| Confusion exists as to the meaning of the word “πατρόνα” (patrona) in the Cretan song of Omalos. When asked, folk singers in the mountain villages of Psiloritis and West Crete replied that they used it as a matter of course in the relevant line, without comprehending its meaning. The term refers to a type of bandolier, which was in all likelihood introduced from Italy to Crete and other Greek areas in the 17th century. Following the invention of gunpowder and developments in firearms, the patrona replaced the weapons of border warriors referred to in the song’s earlier version, but over time oral poets forgot its meaning. The word underwent a change of meaning or was replaced by synonyms. Similar phenomena are observable among ancient bards. |