Оригинални научни рад УДК:793.3:316.7(495.9)(091) Maria Hnaraki
[email protected] Cretan Identity through its Dancing History Apstract: Dances are threads that have fashioned the fabric of Cretan society since ancient times. Histories are being performed to show the concrete links between past and present and are thus transformed into living communal memories which constitute a rich source of knowledge and identity, speaking for a poetics of Cretanhood. Key words: Crete, identity, dance, mytho-musicology, dancing history Prelude Crete, a Mediterranean island, serves as a connecting link between the so-called East and West. Located at the crossroads between three conti- nents, Europe, Africa and Asia, Crete has also embraced many influences (such as Arab, Venetian, and Turkish). Its forms of musical expression ha- ve been interpreted historically and connected to the fight, the resistance and the numerous rebellions against the Turks (particularly in reference to what is widely perceived in Greece as a “tainted” Ottoman past), who lan- ded on the island in 1645, conquered it in 1669 and controlled it until 1898. In more recent times, an active resistance was raised against the Ger- man invasion during the Second World War. During such periods, in order to claim their land, Cretans sang and danced (Hnaraki 2011, forthcoming). Cretan dances function as threads that have fashioned the fabric of Cre- tan society since ancient times, providing authentic evidence of the continu- ity of Crete’s popular tradition and rhythm. Despite modernization, which can be found in many places all over Greece and Crete, especially nowadays, dance is still a common means of expression for most Cretan people (Hnara- ki 1998, 63).