Jump to content

User:Demevla

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Aromanians in Greece
Armãnji/Rrãmãnji tu Gãrtsii
Βλάχοι/Αρμάνοι στην Ελλάδα
Area with Aromanian population and dialects
Total population
39,855 (1951 census); unofficial estimates count up to 300,000[1]
Regions with significant populations
Attica, Epirus, Thessaly, Western Macedonia, Central Macedonia
Languages
Aromanian (native), Greek
Religion
Predominantly Eastern Orthodoxy
Related ethnic groups
Aromanians, Vlachs, Romanians, Greeks
Part of a series on
Aromanians
Geographical distribution
Major settlements
Culture
Language and identity
Religion
History
Related groups

The Aromanians in Greece (Aromanian: Armãnji tu Gãrtsii; Greek: Βλάχοι/Αρμάνοι στην Ελλάδα) are an Aromanian ethno-linguistic group native in Epirus, Thessaly and Western and Central Macedonia, in Greece.[2]

In the country, they are commonly known as "Vlachs" (Βλάχοι, Vláchoi) and referred to as "Vlachophone Greeks"[3][4] or "Vlach-speaking Greeks",[5] because most Aromanians in Greece have a Greek identity and identify themselves with the Greek nation and culture.[6][7] There are about 250,000 Aromanians today who live mainly throughout the Balkans. The largest population is situated in Greece, followed by Romania, Albania, North Macedonia, and Bulgaria. In Greece, many Aromanians live in the northern part of the country and primarily around the Pindus Mountains. The most notable of these many settlements is Metsovo, the cultural heart of the Aromanians. Notably, the Aromanians practiced a pastoral lifestyle, migrating between highland and lowland areas with the changing seasons to sustain their way of life. As a result, the term “Vlach” referred to shepherds as early as the 12th century. These habits have led to many Greeks labeling them as uncivilized people who are inferior. Such contempt has been evident in derogatory slogans like "be civilized, not Vlach," and reflected systemic efforts to suppress Aromanian culture.[8] In the 21st century, the Aromanians are largely seen as indistinguishable from Greeks by many people. Nowadays, many Greeks believe Aromanian language is a regional variation of Greek spoken in the northern regions, distinguished by phonetic shifts such as e becoming i, o becoming u, and s becoming sh.[9] This confusion has arised because the Vlachs and Greeks share similar characteristics including religion and physical appearance. The main distinguishing feature of the Aromanians is their heritage of speaking a language from the Balkan Latin family, which is not widely recognized in modern Greek society.

History

[edit]

Byzantine historian George Kedrenos identified Aromanians living in what is now Greece in the 11th century.[10] Under the Ottoman Empire, the Aromanians were considered part of the Rum Millet.[11] In 1902, Romanian politician Alexandru Lahovary advocated for the recognition of the Aromanians as a distinct millet, which was granted in 1905.[12]

The group became more distinct towards the end of the 19th century, with a split occurring between Vlachs who identified more closely with Romania and those who were linked more to Greece. During this period, some Romanians were deeply committed to improving the conditions of the Aromanians, providing them with opportunities that enhanced their lives. For example, Romanian schools offered scholarships for further education in Romania, which enabled some sons of shepherds to become engineers or even members of the Romanian Academy.[13] Studying in Romania was seen as an opportunity on par with studying in the United States in later years.[14] Alongside these gestures, the Romanian government also sought to convince the Aromanians of their Romanian heritage. Although Romania could not claim Macedonian territory, it hoped to facilitate a sense of shared identity with the Aromanians and expand its influence in the Pindus region.

Romanian schools that taught Aromanian in Greece were operational until 1948, when Romania halted financial support. Following this, the Aromanian language effectively disappeared from educational settings. It has only recently been reintroduced as an academic course at Aristotle University in Thessaloniki.[15] Presently, Aromanian does not appear in judicial, administrative, or media channels, though there are occasional television and radio segments focused on folk music and dance.

Today the origins of Aromanians in Greece are disputed as there exist many different theories. A popular belief in Greece is that Aromanians are ethnic Greeks who later adopted the Latin language and cultural influences from the Romans. According to this theory, Roman soldiers stationed along the Via Egnatia between Rome and Constantinople in the second century B.C. decided to stay in the region.[16] They then married local women and integrated with the native population.

Overall, scholars possess various theories about the origins of the Aromanians. Some experts suggest that they are the descendants of "Latinized Illyrians" (Malcolm, 2016), while in Greece, there is a common belief that they are "Latinized Greeks" (Lazarou, 1987). In Bulgaria, the common view is that the Aromanians are the descendants of the ancient Thracians (Castellan, 1992). Conversely, Romanians often regard the Aromanians as a branch of Romanized Dacians, much like themselves (Brâncuş, 2005). Interestingly, linguistic comparisons indicate that Aromanian shares structural similarities with Albanian, the last remaining Illyrian language. This finding offers some evidence for the Illyrian origin hypothesis.[17]

Culture

[edit]

The Aromanians of Greece count with the Panhellenic Federation of Cultural Associations of Vlachs, a cultural organization of Aromanians.[18][11] The Aromanian communities, who use the endonym Vlasi, in Macedonia speak Megleno-Romanian, separate from the Aromanian language.

Throughout history, the Aromanians have always been aligned with Greek political causes, actively supporting the Greek War of Independence during the Ottoman Empire. The Permanent Representative of Greece to the Council of Europe describes Aromanians as fully integrated into Greek society, maintaining Greek cultural practices and language.[19] According to this view, Aromanians have always identified as Greek and have played important roles in Greek literature, arts, sciences, and politics without seeking a separate national identity. As previously mentioned, they split into two factions: one identifying with Romania and the other with Greece after the formation of the Greek state.

The Balkan Wars caused massive displacement across southeastern Europe and left many communities, including the Aromanians in Greek Macedonia, as minorities in the newly established nation-states. Therefore, some Aromanians turned to the Romanian government for help. In December 1918, Romania acquired Southern Dobruja, a region in northeastern Bulgaria where Romanians were a small minority at just 2.3% of the population. To remedy this, the Romanian government invited Aromanians from Greece and neighboring countries to settle there, offering them 50,000 drachmas and 100 stremmata of land to support their relocation. The Greek government supported this migration and encouraged the Aromanians to move to Southern Dobruja.[20]

Language

[edit]

Over time, speaking Aromanian became increasingly impractical for many people. As new urban generations married outside their communities, the use of their ancestral language diminished, with many even forgetting it entirely. While older Aromanians may recall Aromanian grammar, their vocabulary is generally limited. The younger generation has faced difficulties understanding idioms from the past as well. Additionally, there are no available books or mass media resources for them to learn and sustain the language.

Despite these challenges, since the 1960s, there has been a significant resurgence of Aromanian cultural associations and fraternities, such as the Panhellenic Federation of Vlach Cultural Associations.[21] Currently, around three hundred associations in Greece are working to safeguard the Aromanian language and cultural heritage.

Music

[edit]

Aromanian traditional music across the Balkan Peninsula and Southeastern Europe is predominantly rural and vocal, characterized by its multi-part harmony and emphasis on singing over dancing. The primary vocal genres include lullabies, laments, lyric songs (such as ritual, work, love, and wedding songs), ballads, and epic songs (legendary and historical). These songs reflect the pastoral life and livestock-centered profession of the Aromanian people with an emphasis on lyric-pastoral character.[22] They also express deep emotions like pain, regret, and tragedy through poetic and musical techniques that evoke a lyrical perception of reality.

Three distinguished Aromanian artists are:

  • Vasil Mushi: A lawyer and political leader in Romania
  • Nicutsa Balamaci: A school superintendent in Albania
  • Tache Papahagi: Originally from Avdhela, Greece, he emerged as a leading scholar of Aromanian language and culture in Romania.
Main articles: Aromanian music and Polyphonic song of Epirus

Cuisine

[edit]
  • Metsovone cheese
  • kontosouvli
  • Manitaria (Greek-style mushrooms)
  • Karavides
  • Moschari me damaskina
  • Pestrofa (Fish)
  • Spanakopita (Spinach pie)
See also: Aromanian cuisine

Religion

[edit]

In the Ottoman Empire, the Vlachs fell under the religious jurisdiction of the Greek Patriarch by virtue of them being Orthodox Christian; services were conducted in Greek.[23] Conducting services in the Aromanian language became a priority issue for the Vlachs. The Orthodox Patriarch decided that if the Vlachs were to conduct services in their own language, they would be denied their own clerical head. In 1875, the Patriarch ordered the closure of 8 Vlach churches, leading to an escalation in hostilities.[23] The Ottoman Ministry of Justice and Religious Denomination determined in 1891 that the Vlach had a right to worship in their own language; in 1892, the Ministry of Justice warned the Greek Patriarch that if Vlach-language services were not instituted, the Vlachs would likely established their own church. The Vlach were eventually successful in appointing their own bishop.

Metsovone, Aromanian cheese from Metsovo

List of settlements

[edit]
Panorama of the town of Metsovo

Because of the Aromanian history of cattle-rearing and history of discrimination in urban areas, the Aromanian population is largely scattered throughout Greece.[11]

Epirus

Macedonia

Thessaly and Mount Olympus

Aetolia-Acarnania

Notable Aromanians from modern Greece

[edit]
Yanaki and Milton Manaki
George Averoff, oil painting by Pavlos Prosalentis the younger (1857-1894)
Evangelos Zappas

Academics

[edit]

Art and literature

[edit]

Military

[edit]

Philanthropy

[edit]

Politics

[edit]

Religion

[edit]

Science

[edit]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Kahl 2002, p. 153.
  2. ^ Mackridge, Peter (2 April 2009). Language and National Identity in Greece, 1766-1976. OUP Oxford. ISBN 9780199214426.
  3. ^ "World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples - Greece : Vlachs". United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. May 2018. Archived from the original on 15 September 2013. Vlachs, or Vlachophone Greeks, are traditionally mountain pastoralists.
  4. ^ Official Report of Debates. Council of Europe. 1 July 1996. p. 907. ISBN 978-92-871-2983-3. The Vlachs or Macedo-Romanians, also called Aromanians or Vlachophone Greeks by others [...]
  5. ^ "World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples - Greece : Vlachs". United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. May 2018. Archived from the original on 15 September 2013. In August 2003 the Greek Federation of Cultural Associations of Vlachs objected to the direct or indirect characterization of the Vlach-speaking Greeks as an ethnic, linguistic or other type of minority, a position expressed in a subsequent report issued by the American organization Freedom House. The Federation asserted that Vlach-speaking Greeks never asked to be recognized as a minority by the Greek state as both historically and culturally they were, and still are an integral part of Hellenism.
  6. ^ History and culture of South Eastern Europe. Vol. 5. Slavica Verlag Dr. A. Kovač. 2003. p. 212.
  7. ^ Stjepanović, Dejan (15 March 2015). "Claimed Co-ethnics and Kin-State Citizenship in Southeastern Europe". Ethnopolitics. 14 (2): 140–158. doi:10.1080/17449057.2014.991151. hdl:20.500.11820/8f5ce80b-bfb3-470c-a8b0-620df2a7760f. ISSN 1744-9057.
  8. ^ Fan-Moniz, Alex De Lusignan (30 March 2024). "Aromanian Vlach and Greek: Shifting Identities". European Journal of Language and Culture Studies. 3 (2): 6–13. doi:10.24018/ejlang.2024.3.2.54. ISSN 2796-0064.
  9. ^ "The Vlachs of Greece and their Misunderstood History - Aromanian Cultural Society Farsharotu". https://farsharotu.org/. Retrieved 17 July 2024. {{cite web}}: External link in |website= (help)
  10. ^ Wichmann, Anna (6 November 2022). "The Vlachs: The Proud Greeks Who Speak a Romance Language". Greek Reporter. Retrieved 29 May 2023.
  11. ^ a b c Kahl, Thede (2002). "The ethnicity of Aromanians after 1990: the identity of a minority that behaves like a majority". Ethnologia Balkanica. 6: 145–169.
  12. ^ Macar, Elçin (2 January 2023). "The Recognition of the Vlachs as a Millet in the Ottoman Empire, 1905". The Journal of the Middle East and Africa. 14 (1): 87–112. doi:10.1080/21520844.2022.2125696. ISSN 2152-0844.
  13. ^ "The Vlachs of Greece and their Misunderstood History - Aromanian Cultural Society Farsharotu". https://farsharotu.org/. Retrieved 17 July 2024. {{cite web}}: External link in |website= (help)
  14. ^ "The Vlachs of Greece and their Misunderstood History - Aromanian Cultural Society Farsharotu". https://farsharotu.org/. Retrieved 17 July 2024. {{cite web}}: External link in |website= (help)
  15. ^ "Aromanians". assembly.coe.int. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
  16. ^ Fan-Moniz, Alex De Lusignan (30 March 2024). "Aromanian Vlach and Greek: Shifting Identities". European Journal of Language and Culture Studies. 3 (2): 6–13. doi:10.24018/ejlang.2024.3.2.54. ISSN 2796-0064.
  17. ^ Fan-Moniz, Alex De Lusignan (30 March 2024). "Aromanian Vlach and Greek: Shifting Identities". European Journal of Language and Culture Studies. 3 (2): 6–13. doi:10.24018/ejlang.2024.3.2.54. ISSN 2796-0064.
  18. ^ Droukas, Evangelou; Bezos, Sofoklis (2004). Μελέτη σχετικά με την ιστορία τη ζωή και τον πολιτισμό των βλάχων (Thesis) (in Greek). Mytilene: University of the Aegean. pp. 1–207.
  19. ^ "Aromanians". assembly.coe.int. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
  20. ^ "The Vlachs of Greece and their Misunderstood History - Aromanian Cultural Society Farsharotu". https://farsharotu.org/. Retrieved 17 July 2024. {{cite web}}: External link in |website= (help)
  21. ^ Fan-Moniz, Alex De Lusignan (30 March 2024). "Aromanian Vlach and Greek: Shifting Identities". European Journal of Language and Culture Studies. 3 (2): 6–13. doi:10.24018/ejlang.2024.3.2.54. ISSN 2796-0064.
  22. ^ "Aromanian Traditional Music: An Introduction - Aromanian Cultural Society Farsharotu". https://farsharotu.org/. Retrieved 7 August 2024. {{cite web}}: External link in |website= (help)
  23. ^ a b Arslan, Ali (2004). "The Vlach issue during the Late Ottoman period and the emergence of the Vlach community (millet)". Études balkaniques (4): 121–139. ISSN 0324-1645.

Updated References:

“The Vlachs of Greece and Their Misunderstood History - Aromanian Cultural Society Farsharotu.” Https://Farsharotu.org/, farsharotu.org/the-vlachs-of-greece-and-their-misunderstood-history/. Accessed 17 July 2024.

Fan-Moniz, Alex De Lusignan. “Aromanian Vlach and Greek: Shifting Identities.” European Journal of Language and Culture Studies, vol. 3, no. 2, 30 Mar. 2024, pp. 6–13, www.ej-lang.org/index.php/ejlang/article/view/54, https://doi.org/10.24018/ejlang.2024.3.2.54. Accessed 17 July 2024.

CLARK, ROLAND. “Claiming Ethnic Privilege: Aromanian Immigrants and Romanian Fascist Politics.” Contemporary European History, vol. 24, no. 1, 19 Jan. 2015, pp. 37–58, https://doi.org/10.1017/s0960777314000411. Accessed 5 Nov. 2019.

“Aromanians.” Assembly.coe.int, assembly.coe.int/nw/xml/XRef/X2H-Xref-ViewHTML.asp?FileID=7661&lang=EN#:~:text=The%20Aromanians%20are%20concentrated%20in. Accessed 17 July 2024.

“History of the Vlach Community in Greece - Bar Vlaha.” Barvlaha.com, 22 May 2023, barvlaha.com/2023/05/22/history-of-the-vlach-community-in-greece/#:~:text=The%20term%20%E2%80%9CVlach%E2%80%9D%20has%20become. Accessed 17 July 2024.

“Aromanian Traditional Music: An Introduction - Aromanian Cultural Society Farsharotu.” Aromanian Cultural Society Farsharotu, 25 Apr. 2018, farsharotu.org/aromanian-traditional-music-an-introduction/. Accessed 6 Aug. 2024.

“Aromân Songs & Speeches - Aromanian Cultural Society Farsharotu.” Aromanian Cultural Society Farsharotu, 2018, farsharotu.org/product/aroman-songs-speeches/. Accessed 6 Aug. 2024.

Retrieved from "https://wiki.riteme.site/w/index.php?title=User:Demevla&oldid=1239046059"