Amusing Dunia: The Dance of Zalongo

Above the hamlet of Kamarina , virtually Preveza , Hellenic Republic , is the historic cliffs of Mount Zalongo. It was hither inwards 1803 , during the Souliote War , about 50 to 60 Souliot women , along amongst their children committed volume suicide inwards lodge to avoid existence captured in addition to enslaved past times the soldiers of the Ottoman ruler Ali Pasha. According to the legend , the women defiantly danced in addition to sang equally 1 past times 1 they threw their children off the cliff in addition to and thence followed at nowadays after. The incident became known equally the Dance of Zalongo.

The Souliotes were originally refugees from the Greek hamlet of Paramythia who escaped the Ottomans in addition to settled inwards the remote mountainous areas of Epirus , where they enjoyed an autonomous status. Attracted past times the privileges of autonomy , immigrants from elsewhere assimilated amongst the Souliotes in addition to they grew inwards strength in addition to seat out until they were powerful plenty to successfully resist Ottoman rule. The Souliotes didn’t pay taxes to the empire , instead , they demanded tribute from the Turks of the area. At the superlative of its ability , inwards the minute one-half of the 18th century , they dominated over 60 villages inwards the region.

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The Monument of Zalongo honoring the women who chose decease over disgrace in addition to misery. Photo credit: Harry Gouvas/Wikimedia

The Souliotes lived undisturbed for about 60 years , earlier the Sultan decided that the Souliotes involve to hold upwards subdued. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 serial of conflicts ensued , only the Souliotes proved to hold upwards undefeatable , until Ali Pasha came into power.

In the outset few fights , Ali Pasha’s men , similar those who tried earlier , were soundly defeated. Finally , Ali Pasha realized that an enemy equally formidable equally the Souliotes tin exclusively hold upwards defeated through treachery. So outset , he cutting off all routes of supplies until the enemy was starving. Then amongst the aid of a traitor inside the Souliotes , Ali Pasha’s troops set siege in addition to the Souliotes were forced to give upwards defeat. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 treaty was signed where Ali Pasha promised no price to the remaining Souliotes in addition to permit them to relocate wherever they pleased. But Ali Pasha had no plans of honoring it. He ordered his soldiers to seize them equally hostage.

The Souliotes who were heading to Parga managed to escape , only the men , women in addition to children who went to Zalongo establish themselves cornered. Over 1 hundred 50 villagers were captured. Some were murdered. One grouping of over 50 women chose decease over enslavement. The women , belongings their children inwards their arms , sang in addition to danced on the cliff at Zalongo. Then 1 past times 1 they threw themselves over the cliff.

The even out of the volume suicide at Zalongo rang throughout Europe in addition to reverberated inwards the imagination of the people. Tribute inwards the bird of poems , songs , in addition to dances poured out equally commemorations of the heroic act. Monumental paintings were made , including 1 past times the French creative mortal Ary Scheffer , which at nowadays hang inwards the Louvre , in addition to melodramas were produced on the stages of London in addition to Paris.

In 1961 , a hauntingly beautiful modernist sculpture honoring the women was constructed on the mountaintop site. The monument depicts half dozen abstract woman mortal figures belongings hands , equally they did inwards trip the lite fantastic , amongst the figures gradually growing inwards size in addition to heroism towards the border of the cliff. The 13-meters-tall Zalongo monument is at nowadays a pop tourist attraction inwards the region.

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