Volume VII - 1953

Author Category Volume Page Year Language Economides D. V PAPERS AND STUDIES 7 110 - 118 1953 Greek Title Three works of Cretan literature in Aperathou, Naxos Summary PDF Three of the most important works of Cretan literature, Erotokritos, the Sacrifice of Abraham and Voskopoula (The Shepherdess), remained popular in the village of Aperathou on Naxos in the first decades of the 20th century. Some of the inhabitants owned copies of popular Venetian or Athenian editions, which they were in the habit of reading in company. Many people knew the texts by heart and recited or sang long or short extracts. The three works passed into oral popular tradition, altered to a greater or lesser extent. Abridgements, lacunae, transpositions, mixing of verses and alterations to the words, meaning and plot, could all be the caused by imperfect memorisation and people’s tendency to correct and attempt to adapt the texts to the popular mentality.