The <helidonismata>,an ancient greek custom that survives in Macedonia

[kostas68]

In many villages in Serres,every year revives at 1 March the ancient Greek custom <helidonismata>.(from the word<helidoni> in modern or <helidon> in ancient Greek which means swallow).The children are celebrating the coming of spring which is symbolized by the swallows.They make a swallow's simulacrum and going around the village's houses singing the helidona,a kind of carol.The housewifes give them confectioneries or money some times.This custom is maintened not only in Serres but in various regions of Macedonia and the rest of Greece,like Epiros,Thrace and Dodekannesa and is descended from the ancient Greek custom<helidon>.Ancient authors like Athinaios and Plinios gave us many informations about this custom and saved the song.Here i must remark that this custom is maintened in Serres not in the villages whose inhabitants are descendants of refugees from Pontos or Asia Minor,but in those villages where the inhabitants are pure local greek-macedonians and hellenophonoi,like the so called<darnakohoria> (Emmanouil Papas,Agio Pneuma,Neo Souli,Pentapoli,Chryso),the villages near Paggaio mountain(Rodolivos,Proti,Palaiokomi,Mesolakkia,Kor mista,Krinida,Aggista,Nea Zichni),the Nigrita region villages(Nigrita,Terpni,Agia Paraskevi,Nikoklia,Vergi)and many others.Thus, it's obvious that it's a local custom,it didn't came from other greek regions with the refugees who settled in Serres region after 1922.It's also remarkable that the helidonismata survived even in the villages with slavophones inhabitants.A fact that proves,in combination with other Greek customs,songs,and dances which those slavophones maintain exactly as we(the hellenophonoi)do,that they are pure Greeks who were forced under several difficult circumstances to lose their language but not their Greek national consciousness.Here i quote first the modern and then the ancient song of helidonismata:

Modern helidona song of Serres region

Χελιδόνα έρχεται από τη Μαύρη θάλασσα
θάλασσα κι αν πέρασε, έκατσε κι ελάλησε.
Έμαθε τα γράμματα, γράμματα σπουδάματα
γράμματα Ελληνικά που μαθαίνουν τα παιδιά
τα παιδιά από το δάσκαλο.
«Δάσκαλος μας έστειλε να μας δώστε πέντε αυγά.
Κι αν δεν δίντε πέντε αυγά παίρνουμε την κλωσσαριά.
Να γεννά και να κλωσά και να σέρνει τα πουλιά.»

The swallow is coming from Black Sea
when it came across the sea it sat and sang
she learned to write with Greek letters
such as children learn by the teacher.
<The teacher sent us to give us five eggs
and if you don't give five eggs we will take the brood hen
to bear and brood the eggs and drag the birds after her>.

Ancient helidona song,saved by Athinaios

Ήλθ’, ήλθε η χελιδών,

καλάς ώρας άγουσα

και καλούς ενιαυτούς,

επί γαστέρα λευκά,

επί νώτα μέλαινα….

The swallow came,
bringing good times
and good years
white in abdomen
black in back.

[Morphesau]

Originally Posted by kostas68

In many villages in Serres,every year revives at 1 March the ancient Greek custom <helidonismata>.(from the word<helidoni> in modern or <helidon> in ancient Greek which means swallow).The children are celebrating the coming of spring which is symbolized by the swallows.They make a swallow's simulacrum and going around the village's houses singing the helidona,a kind of carol.The housewifes give them confectioneries or money some times.This custom is maintened not only in Serres but in various regions of Macedonia and the rest of Greece,like Epiros,Thrace and Dodekannesa and is descended from the ancient Greek custom<helidon>.Ancient authors like Athinaios and Plinios gave us many informations about this custom and saved the song.Here i must remark that this custom is maintened in Serres not in the villages whose inhabitants are descendants of refugees from Pontos or Asia Minor,but in those villages where the inhabitants are pure local greek-macedonians and hellenophonoi,like the so called<darnakohoria> (Emmanouil Papas,Agio Pneuma,Neo Souli,Pentapoli,Chryso),the villages near Paggaio mountain(Rodolivos,Proti,Palaiokomi,Mesolakkia,Kor mista,Krinida,Aggista,Nea Zichni),the Nigrita region villages(Nigrita,Terpni,Agia Paraskevi,Nikoklia,Vergi)and many others.Thus, it's obvious that it's a local custom,it didn't came from other greek regions with the refugees who settled in Serres region after 1922.It's also remarkable that the helidonismata survived even in the villages with slavophones inhabitants.A fact that proves,in combination with other Greek customs,songs,and dances which those slavophones maintain exactly as we(the hellenophonoi)do,that they are pure Greeks who were forced under several difficult circumstances to lose their language but not their Greek national consciousness.Here i quote first the modern and then the ancient song of helidonismata:

Modern helidona song of Serres region

Χελιδόνα έρχεται από τη Μαύρη θάλασσα
θάλασσα κι αν πέρασε, έκατσε κι ελάλησε.
Έμαθε τα γράμματα, γράμματα σπουδάματα
γράμματα Ελληνικά που μαθαίνουν τα παιδιά
τα παιδιά από το δάσκαλο.
«Δάσκαλος μας έστειλε να μας δώστε πέντε αυγά.
Κι αν δεν δίντε πέντε αυγά παίρνουμε την κλωσσαριά.
Να γεννά και να κλωσά και να σέρνει τα πουλιά.»

The swallow is coming from Black Sea
when it came across the sea it sat and sang
she learned to write with Greek characters
which are learning the children from the teacher.
<The teacher sent us to give us five eggs
and if you don't give five eggs we will take the brood hen
to bear and brood and drag the birds>.

Ancient helidona song,saved by Athinaios

Ήλθ’, ήλθε η χελιδών,

καλάς ώρας άγουσα

και καλούς ενιαυτούς,

επί γαστέρα λευκά,

επί νώτα μέλαινα….

The swallow came,
bringing good times
and good years
white in abdomen
black in back.

Bravo Kostas ta themika ola pali I remember this one, my mum use to teach me and sing this song to me "ta Xheledonia" when I was a kid

I didn't know it was ancient, never the less I will be passing it on to my kids.

I'm from Serres region Kostas, na se kala.

[Lakonian]

Good post Kostas, i like it brother.

[Mygdonia]

There are many many many hidden ancient customs in Macedonia..puts the Skopian cultural genocide malakies to shame if we decide to expose them all..but stuff them, they're our age old customs.

[Amarantos]

Could someone please move this thread here?

http://www.macedoniaontheweb.com/for...culture-music/

Beautiful contribution kostas68!