Azogires is renowned for its many charms of beauty ,both of nature and human creations .But one charm that Azogires has is the gift of Inspiration many people in search of it have come here to create both amazing artwork amazing poetry , among many other things.If you are looking for something different ,special,spiritual,artistic .Or just apiece of mind then Azogires is the place for you. Todays topic is Poetry for countless years Cretans especially Azogirians have been riming poems little poems known as mantinades ,in Ancient Crete people would make special chants with the help of local witches ,usually old ladies with the proper experience .But with the arrival of Christianity these black magic rhymes were forbidden and people were cruelly punished if captured using some of these ways to get what they wanted,whether it was a women ,the farm they always dreamed of ,their freedom etc etc.But one thing was for certain Cretan are not the type of people who let go of something even if they are threatened by death,and when the door is shut they always find a little window go thru. So the magic chants became miniature songs called mantinades Poems that they would rhyme depending on the situation .For example if there was a wedding it was proper for the friends of the family to make little poems of how pretty the bride is,or how charming and brave the groom is , and how good the familys are, After the weddings and during the 3 day party known as glenti ,where everyone became pissed drunk ,there were people know as kontradori ,these people came with the guests each table of guests made sure they had one good looking dancer ,one singer one man with loads of bullets .And one kontradoro the kontradoro would be a man who could rhyme really fast and everyone on his would repeat the rhymes he just spontaneously made .These very talented miniature song makers could go on for hours about the same topic and other kontradori from the other tables would compete with them as if it was a fight to the death,as it sometimes was .
When one rhyme would insult the other and he would return one back to him and so on at one point the knifes and guns came ,and they functioned under the power of tons of raki.and wine, leading to countless deaths .But mantinades did not die they are still here today people all over Crete are making little rhymes posting them in papers singing them at weddings baptisms or just good gatherings ,cauise a Cretan dosent really need a reason to party he will make a party even if his sheep give birth ,anything that gives him joy is a reason to dance sing and make a party .Many of these amature but very talented poets originate from this village for inspiration is everywhere .Azogires did not stop there it gave its poetic spirit also to the visitors of this village just a few hours in this village is enough to get you going .One of our most talented local tourist poets was andy Millar from scotland he called Alfa Cafe the poets corner many othrs followed my good friend Sam Reed was always here just to get inspiration for his next poem ,many of the poems are not proper for the public cause they aqre rather rude but many other are ok here is one I ran in to this morning forgotten behind an old table drawer ,written by someone called Paul ,and bears the date 19-08-2010 the rhyme said
. Azogires
Holes appear in time
But the fabric stretches
Like a hammock
Under the weight
Of sun and history
As Luckys Fetches
The drinks and the mystery
Of how to find a rhyme
With hammock softly
unfolds beneath the vine
Its late now but
Late may be fine
If we can fix the hole in time.
