The Nymphs, even if they were born at sky, they live in the end in "exquisite forests, river springs and green fields"

 

Latest News

History and Mythology

Culture and Tradition

One of the main objectives of the agrotourism is to help the visitors get acquainted with the tradition and culture of rural areas and the countryside generally and among others, the agricultural occupations, local products, traditional cuisine, local crafts, the customs, the daily lives of residents, their original characteristics. The Central Greece tradition and culture is extremely rich and often fascinating, as it is related to the heroic history times, with non-conventional customs etc.

Wild Life Refuge of Korischades-Voutyrou of Evritania

LOCALE: Communities of Topolianon Granitsas, Lepianon and Lithochoriou

AREA: 15.000 str.

FOREST ADMINISTRATION OFFICE: Karpenisi

BOUNDARIES: It starts from the position "Psilo Kotroni" and heads south, reaches the rural road Karpenisi-Voutyrou, it follows its trail up to a slide which steps up to the "Psilo Kotroni"

The mountains with the thick snow and rainfalls, the valleys and the cliffs, the rivers and the grey-eyed lakes, the lake- and river-coasts like white pigeons, the canyons and the forests, the vinegards and the flowers, the wild life, the shining rise of sun and the rose setting, Nature as a Beautiful Girl with her beauties and charms...

Water taps hurdled on the rocks, little stone bridges at the rivers, chapels made of stone at the cliffs, towers at the cliffs, reminiscents of the old times... And the people of today, with their daily activities, their local accents will always keep a good eye on you, showing their hospitality, tradition and wisdom that they still keep alive...

Whatever would be written down won't ever be enough in quantity or quality to reflect the wealth of the agrotourism experience in Central Greece.

Yet, even though there someone could tell us everything, it would be like that it hadn't happenned, as experiencing these is by far uncomparable than hearing the stories...

Thus, the agrotourist product described in the website of the Agrotourist Gate of Central Greece is just a simple call to experiences needed not only for our body... but our soul as well.

The Nymphs and the forest spirits

According to Homer, the NYMPHS are the daughters of Zeus Aigiochos, God of storm. The Nymphs seem to relate with the rainwater, which, coming from the sky, head towards the earth, get inside the ground and come out again in the surface from the springs.

There was a strange religious tradition at the LYCIA mountain, in the Land of God Pan, which Pafsanias described. When there were times of drought, the priest of the Zeus of Lycia headed to the Agno spring and soothed the Nymph with prayers and sacrifices. Then, he threw an oak branch to the spring surface and after a while you could see the water boil, steams were heading to the sky and created a cloud and the started to rain.

The Nymphs, even if they were born at sky, they live in the end in "exquisite forests, river springs and green fields".

Throughout Greece, there were cavities that the water was drooping to form the stalactites, especially the small cavities and those where the water sprung, these were the places that the Naiads, the virgin girls of the running waters, lived.

The effect that the water had to the nature, making it flourish, made the people consider the Naiads as a nourishing and ferilizing power. They became the protectors of the youth and later the protectors of the virgin and engaged girls.

The Dryades and the Amadryades, the forest spirits, used to live in the oak forests. When an oak tree died, the Amadryad died too, as the oak tree was its home. According to an ancient legend, when Erisichthon, the son of Tropias, invaded in a forest dedicated to the Godess Dimitra and started chopping down the highest of the oak trees to make the wooden decoration of his hall in the palace, the Dryad, the tree's spirit, begged him to stop but he didn't listen. So, the Dryad and her sisters went to Dimitra crying for revenge. The Godess punished Erisichthon and therefore he was always feeling hunger, without ever satiating. Thus, the forest destroyer was punished and "nature had its revenge". This should be a lesson for those who do not respect Nature these days, obsessed with consuming mania.

Amadryades or Dryades are the Nymphs of the lone trees and the fields and were also named as Melies. The Naiads used to dwell in caves, which were near water or in it, under the river's surface. Hermes or the Silines shared the joy of love with them in the caves. They lived as long as the springs lived: as soon as they got dry, the Naiads died too. Same thing as with the Amadryads. Their name means "tree and woman, simultaneously" - the pine trees, the fir trees and the oak trees started growing when a Nymph was born. Those were stong trees and lived for a good many years and mortals were forbidden to axe them down.

They were considered sacred trees and the holy forests that they created were spaces dedicated to the Gods. When a Nymph was about to die, her tree was shriveled in the earth first. A long time ago, a Nymph was dancing with her friends and got pale when she saw her oak tree shaking. She stopped dancing, worried. The skin of the tree fell, so were the branches and the Nymph's soul flew, saying goodbye to the sun's light. When it rains, the Nymphs are happy, as the trees feed and when the oaks lose their leaves, the Nymphs cry.

Dryades or Amadryades, the forest Nymphs. They are born with the oak trees, hence their name (ama + drys=oak tree), they grow with the oaks and die with them. So, it was believed that whoever protects and treats the oaks makes a sacred deed and has the blessing of the Nymphs. When a tree is cut, however, the Nymph goes to another tree and punishes from that tree the disrespectful. There are many times though, that the Nymph prefers to wander in the forest, becoming a Dryad, and this is the difference between Dryades and Amadryades. The Dryades are wandering Nymphs, while Amadryades live with the tree and become its soul.

Dryades

Drys (oak tree), of the most sacred trees for the fairies.

The fairy of the oak tree dwells in the oak tree and her tribe of little elves, the "velanidopedia".

If you come in the forest and meet them, they will treat you acorns. Do not eat them! They're poisoned!

Our mythology calls these fairies Dryades or Amadryades, as they are the Nymphs of the forests.

They are born with the oak trees, hence their name (ama + drys=oak tree), they grow with the oaks and die with them.

The Ancient Greeks believed that whoever protected and treated the oaks made a sacred deed and had the blessing of the Nymphs.

When a tree is cut, however, the Nymph goes to another tree and punishes from that tree he who caused the damage.

Many times though, the Nymph prefers wandering in the forest without wanting to dwell another tree and that Nymph is hence called a Dryad, and this is exactly the difference between Dryades and Amadryades:

The Dryades are the wandering treeless Nymphs, while the Amadryades live with the tree and become its soul.