Tradition and modernity
The 1950s were a pivotal period for Greek society: it was the period when the transformation of traditional society, which had begun in 1832, the year the Greek state was established, was completed. It was then that industrialisation and urbanisation accelerated, leading to a change in behaviour, morals and culture. Thus, the social and ideological homogeneity, the foundations of the traditional society, were disrupted due, among other things, to emigration and internal migration.
Until the 1950s, Crete, like many other Greek islands and rural areas, remained isolated and isolated from modernisation. When the island is finally coming out of its isolation, traditions will prove to be quite resilient. Thus, a custom persists: if one asks a Cretan to describe his lineage, it remains matrilineal. This particularity is considered a survival of what some people call the "Minoan matriarchy".
Indeed, the place of women in ancient Crete has raised several debates. The idols of Mother Earth, the frescoes depicting women, the figurines or, again, the later accounts of the ancient Greeks and Romans, nourished both discussion and imagination. The main source from ancient Crete providing information on the place of women is the Code of Gortyn, a stone-engraved collection of laws dating from the first half of the 5th century B.C.: it contains legal provisions on dowry, newborns, marriage and women's inheritance rights.
A study of this code may leave the impression that women in Crete enjoyed greater freedom and autonomy compared to Athenian women. But there is no evidence of "matriarchy", let alone early feminism. The place of women in Crete was simply different. In the Greek imagination and, above all, in social practice, women were only the pillar of family life.
The family unit was in fact ruled with an iron fist by women who made themselves heard as loudly as men. In Crete, as in all rural areas, women participate in agricultural work, while a very large part of the tourist sector is dependent on them. The emancipation of women in Crete is therefore an undeniable fact; but the recognition of women as equals to men still has a long way to go.The Cretan way of life
Marriage is an enduring institution in Crete that affects entire villages in rural areas: it takes place in the village where the young woman was born and gives rise to a feast that sometimes lasts three days. A few days before the ceremony, it is the evening of "krevati" (the bed, in Greek). The young couple then invites family and closest friends to their home, to drink, eat and... throw money on their bed! These gifts come in addition to those that will be given on the wedding day and the Greeks being very generous, the sums are sometimes astronomical.
In Crete, marriage is not conceivable without many shots fired in the air. Most Cretans have one or more firearms, officially for hunting, but all of them confess to be ready to carry them to defend their island if it is attacked. On the roads, the signs indicating directions are very often seen riddled with bullets: the men target them in order to practice, usually on Sundays with friends. Don't panic, however, the fact that the Cretans are armed does not mean that they are dangerous. On the contrary, they are particularly friendly, always ready to help. And if they sometimes express themselves in a dry tone, it is to get straight to the point and show the respect due to the person they are talking to. On the other hand, a little sweet word "to kopéli", which means "the child" in the Cretan dialect, is commonly used to show sympathy for someone, even if it is a stranger.
Dancing, the other way to be together
In traditional Greek society, dance is a fundamental element of social behaviour and, as such, it concerns the whole community. Participating in a dance goes beyond individuality, strengthens the cohesion of the group, hides contrasts between members of the community and reproduces social reality.
This is the case in Crete and has been so since ancient times. Even today, one can still "witness" a primitive dance performance by three women forming a circle around a lyre player: it is a terracotta statuette (1440 - 1100 BC), discovered in Palaikastro and exhibited in the Heracleion Museum. It is also said that the youth dance depicted on the legendary shield of Achilles was inspired by Cretan dances.
Whatever the legends of yesteryear, dance in Crete continues to be the main component of all official and unofficial events: weddings, baptisms, national and local holidays, religious festivals; in Crete people dance. On all these occasions, men and women of all ages unite by holding hands or shoulders, thus confirming that they are all members of the same community, sharing the same institutions, customs and, finally, the same place.
Preserving several stages of their evolution, the traditional Cretan dances are performed in a circle and are most often transmitted from one generation to the next, simply by emulation. Among them, the pendozali, a war dance whose origins date back to the Minoan period, is the most widespread, symbolizing the long march of the Cretans towards their freedom. During a stay in Crete, it will therefore be very rare not to come across a group of people dancing, in a public square, in front of a small chapel, in the courtyard of their house. If you want to get to know the Cretans up close, this is the ideal opportunity: stand among them, give them your hand and follow the steps.
