Monday 19 November 2007

The Venetian Style Bridge


The old Venetian Style Bridge used to be the main meeting place of the village and the main place that people would gather to try and sort out any difference they had with each other, it’s said that many people have been shot there

All the children coming back from school used to carve their names on the bridge and the names there include that of a politician who wrote his name there before going on to be famous. Also carved onto the bridge are the initials EAM possibly standing for Ethniko Apeleftherotiko Metopo - Εθνικό Απελευθερωτικό Μέτωπο, the political wing of the main, Communist lead, anti Nazi resistance movement; or possibly the initials of one of the village children?

The Bridge itself was last repaired in 1914 according to the date carved on it and was built in the style of the old Venitian bridges of Crete, replacing an old wooden bridge that used to span the river at this point..

The Three Road

It’s a famous point known as a Three Road, a meeting of three roads and it’s this junction of the roads that gives the spot magical powers.

It is said that you should collect enough onions to make a large circle and then buy a black handled Cretan knife, one that hasn’t been used, and take the knife, the onions and a musical instrument to the Three Road on the night of Tuesday 13th. You place the onions in a circle on the ground, put the knife in the ground in the middle of the circle and then sit on the handle of the knife. You then take your musical instrument and start to play.

At midnight, if it’s the right night and the right moon, you’ll suddenly hear many other musicians playing, hundreds if not thousands, men and women together all coming towards the Three Road. They’ll then start asking you questions; what is your name, who are you, do you want some gold, come out of the circle, do you want one of our women? Whatever you do you mustn’t speak to them and most of all you mustn’t allow any part of your body to go out of the circle. They’ll ask you to play on your instrument and while you’re playing they’ll say “We can’t reach you; we can’t hear you; come out of the circle.”

But you mustn’t even stick a finger out of the circle or they’ll grab it and drag you off – if you give them even a fingernail they’ll drag you off – you must keep playing your instrument and eventually they’ll go away.

The next morning you get off the knife and come out of the circle and you’ll be the best musician the world has ever known.

No comments: