besides Acratos,
Methe
pours the wine for the Satyrs
out
of an ivy-wreathed amphora.
Near
them is Hedyoinos, the soft one,
his
eyes half-shut, heavy with sleep.
Behind
them come the singers
Molpos
and Hedymeles, and Comus who holds
The
revered torch of the procession and
never
lets it go out; and most diffident Telete. –
These
Daman carves. And along with these,
every
so often his mind deliberates
on
his fee from the king of Syracuse,
three
talents, a goodly sum.
When
this is added to the rest of his money,
Then
he can live in style, grandly, like a man of means,
And
he will be able to go into politics – joy! –
he
too in the senate, he too in the market place.
(1907)
I
WENT
I
did not tether myself. I let go entirely and went,
I
went into the luminous night,
to those pleasures that were half real,
and
half wheeling in my brain.
And
I drank of potent wines, as only the
valiant
of voluptuousness drink.
(1913)
FAVOR OF ALEXANDER BALAS
O, I am not upset that a wheel of my chariot
is broken, and I have lost a foolish victory.
I will spend the night with fine wines
and amid lovely roses. Antioch belongs to me.
I am the young man most glorified.
I am Balas’s weakness, his adored one.
Tomorrow, you’ll see, they’ll say that the
contest was unfair.
(But if I were coarse, and had ordered it in
secret–
the flatterers would have voted first prize
even to my crippled chariot.)
(1921)
BIBLIOGRAPHY
National Tourist Organization of Greece,
Information Department, Greek Tradition, Athens s. d.
C. P. CAVAFY, The Complete Poems of C, P,
Cavafy, translated by Rae Dalven, New York 1961
DIMITRIOS LOUKATOS, Introduction to Greek Folklore
(in Greek), Athens 1978