ARMANJI (AROMANIANS) IN HELLAS

ARMANJI AS BENEFACTORS

2008-11-13T06:50:00.000-08:00

"At the begining of the 20th century the vlach villages may be classified according to their economic activities in two foundamental but not clearly distinctive groups: 1) villages where the stock-breeding economy was dominant and 2) villages where the trade and artisan economy was dominant. ... Wherever the Vlachs (Armani) shared the same habitations with other groups, they were usually found on upper layers of the local economic, social and cultureal structure" A Koukoudis 1999.

The Arrman Nikolaos Stournaras (1806- 1853) and his wife.

The Armani N. Stournaras, Eleni Tositsa, Michail Tositsas and Georgios Averof, whose origin is from the town of Metsovo in Epirus were the benefactors of National Technical University of Athens (Greek: Εθνικό Μετσόβιο Πολυτεχνείο, National Metsovion Polytechnic), the oldest and most prestigious higher education institutions of Greece. It was founded in 1836 as a part-time vocational school named Royal School of Arts which, as its role in the technical development of the fledgling state grew, developed into Greece's sole institution providing engineering degrees up until the 1950s, when polytechnics were established outside of Athens.

SINA FAMILY (GEORGIOS AND SIMON)

S. Sinas (1810-1876)
He served as Greek Consul in Vienna, and later as Minister to Austria, Kingdom of Bavaria and Germany. The son of Georgios Sinas, also a benefactor and diplomat. He also made major donations to various educational and scientific foundations in Austria, Hungary and greece. His father Georgios had made the foundation of the National Observatory of Athens possible.

ASTEROSKOPEIO ATHINON

Evaggelos Zappas (1800–1865)

He was born in 1800 in Labove near Tepeleni in the N Epirus (southern Albania). He later fought with the Greek resistance forces in the Greek War of Independence against the Ottoman Turks. In 1831 he emigrated to the border of Wallachia and Moldovia (now part of Romania and Moldavia). He was also the founder of the modern international Olympic games. He was born in 1800 in Labove near Tepeleni, in the Ottoman Empire modern-day southern Albania). He later fought with the Greek resistance forces in the Greek War of Independence against the Ottoman Turks. In 1831 he emigrated to the border Wallachia and Moldavia (now part of Romania and Moldavia). In 1859, he succeeded in reviving the Olympic games in Athens, Greece. Zappas died before the next Games that he had sponsored, but due to his bequeathing a large part of his fortune for the continued revival of the Olympic Games, they were held again in 1870, and 1875 at the Panathenian stadium in Athens.Zappas had funded the first modern, purpose-built, Olympic building called the ZAPPEION. The head of Zappas is buried beneath his memorial outside the Zappeion in Athens which is located opposite the Panathenian stadium.

George M. Averof (1815-1899),

Born in theAromanian town of Metsovo, Averoff moved to Alexandria while still young. He was known through most of his life for founding numerous schools both in Egypt and Greece. As a benefactor, he contributed funds for the restoration of the Panathenian Stadium in readiness for the 1896 Summer Olympics. This he did at the request of Crown Prince Constantine. In gratitude for his contributions, a statue of Averoff was commissioned and placed in front of the stadium. In addition, a Greek cruiser, the flagship of the Hellenic Navy, was named after him.

APOSTOLOS ARSAKIS (1792-1874)

Greek benefactor and minister of Romania. He was doctor and scholar from Hotahova in northern Ipeiros His greatest offer however was in the field of educating female teachers by founding and operating the Upper or Girls’ Schools (Arsakeio) which, for a period of 63 years, offered Greek women the chance to be educated and to educate the younger generation in turn, since the state offered school for men only.

ARMANJI IN HELLAS

2008-10-11T06:17:00.000-07:00

HELLENIC REGIONS WITH POPULATIONS OF ARMANJI (AROMANIANS) / COSTUMES AND PEOPLE

Prefectures of

ACARNANIE (AND ETOLIA)
IOANNINA
TRIKALA
LARISA
MAGNISSIA
GREVENA
FLORINA
KASTORIA
SERRES
DRAMA

1) ARMANJI (REMENJI) FROM ACARNANIA (Western Hellas)

Palaiomanina, Agrabelo, Stratos, Gouriotissa, Strogilovounio, Oxthia

Gouriotissa village (offer N Katsaros)

Nikolaos Poulios from Palaiomanina village

Gouriotissa (offer Nikolaos Katsaros)

Diamanto Babani (Agrabelo, Folkloric Museum)

Gouriotissa (offer N Katsaros)

2) PREFECTURE OF IOANNINA

Kefalovrisso, Metsovo, Votonosi, Anilio,Milia, Astanovas, Flabourari, Elatochori, Makrino, Vovousa, Laista, Distrato,Armata, Pades, Paleoselli, Fourka,Matsouki, Kallarytes, Sirako

DISTRATO

KEFALOVRISSO

KALLARYTES

METSOVO

3) PREFECTURE OF TRIKALA ( ASPROPOTAMOS AREA)

Haliki, Anthousa, Katafito, Kalliroi, Polithea, Milea, Agia Paraskevi, Gardiki, Athamania, Stefani, Doliana, Kranea, Desi, Agios Nikolaos, Pirra, Neraidohora, Pertouli, Platanistow (Katsoufliani), Malakasi, Panagia, Koridallos, Pefki, Matoneri, Trigona, Kalomira,Orthovouni, Milopotamos, Elafi, Ampelio, Koromilia,

LIPINITSA (ANTHOYSA)

4) PREFECTURE OF LARISA (THESSALIA)

Kalamaki, Deleria, Argyropoulio, Livadi, Kokkinoplos

Georgakis Olimpios (1772 - 23.9.1821) a local Arman hero of Greek War of Independence against the Ottoman Empire, also known as the Greek Revolution of 1821.

KOKKINOPLITES (KOKKINOPLO OLYMPOY)

5) PREFECTURE OF MAGNISSIA (THESSALIA)

Sourpi, Almiros, Neraida, Anthotopos, Neohoraki, Sesklo

ALMIROS

Sourpi ~1895 : Ekaterini Ntinou, Konstantinos Ntinou, Theodora Stergiou, Dimitrios Stergiou

FRASARIOTES (POSSIBLE ANCESTORS OF ALMIROS' ARMANJI)

6) PREFECTURE OF GREVENA

Perivoli, Avdella, Samarina, Smiksi, Krania

SAMARINA

SAMARINA

PREFECTURE OF KASTORIA

Grammos, Ieropigi, Dedrohori

IEROPIGI

IEROPIGI

PREFECTURE OF FLORINA (W. MACEDONIA)
Krustallopigi, Vrodero, Pili, Kalithea, Pisoderi, Nymfaio

DISTRICT OF KOZANI

Blasti

Local Hero Ioannis Pharmakis (1772 - 1821)

EASTERN MACEDONIA

PREFECTUTE OF SERRES (Hionohori, Lailias)

PREFECTURE OF DRAMA (Prosotsani)

*Photo album of "N. Seron Vlachs' Georgakis Olimpios" Association

(1996, SERRES)
Σύλλογος Βλάχω Ν. Σερρών "Γεωργάκης Ολύμπιος"

GRAMMOYSTIANOI (LAILIAS)

GRAMMOUSTIANOI (PROSOTSANI)

ARMANJIAN LANGUAGE

2008-10-11T06:16:00.000-07:00

ANCIENT HELLENIC WORDS WHICH ARE MAINTAINED ΝΟWADAYS ONLY IN ARMANJIAN LANGUAGE

Α) LINEAR B (ANCIENT HELLENIC SCRIPT)
Linear B Aromanian
a-ko-ro (field) A-go-ro (field)
Ai-za (kiddling) Ai-tzo(kiddling)
Me-ri (honey) Nie-ri(honey)
Pa-te (father) Ta-te(father)
Wo-ko (house) O-ko (earth, place)
Ko-ru (casque) Ko-ru (horn)
Ρa-we-a(wear) Pa-e-a (marriage wear)
Po-ku (wool) Fo-ku=(wool)

Β) HOMERIC EPIC POEMS (7th century BC):
1)aisto= strange (Odyssea (α, 242) ώχετο άϊστος, άπυστος (απήλθε αφανής)
2)apuliano=lam (Iliad Δ, 522) και οστέα λάας αναιδής άχρις απηλοίασε (και τα κόκκαλα τα κατατσάκισε)
3)atta=aunt (In Iliad I, 607, Π 561 as a greeting to older)Φοίνιξ άττα γεραιέ διοτρεφος ου τί με ταύτης(« Φοίνικα, γέρο μου νουνέ, τιμές εγώ δε θέλω )

4)maia or mae=maternal grandmother, Odyssea Τ, 16

μαϊ άγε δη μοι έρυξον ενί μεγάροισι γυναίκας= come on grandmother keep women inside (έλα γιαγιά κράτησε τις γυναίκες μέσα στο σπίτι)

(Folkloric Museum, Agrabelo)

5) tini=you Iliad Ε, 485 "τύνη δ΄έστηκας" (εσύ όμως στέκεις)
6) pera or pere=fire Iliad α, 52, αιεί δε πυραί νεκύων καίοντο θαμειαί (αδιάκοπα καίγονταν νεκρών πυκνές φωτιές
7)perostie=andiron ( πυρ+ιστίη/εστία)
8)perponde=stocking )(περί+πους)
9) Lecuriki= fire bug (from ancient word lycos=light)
10)kerico=shepherd's staff. Famous the Hermes' stuff=kericio,)

11) gagano=dried wood (Iliad Φ, 364) υπό δε ξύλα κάγκανα κείται(ενώ ξερά καίνε από κάτω)
12) esko=resemble , be΄ Οδύσσεια ν, 313, σε γαρ αυτήν παντί είσκεις (γιατί με το κάθε τι εξομοιώνεσαι ή μοιάζεις)
13) eao= let Παράγεται από το ρήμα εάω-ώ Odyssea ξ, 171
"Αλλ΄η τοι τον ορκον μεν εάσομεν"ν (Ας τον αφήσουμε τώρα τον όρκο)
14) aotu=leaven or very soft like sheep's wool (see ancient Hellenic customs).
Odysseaι, 434 as sheeps'wool)¨
του κατά νώτα λαβών, λασίην υπό γαστέρ' ελυσθείς κείμην· αυτάρ χερσίν αώτου θεσπεσίοιο
(και στην κοιλιά του χαμηλά τη μαλλιαρή κρεμιέμαι,απ' τ' ώριο του μαλλί σφιχτά και δυνατά πιασμένος)
15) liao=take, keep"
"εν προτέρεσι πόδεσι κύων είχε ποικίλον ελλόν ασπαίροντα λάων"
(κάποιο σκυλί κρατούσε στα μπροστινά του πόδια ένα ελαφάκι) Οδύσσεια τ, 228
16) purie=offer, wedding "την δε πόρε Φοίβος Απόλλων " (την οποία χάρισε ο Φοίβος Απόλλων) Iliad Α, 72
"τα οί ποτε πατρί φίλα φρονέων πόρε Χείρων" (που κάποτε πρόσφερε στον πατέρα του ο Χείρων) Iliad Δ, 219.
Γ) ancient Hellenic Literature
1) stromfo =collic pain ("στρόμφος μέχει την γαστέρα", Aristophan "Thesmophoriasouses, 484),
2)reu= river (from ancient word reo=ρέω=κυλώ)
3) Vavo=grandmother, from Vavo/Ιάμβη, Dionyses nanny
4) Triapu= footpath, from word atrapos
5) kinosko= know and recognise, from ancient word yinosko=know.
6) Esti=be , from ancient word esti="εστί"=be
7) Aco= needle, from ancient word aci
8) Ou=egg, from ancient word oon=ωόν=egg
9) Firitha = window, from ancient word thira = door
10) Trasto=bag, from thrasso=contain
11) Balios=brindled =for black horses with white patch like the name of Achilleas' horse
"πώλοι βαλιός και τριχί βαλιοί (Ευριπίδη, Ιφιγένεια, εν Αυλίδι ,22)

ANCIENT HELLENIC CUSTOMS IN ARMANJIAN TRADITION

2008-10-11T05:02:00.000-07:00

Ancient Hellenic custom of "iressioni" that was related with the Spring coming relive in the wedding symbol "flambouri" of Rremeni

Custom of "Prozimia" (leaven) in wedding preparations relived the ancient Hellenic custom of "klidona" wich is related with the power of water and sun.

Bred is a result of the creative forse of sun and water( Weddinf preparations)

ARMANJI IN BALKANIAN HISTORY

2008-10-11T04:29:00.000-07:00

Armanji Songs

Armanji in Acarnania

Armani from Acarnanie (western Hellas) known as Remeni

Armanji or Aromanians or Aromuns known also as subgroup of Vlachs are people living throughout the southern Balkan (mainly in Hellas, Albania, FYROM and Bulgaria and as an emigrant community (18th century) in Romania, Monte Negro and Serbia. The largest group is considered to live in Hellas (Weigand, Koukoudis). The Aromanian call themselves Armãn or Rrimen that is derived from Romanus and denotes a citizen of the Roman or Byzantine empire, which was called "Romania". Adding "a" in front of certain words that begin with a consonant is a feature of the Arman's language.

" ..from 1912-13 and on, the majority of the Vlachs in the balkans (2/3 according to demographic estimates by G. Weigand) obtained the identity of Greek Citizens, apart from the identity they already had as an integral part of ROMIOSINI. In 1912-13, out of more or less 160.000 Vlachs living in the balkans at the end of the 19th century, acoordingto G. Weigand estimations, 102.330 were found within Greece, 30830 in present-dayFYROM, 13465 in Albania and approximately 10000 in Bulgaria, Servia, Kosovo and Bosnia... In Greece, in contrary to the picture of the vlach settlements in the plains and in urban, economic and administrative centres coexists with the numerous medieval and highland vlach metropolitan communities (with the exception of Moschopolis and few others ).." Asterios Koukoudis, 1999.

Vlachs is a blanket term covering several modern latin people descending from the Latinised population incentral, eastern and southeastern Europe. Groups that have historically been called Vlachs include: Daco-Romanians (modern-day Romanians), Armanji, Moglenites and Istro-Romanians. The word Vlach is ultimately of Germanic origin, from the word Walha a name used by ancient Germanic peoples to refer to Romance speaking neighbours. As such, it shares its history with several ethnic names all across Europe , including the Welsh and Walloons. Slavs used the name Vlachs when referring to Latin people in general. Through history, the term "Vlach" was often used for groups which were not ethnically Vlachs, but for any shepherding (Anna Komnini, 12th century), for Serbs, or for Christians by Muslims. In the Croatian region of Dalmatia, Vlaj/Vlah are the terms used by the inhabitants of coastal towns for the people who live inland: barbarians who came from the mountain. In Hellas from according Anna Komnini (12th century) Vlachs were people who was moving serpents. In modern-day Hellas the word Βλάχος (Vláhos) is often used as a slur against any supposedly uncouth or uncultured person.

It is considered that the Armani people are the descendants of Latinized native people from Roman legionaries who had settled in the Balkans. The Roman colonization of Epirus and Macedonia began earlier and lasted longer than that of Dacia (Romania) keeping in the aromanian language several archaic Latin and ancient Greek words (see Aromanian Language) strongly supporting that the Aromanians are descended from aHellas or later, during the first centuries of the Byzantine Empire when Latin continued to be the official language. The construction of the Via Egnatia and the founding of Roman colonies influenced Greek population in South Hellas more than in North regions. The Latinised peoples that originated from this region of the Roman Empire eventually retired into the security of the mountainous terrain after Avar, Slav and Bulgarian attacks and became specialized in nomadic pastoralism.

via Egnantia (146-120 πΧ )

Armanji tend to live in mountainous regions especially in the Pindus mountains. Because it runs along the border of Thessaly and Epirus, the Pindus range is often called the "spine of Hellas". The mountain range stretches from near the Hellenic-Albanian borders in Northern Epirus, entering the Epirus periphery and Macedonia region in northern Hellas.
Euroatlas-info

THE ARMANJI PEOPLE IN HELLAS ARE HISTORICALLY AND CULTURALLY AN INTEGRAL PART OF HELLENISM AND THEY NEVER ASKED OR DESIRED, TO BE RECOGNISED AS ETHNIC MINORITY BY THE HELLENIC STATE OR ANY OTHER AUTHORITY .