Location information

Castalia & Cephisus

KIFISSOS (River) VIOTIA
Panyassis, work unknownI have heard another account, that the water was a gift to Castalia from the river Cephisus. So Alcaeus has it in his prelude to Apollo. The strongest confirmation of this view is a custom of the Lilaeans, who on certain specified days throw into the spring of the Cephisus cakes of the district and other things ordained by use, and it is said that these reappear in Castalia.

Perseus: Pausanias, Description of Greece, Phocis and Ozolian Locri
• http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=...

The petrified King at the Kaprous

SKALA (Village) KEFALLONIA
Gradou is an area located between Skala and Poros. Here the trees, including age - old olive - trees, grow on draughty stone and lean towards the water, with a few creeks flowing through them into the sea. Wild pigeons fly out of the sea caves and then vanish into the blue sky above the dominating rocks. Myth has it that the human - like stones in Kapri are the petrified King and his family, who lived in a city that submerged. Local legends speak of the water nymphs who live in the area's gullies and caves. The locals believe that at nights without moon, water nymphs come out of their hiding places to meet humans. And these are just some of popular memories keeping within them the ancient secrets of life; they have spread through legends, fairy - tales and dreaming fantasies created by people in a place resembling an ark full of rich treasures

Skala Community WebPage
• http://www.skala-kefalonia.gr/english/legend.htm

KORINTHOS (Town) PELOPONNISOS
  Το πρώτο όνομα αυτής της περιοχής ήταν Εφύρα, όνομα πελασγικό, της πρώτης βασίλισσας αυτής της γης, της Εφύρας, κόρης του Ωκεανού και της Θέτιδας και γυναίκας του Ηλιου. Ισως σήμαινε γέφυρα και χαρακτήριζε τη σπουδαία θέση της Κορίνθου. Ο Ηλιος και η Εφύρα μοίρασαν την επικράτειά τους στα δυο παιδιά τους: ο Αλωέας έλαβε τη χώρα από τα σύνορα της Κορίνθου ως τη Σικυώνα και ο Αιήτης πήρε τη χώρα από τα σύνορα της Σικυώνας ως την Ισθμία. Ο Αιήτης όμως νωρίς θα εμπιστευτεί τη διοίκηση της Εφύρας στον Βούνο, γιο του Ερμή και της Αλκιδάμειας, και θα εγκατασταθεί στην Αία (Κολχίδα) όπου και έζησε το υπόλοιπο της ζωής του. Ακολούθησαν ο βασιλιάς Επωπέας, εγγονός του Ηλιου και ο γιος του Μαραθώνα, ο Κόρινθος. Σ' αυτόν οφείλει, κατά μια εκδοχή, η πόλη το δεύτερο και μόνιμο όνομά της.
  Κατά μια άλλη εκδοχή, κατά τους αρχαίους χρόνους, ζούσε μια όμορφη κόρη που έμοιαζε με άνθος. Την έλεγαν γι' αυτό Κόρινθο (κόρη + άνθος). Οποιο παλικάρι την έβλεπε, την αγαπούσε τρελά. Μια μέρα πέρασαν τρία αδέρφια, πανέμορφα αρχοντόπουλα, που μόλις την είδανε ξετρελάθηκαν από την ομορφιά της και έστειλαν προξενητάδες να της πουν να διαλέξει έναν από τους τρεις. Εκείνη όμως που αγαπούσε περισσότερο απ' όλα τον τόπο της, τους παράγγειλε πως θα παντρευόταν αυτόν που θα έκανε το μεγαλύτερο καλό. Ή να φυτέψει το κάμπο της Βόχας με ελιές, ή να οχυρώσει το Κάστρο της Αρχαίας Κορίνθου με ψηλά τείχη και να ανοίξει 365 πηγάδια, όσες οι μέρες του χρόνου, ή να φέρει νερό να ποτιστεί ο τόπος. Τα παλικάρια στρώθηκαν στη δουλειά. Το ένα άρχισε να φυτεύει το κάμπο. Το άλλο να οχυρώνει το Κάστρο και το τρίτο, το καλύτερο, να φτιάχνει αυλάκια για να φέρει το νερό της Στυμφαλίας στην περιοχή της σημερινής Κορίνθου. Ετσι πέρασαν οι μέρες και σαν ήρθε η ορισμένη, ο κάμπος πρασίνισε από τις ελιές που «έπιασαν». Αλλά και η τελευταία πέτρα μπήκε πάνω στο Κάστρο. Την ώρα εκείνη κύλησε και το νερό απ' το μεγάλο ποτάμι στ' αυλάκια. Η όμορφη κόρη που ήταν σαν ανθός, δεν παντρεύτηκε κανέναν, μόνο έγινε τρία κομμάτια και αυτά τα έβαλαν στα θεμέλια της νέας πολιτείας που ονομάστηκε Κόρινθος.
  (Κείμενο: Μαρία Γεωργιάδου, Θηρεσία Κοντογιάννη)
  Το κείμενο (απόσπασμα) παρατίθεται τον Νοέμβριο 2003 από τουριστικό φυλλάδιο (2002) της Νομαρχίας Κορινθίας.

Gerakina

NIGRITA (Small town) SERRES
Gerakina, who is well-known all over Greece, originates from Nigrita and her song is a panhellenic anthem of the Muse. According to tradition, Gerakina lived around 1850-1870 in a house in Nigrita, in the picturesque area called "Tsoukalades". She was extremely beautiful and so a coveted bride to be. Every man was trying to sweep her of her feet. However, "Death" was very jealous of her beauty and came too early to take her with him. So, one early afternoon while the table was set for lunch, Geragina went together with her "pitcher" to bring water from the well. As soon as she threw her "bucket" into the well, she lost her balance and fell in the well, too. According to the song's lyrics, on hearing her screams, "young and old rushed over" and among them a brave man, who didn't hesitate to climb into the well in order to rescue his beloved one. Some time later though, they pulled them both out of the well. The young man was almost dead and Gerakin "dead"
The well of Gerakina, which is still preserved in Nigrita (at the area of "Tsoukalades") is the last witness of this tradition. A few years later, in a coffee house in Nigrita, a poet and singer, made the story of Gerakina into a song. Since then, Gerakina as a song and dance passed over to eternity and didn't take her long to walk over the limits of Nigrita and become famous all over Greece. The Cultural Association of Nigrita, after taking the initiative, has decided to celebrate "Gerakinia" every year during Easter. It is a Festivity in memory of Gerakina. This wonderful celebration, which has become an institution for Nigrita, has given a nice Cultural stigma in the town, attracting lots of visitors every year.

Aristomenes' saviour from Kaeadas

EIRA (Ancient fortress) MESSINIA
When Aristomenes was thrown into the Ceadas, an eagle flew below him and supported him with its wings, bringing him to the bottom without any damage to his body and without wound. After two days he heard a noise and saw a fox devouring the dead bodies. Realizing that the beast must have some entrance, he waited for the fox to come near him, and then seized it. Whenever it turned on him he used one hand to hold out his cloak for it to bite. For the most part he kept pace with it as it ran, but over the more difficult ground he was dragged along by it. At last he saw a hole big enough for a fox to get through and daylight showing through it. So, Aristomenes reached his home at Eira in safety.
This extract is from: Pausanias, Description of Greece. Harvard University Press
Cited Aug 2002 from Perseus Project URL below, which contains comments & interesting hyperlinks.

Perseus: Pausanias, Description of Greece, Messenia
• http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=...

The foul smell of the Anigrus

ILIA (Ancient country) GREECE
Some Greeks say that Chiron, others that Pylenor, another Centaur, when shot by Heracles fled wounded to this river and washed his hurt in it, and that it was the hydra's poison which gave the Anigrus its nasty smell. Others again attribute the quality of the river to Melampus the son of Amythaon, who threw into it the means he used to purify the daughters of Proetus.

Perseus: Pausanias, Description of Greece, Elis
• http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=...

The springs of Ladon

LADON (River) ARCADIA
Until the last century there was a fable at Lycuria about the spring of Ladon and the lake of Pheneos. The story went like this; two ghosts were haunting the lake of Pheneos, the one living near Gioza (Mati) and the other near Lycuria. One day they had a fight near Lycuria. One of them went into the ground and, going through the mountain, reached the lake. This way, it opened the sink hole of Gioza and the lake was emptied of its water (Ekd. Athinon, Pausaniou Periegissis, vol. 4, p. 252, note 1).

The Rock of Polyphemus

PRASSOUDI (Small island) THESPROTIA
According to local tradition, the islet is the rock that was hurled by the Cyclops Polyphemus to Odysseus.

The Myth of Xanthippi

XANTHI (Town) MAKEDONIA EAST & THRACE
In the north part of the city you can find the remains of the wall of Xantheppe castle, which dates back to the Byzantine era. The Queen of Xanthi, Xantheppe, is rather a legendary person. A gallery starting from the castle ends to the old Town. According to the myth, Xantheppe was using this gallery to reach the old city, where she was taking her bath.