The Lakes of Greece: The myths, the legends and the history behind them (Part 2)
In our previous article, The Lakes of Greece: The myths, the legends and the history behind them (Part 1), we have learnt about the past, the ecosystem and the tales of some of the essential natural lakes of the Greek wetlands, this is the second and last part of our journey through the myths and legends of the Greek Lakes.
The Dragon Lakes of Epirus
Dragon Lake (Dracolimni) is the name of several alpine or sub-alpine lakes in the Epirus region. The most widely known are the ones of the Tymfi and Smolikas mountains. Ancient glaciers created these beautiful mountain lakes. Today they attract the interest of scientists and the public alike. More specifically, the Drakon Lake of Tymfi (else Gamila) is one of the most famous mountain lakes, with a breathtaking view and spooky landscapes. Other Dragon Lakes of the area are Lake Gistova, the largest Lake of all, on the Greek-Albanian border, the Lakes of Flegga between the cities of Ioannina and Kalabaka and Lake Verliga.
The ecosystem of the Dragon Lakes
Alpine lakes are located in isolated and small areas, with less complex food chains than lowland lakes. Their particular characteristics, such as low temperatures, few nutrients, intense sunlight, or lack thereof for several months, are the key to their lack of size and life diversity. Due to their sensitivity to changes in the natural environment, they can serve as "ecological indicators" of ecosystem health.
The legend of the Dragon Lakes
The Lakes Tymfi and Smolikas
As their name reveals, the Dragon Lakes are associated with Dragon tales! According to folklore, the Dragon of Tymfi and the Dragon of Smolikas had an unquenchable enmity, and every time their quarrel broke out, they threw rocks at each other. According to the area's inhabitants, the legend explains why the Lake of Smolikas is white with scattered black stones and the Lake of Tymfi is black with scattered white ones.
The Dragon lake of Smolikas in Epirus. Image by I.Kenanoglou @wikimedia
The Lake Gistova
A benevolent Dragon once lived in the village of Grammos, but the villagers were hostile towards him due to his strength and appearance. They banished him to one of the peaks of Grammos mountain. The Dragon remained in the area, as he did not want to leave the village. However, its inhabitants continued to persecute and exiled him even further away. The Dragon cried a lot about his misfortune. Then, a tear fell to the ground creating the Dragon Lake of Gistova.
The Lakes of Flegga
The legend of the lakes tells the story of Pindos, the son of Macedonas, who, to escape from his envious brothers, hid in the high mountains with his only friend and ally, the Dragon Lygos. Soon the brothers of Pindos located him and killed him. The Dragon facing his beloved friend dead wept bitterly, and small lakes formed on the slopes of the mountain of Flegga.
The Lake Verliga
The Dragon Lake Verliga has its serpentine shape from the dragon snake that lived in the Lake's dark waters and remained invisible in its secluded hideout.
The Stymfalia Lake
Stymfalia is a swampy lake in the mountainous part of Corinth in Peloponesse. It is located on a plateau between the mountains of Kyllini and Oligyrtos. It retains water mainly during the winter months.
The ecostystem of Stymfalia Lake
In Stymfalia survives the fish Phoxinellus Stymfalicious which is endemic to the Lake. It can remain when the Lake dries, immersing in the created thick layer of mud. Migratory birds also find refuge in the Lake; for many, the Lake is a breeding ground. The area is also rich in amphibians, like the green frog. Stymfalia is a protected area by the Natura 2000 network.
The Myth of Stymfalia Lake
Lake Stymfalia is prominent in ancient Greek mythology as the legendary site of the 6th labour of Hercules for Eurystheus. According to the Myth, the Stymfalian birds -man-eating birds with copper beaks and sharp metallic feathers- lived in the area, terrorising the inhabitants and destroying crops and trees. Finally, with Goddess Athena's help, Hercules managed to disorient the mighty birds and kill them with his arrows.
Lake Melissani
Melissani is a cave lake located on the Ionian island of Kefalonia. The cave's natural entrance is vertical, created by the fall of a part of the roof. However, an artificial entrance with stairs and a long underground corridor allows visitors into the cave. The Lake is located 20m below the ground surface and is surrounded by vast vegetation. Stalactites with strange shapes adorn a significant part of the cave.
The turquoise waters of the Melissani cave lake. Image by Piotr Krzeslak @shutterstock
The Myth of the Lake Melissani
Eerie and beautiful, Lake Melissani is also known as the "Cave of the Nymphs". It has a magical and seductive atmosphere of a different world. Whoever enters the cave's depths enters a mythical, invisible world.
According to legend, this cave was the sanctuary of the God Pan. The Nymph Melissani fell in love with God Pan, but he rejected her. Then Melissani committed suicide in the cave waters, giving her name to this wonder of nature.
The Lake Pamvotis
Lake Pamvotis or Pamvotida, also known as the Lake of Ioannina, is the largest Lake of Epirus. In the middle of the Lake is a small inhabited islet, the "island of Ioannina". The little settlement of the island was built possibly in the 17th century, and it flourished in the Ali Pasha Era.
The ecosystem of Lake Pamvotis
Lake Pamvotis hosts several small mammals, water birds, fish and crustaceans. The fish Tsima is endemic to the Lake. It is also a fish farming lake with many eels and langoustines. On the shore of the Lake operates a fish breeding station which produces caviar from a sturgeon of Russian origin. The same facilities have an average of 100,000 broods, exported to fish farms abroad, and other freshwater brood varieties to enrich Greek lakes and rivers.
The story of Kyra Frosini
Efrosyni Vasileiou (1773-1800), or Kyra Frosini (Mrs Frosini), is a historical person. She was a leading member of the local aristocracy in Ioannina (during the reign of Ali Pasha) and was known for her beauty and intelligence. She was the niece of the Bishop of Ioannina and married a wealthy merchant living in Venice at the time. Efrosyni had a love affair with the also-married son of Ali Pasha, Muhtar. On 10 January 1800, Ali Pasha had Kyra Frosini arrested alongside 17 other women pointed out for the crime of adultery and had them all imprisoned. The women were executed the next day by drowning in Lake Pamvotida, enraging the local community. The women were reportedly sewn in sacks and pushed into the Lake from a boat.
The different theories
There are several theories as to the cause of this event. One theory claims that Muhtar's jealous wife -a well-connected woman from an influential family- asked her father-in-law to arrest Efrosyni for being her spouse's lover. A second theory claims that Ali Pasha was in love with Efrosyni, and he wanted revenge after she rejected him. Finally, another theory claims that Ali Pasha disapproved of the love affair and Kyra Frosini's influence on his son. One approach is that Ioannina was, at that point, a society strongly influenced by the West and that Kyra Frosini was a representative of the liberal sexual values within the European aristocracy, where women could take lovers, something that the conservative Ali Pasha could not allow.
Moreover, adultery committed by a woman was considered a severe crime in Islamic law, and Ali Pasha was in a difficult position against the Ottoman authorities. In Greece, however, the most popular theory was that the women, at least Frosini, had been executed for political reasons. It is believed she had participated in the resistance against the Ottoman Empire, and Efrosyni was therefore hailed as a national heroine.
The lake Pamvotis in the city of Ioannina. Image by DroneworX TS, @shutterstock
The Lakes that don't exist any more & their legends
The Lake Acherousia
Lake Acherousia dried up in 1960 and has since turned into arable land. Dark from the dense fog that -almost always- covered it, cold and gloomy from the lush vegetation and the muddy waters of the swamp, such a place would undoubtedly be one of the gates for the kingdom of Hades.
God Hermes had undertaken the task of transporting -through the river Acheron- the souls of the dead. In Acherousia lake, the boatman Charos was waiting for the dead to transfer them on his boat to a dark corner of the Lake where the underworld gate was located. The monster dog, Cerberus, guarded the entrance. The God of the underworld, Hades, was waiting for them. Then, depending on what kind of person they were when they lived, he sent the good souls to the Champs Elysees and the islands of Makari (to live as "blessed") and the bad ones to Tartarus, in the bowels of the Earth, to be tormented eternally.
The Kopais Lake
Kopais or Kopaida was a lake west of Thebes in Viotia. It drained in the late 19th century, and the flat dry land is still known as the Kopaida plain. Koipais was the largest Lake in Greece. Its vast size gave enough food for myths and legends, and several residents reported that a monster lived in the Lake, whose screams froze the inhabitants' blood. According to the legend, the deadly monster that terrorised the area was Itavros, a bird of the heron family, also called "wild swamp" for its eerie croaking.
The Lake Lerna
Lerna was a lake near the east coast of the Peloponnese, south of Argos. It was part of a region famous in antiquity for its abundant water. The first period of activity in the area dates back to the Neolithic period. It had been a significant settlement for centuries. Unfortunately, after continuous human interventions, Lake Lerna had been diminished to a small lagoon by the 19th century until it vanished.
An ancient urn depicting the Lernaean Hydra of Hercules's second labour. Image by Carole Raddato, @flickr
The Myths of Lake Lerna
Princess Amumone
According to Greek Mythology, Poseidon, in his attempt to seduce Amymone -the daughter of Danaus, king of Libya and founder of Argos- revealed the springs and Lake of Lerna in the otherwise dry area of Argos. A water pitcher represented Amymone, a reminder of the sacred springs and Lake of Lerna.
The Lernaean Hydra
The most famous myth connected to Lerna Lake is that of the Lernaean Hydra. The Hydra was the serpentine water monster of the Lake. It had nine heads and poisonous breath. The second of the labours of Hercules was to kill the Lernaean Hydra, but for every chopped-off head, the monster could grow two more! Finally, Ηercules, with the help of his nephew Iolaus, managed to kill the beast by burning the neck of every cut head.
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