HISTORY ETHNOGRAPHY NATURE WINE-MAKING SITE MAP
Selected and rare materials, excerpts and observations from ancient, medieval and contemporary authors, travelers and researchers about Cyprus.
 
 
 
 
uses Google technology and indexes only and selectively internet - libraries having books with free public access
 
  Previous Next  

CLAUDE DELAVAL COBHAM
Exerpta Cypria
page 459

View PDF version of this page

more to the ancient model, I observed this point with particular attention, and am able to state with confidence that in all my rambles about the island, I have seen only two kinds of dresses that differed from the usual fashion of the Greeks, and of these but very few. One of these was a short yellow vest tight round tlie upper part of the body, with a red petticoat that came over it at the waist, round which it was tightened by a drawing tape ; a handker-chief was carelessly tied round the head. This was worn by a villager whom I saw at Santa Croce, and by another near Paphos. The other, worn by a pretty young girl of Nicosia, was all of white cotton, a loose vest, with pantaloons fastened by a drawing tape round the waist, and descending to the feet below the knot with which it was tied at the ancle à la Turque. The general dress, like that of" all Greek women, consisted of a white cap, sometimes with a red border or embroidered, according to the circumstances of the wearer, round which the hair flowed loose before on each temple, ami terminated behind in one, two, six or even eight Wis, generally lengthened by skeins of silk : strings of sequins, rnbiehs or paras hung round the head and neck: a gown tightened at the waist, and bound by a simple handkenhief, or by a leathern girdle fastened by silver clasps which generally bore the shape of a circle or of a sloped heart, and an outer robe more or lass richly embroidered, flowing to the feet; for this latter a red cloth is mostly preferred, they being here freely permitted to wear that colour as well as yellow shoes, contrary to the custom in Constantinople. They frequently threw a handkerchief loosely about the head to shade them from the sun, and none of them, even Turkish women, hide their face with scrupulous jealousy. Poverty seldom consults fashion in dress, but if I observed one habit more common among tlie Greek male peasants than the other, it was one of coarse cotton, all white, consisting of a short vest tight round the body, with loose trowsers down to the feet, fastened round tho waist by a drawing tape, or, if the wearer could afford it, by a girdle which was generally red. The turban was mostly of coai-se white cotton, they being freely allowed to wear this colour on the head. The Turks of Cyprus are in fact the tamest in the Levant. Many professed Moslem are iu secret Greeks, and observe all the numerous fasts of that church. All drink wine freely, and many of them eat pork without scruple in secret, a thing unheard of in Turkey. They frequently marry the Greek women of the island, as their religion permits a Tnrkish man to marry an infidel vfoinaii, though to guard against an abandonment of Mahometan ism, it forbids a Tnrkish woman to marry an infidel. The Greek of Cyprus is abominably corrupt, being intermixed with Venetian, Turkish and Arabick; yet I observed the following words of pure Hellenick—lalo, to speak, louo, to wash, akonizo, to sharpen, aristera, the left, sinapi, mustard, aud Ictena, beasts. A Frank in Cyprus has the greatest difficulty to find servants, iu consequence of which their insolence to their masters is insufferable. This is not owing to auy want of serviceable subjects, but to the infamous conduct of the Greek priests, who, with their usual bigotry and pride, tell the peasants that it is a shame to serve, and no sin to rob, the Frank dogs. "When a peasant robs a Frank, the priests do not enforce restitution, which they always do if the plunder be taken from a Greek. In short, these Greek priests, everywhere the vilest miscreants in human nature, are worse than usual in Cyprus from the power they possess. They strip the poor ignorant snperstitious peasant of his last para, and when he is on his deathbed, make him leave his all to their convent, promising that masses shall be said for his soni. Madame Dupont tells me that she once paid a visit to a Greek widow of a peasant who was dying, aud asked her if she had made her will to dispose of what she had in the world. " I have only that," replied TURNER. 449

View PDF version of this page


  Previous First Next