WEATHER

Anogeia

Light Showers
11°C
Wind: 15 Southwest

Rethymno

16°C
Wind: 27 West

Spili

14°C
Wind: 06 West

Fragma Potamon

17°C
Wind: 13 West

Gerakari - Aplitra (Toubotos Prinos Shelter)

Books of Amari

I ANTISTASI STO AMARI (THE RESISTANCE OF AMARI)

ENTHIMIMATA OF ALEXANDROS KOKONAS (ALEXANDROS KOKONAS' MEMORIES)

By SPIROS AP. MARNIEROS

Athens 1984

In this rare book, Spiros Marnieros, the eminent historian and folklore scholar, tries to provide a detailed description of events that occurred during the occupation, through Alexandros Kokonas' narrations, who was a teacher and one of the most important fighters of Gerakari. The book's content focuses mainly on the events that took place at the villages of Kedros Mountain. The book is enriched by voluminous photographic material and rare documents. An important element of this book is the stories narrated by people, who played an important role in the resistance, such as Patrick Lee Fermor, and describe Kokonas' actions and personality.

I OLOKAFTOSI TOY KEDROUS (THE HOLOCAUST OF KEDROS MOUNTAIN)

REPORT

Edited by

SPIROS AP. MARNIEROS

Athens 1984

In this book, the ever memorable Spiros Marnieros, classifies texts referring to the dramatic events that took place during the German occupation at the villages of Kedros Mountain. The holocaust of the villages by Germans conquerors and the execution of many fighters are the climax of these events. These losses are recorded and people that played an important role in these events are recorded in this book.

Nik. P. Kapelonis

ALLOTINOI KAIROI POU EFIGAN GIA PANTA (PAST TIMES GONE FOREVER)

Spring 1996

"...They gathered at the coffee shop, they drank one or two glasses of wine and, then, they walked together in the village. The lyre player and his assistant went first and the rest of them followed. The lyre's rhythm was followed by "mantinades", full of emotions that came out of their hearts' depth..."

Nikos Kapelonis, who is also known for his previous folklore work called "Anastorimata" (Narratives) written in 1981, achieves a detailed and nostalgic recording of daily life in old Crete. The writer's journey through the paths of memory is not a cold and dry scientific recording, but a wonderful walk around the villages' houses and paths, in a way that younger readers have not had the chance to experience. The personal experiences that the writer had in his childhood and adolescence at Kouroutes village are given in a vivid way, providing us with pictures from fetes, every day duties, food smells and evening parties in the village narrow streets, as well as customes, which, unfortunately (as the writer also declares in the book's title) fade away as time passes. They relent under the remorseless pace of modern life, leaving a sweet nostalgic taste.

Presentation: Stelios Kalogerakis

Kons. G. Kidonakis

HRONIKO ENOS HORIOU (CHRONICLE OF A VILLAGE - NOVEL)

Rethymno 1997

"The happy ones are those who taste tradition. Alas for people who forget about the past."

This sentence is written in Kostas G. Kidonakis', teacher, book with the title "Chronicle of a Village). This is direction that the writer followed in order to fulfill the need to keep tradition alive. He tried and achieved to record morals and customs, local history, folklore elements and the interesting story of the first inhabitant, the first residents and the families that now live in the village of Kalogeros.

How fortunate would it be if a diligent worker could be found in all our villages to retrieve the memories of our grandparents, before they are covered by the darkness of our oblivion?

Giannis Kalogerakis, Chairman of the Union of People of Amari in Rethymno

Tivotsi

By Thodoris Riginiotis

Irakleio 2001. The Cretan Workshop of Music end Aerakis Publications, continuing their efforts in book publications, are content to present one more poetic work, which is associated with the soul and language of Crete.

This work is titled "Tivotsi" and is the product of a long lasting inner struggle of an orthodox admirer of Crete with rich and reliable feelings. His name is Thodoris Riginiotis. He is a dream traveler, a tireless wanderer in the mazy paths of truth, who, having thought and language as his weapons, constantly tilts against time's oblivion, is enchanted by unseen aspects of beauty and stands up against injustice and deceit.

Nowadays, when superficiality and improvisation, shallowness and vileness tend to be the common standard, the presence of more demanding views, such Thodoris Riginiotis' opinions, at least let a hope fly freely and sing the message that this land still exists! Tivotsi other...

Thodoris Riginiotis was born in Athens in 1971. His mother was from Rethymno (Apodoulou of Amari) and his father was from Kalapodi, Fthiotida.

He completed his religious studies in Athens and became a founding member of the Union of Cretan Verse Writers called "Mihalis Kafkalas". He is also a member of Palaina Seferia music band (as their verse writer) and cooperates with Cretan newspapers and magazines. In 1988, his book "O Paramithas me to Daouli" (The Tabor-Carrying Storyteller) came out by the publishing house of "Critopolis" magazine.

Stelios Aerakis

Book's prologue

Aspromavres athivoles (Black-and-white arguments)

"Kokkinos Harakas" Union of the People of Monastiraki

Rethymno 2000

"Aspromavres Athivoles" that requested about three years of work and is a deposition of the writer's soul, a reference point for the small community of Monastiraki. It includes photographs taken as back as 1866 and they stress their existence up to today, record the magic of black and white, costumery trends, social gatherings, anthropologic characteristics and family habits and have, thus, a timeless and wider interest, which is not only associated with this village. It is a historical flashback of continuous documentation of 4000 years that draws readers on an imposing study.

Amariotika Paramithia (Tales of Amari)

Aristofanis Hourdakis

Irakleio 2001

This book includes twenty six popular tales that Aristofanis Hourdakis collected from the villages of the Municipality of Kourites and, particularly, from the region of Ampadia.

The painter and hagiographer, Manolis I. Spanakis, has created the book's pictures with a simple, yet unique style. At the end of the book, there is biographic information about the "storytellers", who narrated the tales written in this important book to Aristofanis Hourdakis.

Agrimia tou Kedrous (Wild Creatures of Kedros Mountain)

Spiros Marnieros

Rethemnos 1999

"Agrimia toy Kedrous" is still another important book of historical memories, written by the eminent Amarian historian, Spiros Marnieros, who has recently passed away. Beginning from the actions of a fighter coming from Gerakari, Ioannis Tataris, the book mentions people and events that are mainly associated with the region around Gerakari village and played an important role in the national liberating fights.

It is a historically attested flashback to years of struggles and sacrifices that describe the unenslaved lives of the people of Amari as they are remembered through time.

Ermineutiko - Etimologiko Lexiko

Tou Ditikokritikou Glossikou Idiomatos (Hermeneutical-Etymological Dictionary of the Western Cretan Dialect)

Antonios Xanthinakis

University of Crete Publications

Irakleio 2000

In an era when everything "marginal" or linguistically different faces the danger of extinction, dictionaries, so far, have obtained national importance, because they wake historical memories, picture many sides of folklore culture and let efficient readers see through words the temperament of those Cretans that continue, against time, to speak a rich and expressive language with a history of millions of years.

From Christoforos Charalabakis', the book's editor, prologue

I Mahi ton "Potamon" (The Battle of Rivers)

Charidimos Dramitinos

Union of Language and Literature Teachers of the Prefecture of Rethymno

Rethymno 2000

The Union of Language and Literature Teachers of the Prefecture of Rethymno, through "Anazitiseis" magazine, has published Charis Dramitinos' historical testimony about the battle of Rivers. It is an important publication that, through a human, personal narration, highlights a different side of the brutality of war.

Gerakianes Rimes kai Mnimes (Rhymes and Memories of Gerakari)

Emm. Kon. Akoumianakis (Hantrakomanolis)

Athens 1987

Manolis Akoumianakis, known as "Hantrakomanolis", who is famous for his mantinades, took his name from Hantrakides family from Ano Meros. He is a farmer, a lyre player and a rhyme maker and is included in the original voices of the poetic and artistic attitudes of Cretan people. He was born at Gerakari (1915), and, with the complex talent and sparkling spirit that characterize him, he used to give a special tone in the various fetes and fairs at Gerakari. In this book, one can find "mantinades" about love and daily life at Gerakari, as well as humorous ones. This is an important work of folk poetry and gives us a clear picture of talent, morals, and word-making ability of the old makers of "mantinades" of our island.

Ta Anapanteha (The Unanticipated)

By Spiros Titos Litinas

Athens 1998

Spiros T. Litinas was born in Rethymno in 1907 and dedicated himself in learning foreign languages, playing the violin, painting and accountancy. At the same time he occupied himself with literature. He was on of the publishers of "ATHINA" student magazine. He studied law at the University of Athens and, at the same time, studied at the Conservatory of Athens, in an accountancy college and the French Institute. He also learnt German and graduated from the German Department of Athens. This book is a rich collection of prose, poems, essays and letters of this very important writer.

O NAOS TIS APOTOMIS TOU TIMIOU PRODROMOU STO HORIO AG. IOANNIS OF AMARI (THE CHURCH OF TIMIOS PRODROMOS AT THE VILLAGE OF AG. IOANNIS OF AMARI)

By IOANNIS IL.  VOLANAKIS

Athens 1988

The church of T. Prodromos at the village of  Ag. Ioannis is one of those churches that have significant archaeological value. In this book, the university professor from Apodoulou, Ioannis Volanakis, analyses the history, the structure and the wall paintings of this church, since one of his specializations is the study of wall painted churches. Mr. Volanakis' book is a useful guide for future researchers and, also, an important read for those who wish to get to know better the history of their land.

EKKLISIES KRITIS (CHURCHES OF CRETE)

PARADOSEIS (TRADITIONS)

By ALEX. K. CHATZIGAKIS

Rethymno 1954

The "Churches of Crete" was published in 1954 and has now obtained historical value. In this book, Alex. Chatzigakis presents the oldest churches and monasteries in Crete. He also narrates the traditions and legends that are often inspired by real events from the churches' histories.

Source:  Union of People of Amari in Rethymnο