6 minute read
Land of Myths and Tales
Cyprus is a land where legends live and breathe, woven deeply into its cultural fabric and natural landscapes. These timeless stories reveal the island’s very soul, inviting you to explore its mysteries and traditions.
Have you ever looked out over Cypriot vineyards at dusk? The fading light casts eery, life-like shadows across the fields, transforming gnarled branches into distorted limbs, bent trunks into hunched figures, hinting of creatures stirring in the darkness. Are these a trick of the eye, or could the island’s landscapes truly be home to otherworldly beings?
Passed on from generation to generation, Cyprus’ myths and folktales come alive in a storytelling tradition tied to the land itself, and to the cultural identity of the island and its people.
ILLUSTRATING HERITAGE
Given such tales were primarily transmitted orally, today, local creatives are undertaking to preserve this dimension of Cypriot heritage. Among them is preeminent printmaker Hambis Tsangaris, who has spent a lifetime documenting and illustrating Cypriot fairytales and folktales or paramythia, through books and his signature prints. As part of such efforts, and inspired by local vineyards’ shifting shadows, Hambis created one of the first visual representations of the Kalikangiari. Tales of these mischievous Cypriot goblins recount them wreaking havoc, unless appeased with loukoumades –- deep-fried dough balls soaked in honey – left on rooftops, a tradition still observed in Cypriot households today. Yet despite their enduring presence in both folklore and modern culture, few people knew what these malevolent beings were supposed to look like, a gap Hambis resolved to address. “I started by asking people to recount their stories of the Kalikangiari,” he explains. “My aim was to find out what they looked like, so I could illustrate them. I knew these stories shouldn't be lost, so I also recorded and wrote them down.”
Safeguarding the tales and their characters was just one part of Hambis’ mission. Another was to preserve local authenticity, to prevent the Kalikangiari from meeting the same fate as Agios Vasilis – the Greek saint now better known as St Nicholas or Father Christmas. Before being popularised by Western commercialisation, Agios Vasilis had a very different form, lacking the now-iconic red suit, white beard and jolly round face. So, when a newspaper ran a story about the Kalikangiari alongside an image of a European goblin, Hambis knew, “we couldn’t let the same thing happen – I had to find out what they looked like, so we would not lose them”.
SOUL OF A NATION
The Kalikangiari are not the only creatures of folklore protected and celebrated by Hambis. The Europa Nostra European Heritage award winner has also collaborated on many books documenting the myths and fairytales unique to the island. From the tale of Spanos and the Forty Dragons to the lesser-known telling of The Prince of Venice – a story discovered in the personal collection of Boston-based teacher Costas Proussis. Hambis’ distinctive prints also breathe life into five volumes of folktales, published by the Cypriot Centre of Scientific Research. “These original folktales were only told in Cyprus and speak of the soul of the nation,” he says. “They were not only the entertainment of the day, but also a way for people to communicate what they saw and learned from life: a symbol, a lesson, or a different way of recounting history.”
Such efforts play an essential role in preserving Cyprus’ indigenous folklore, not only connecting Cypriots with their history and cultural identity, but also offering deep insights into the values, beliefs and experiences that shaped past generations. “These stories define who we are today by connecting us with our past, but, most importantly, by giving us the chance to self-reflect,” notes Iosif Hadjikyriakos, director of the Larnaca Archives at the Phivos Stavrides Foundation. “We can still resonate with them, relate to their messages today and use them as tools to learn from.”
TIMELESS TALES
A passionate storyteller and teacher of Cypriot folk art himself, Iosif firmly believes in the power of stories to convey knowledge, and was chosen as researcher, writer and presenter of the recent Myths and Tales of Cyprus series. Produced by the island’s Press and Information Office, the innovative series brings the island’s myths, legends and traditions to life in an accessible way. “Film is uniquely engaging because it combines multiple artistic elements,” explains series director Mark Kassinos. “This multimedia approach enhances the overall storytelling, bringing these timeless tales to life, while maintaining their cultural significance.”
The series features 14 stories, chosen from a trove of Cypriot folktales. Well-known among them is the legend of Digenis Akritas, who hurled giant boulders into the sea to defend Cyprus from invading armies, a feat said to have created Paphos’ iconic sea stack, Petra tou Romiou. Also featured are lesser-known stories, uncovered in the series’ research process. One of these is The Iron Pig, a personal favourite of Myths and Tales of Cyprus co-researcher and anthropologist, Ioanna Pantelis. According to Ioanna, a goal of the series was to make such heritage appealing to the younger generation. “It’s important to help young people understand, learn and appreciate their fascinating heritage and the importance of it,” she says. “Not to forget the stories of our parents and grandparents and, most of all, to make them feel proud of this Cypriot culture.”
WINDOW TO AUTHENTIC CYPRUS
As the series highlights, these uniquely Cypriot myths and tales are also deeply connected to the local dialect, which is gradually being replaced by standard Greek. Preserving the stories, therefore, safeguards the island’s linguistic and environmental heritage. “The local idiom is full of cultural information,” shares Iosif, “so we included some phrases completely in dialect in every episode.” Equally integral to the stories is the terrain in which they unfold, underscoring the ties between folklore and the physical world. “The aim of the project was not only to promote the myths, but also to preserve Cyprus' natural landscapes,” underlines Ioanna.
In this way, such myths and legends become a gateway for both tourists and locals to discover a less-familiar side of the island. “People can come to Cyprus and explore these myths first-hand,” says Iosif. “They provide a lens through which we can see the island differently.” For those eager to delve deeper into Cypriot folklore, the Myths and Tales of Cyprus series will be available to online viewers in 2025. Meanwhile, the Hambis Printmaking Museum, situated in the charming hillside village of Platanisteia, just 30 minutes from Limassol, offers an immersive introduction to the island’s folklore and artistic legacy.
