From: lyngos2@aol.com (LYNGOS 2)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.greek
Subject: FR: LYNGOS RE: DARK AND MOONLESS NIGHT
Date: 12 Jan 1998 23:47:04 GMT
Message-ID: <19980112234700.SAA29339@ladder02.news.aol.com>
In the continuation of my postings about life in the Makedonia from George Modis book with the general title Makedonian stories and from the book KRYPSANES (Hidding places ) today i am going to post the one with the title DARK AND MOONLESS NIGHT.In it and thru it one can understand how the division took place between the Exarchate people and the Patriarchate people. How families and whole generations were eliminated in order for the ""others ""towin,and WHY still today the hate exists and it's magnitude.It's Lyngos understanding and wish ,that the sooner the whole truth comes out, the sooner we are going to have a possibility of a dialogue. For the young ones, in case you don't believe those stories,i advise you to ask your parents or
grand-parents.Maybe they were participants in one or more of Modis stories. And if they are still alive and while you are reading them one of the stories you see a tear running down their face, then ask them to tell you about the land. I am sure they'll know.And again forgive me for my mistakes,the translation has been done word by word, rather than trying to give a meaning to the story in English.
And here it is .
DARK AND MOONLESS NIGHT
THANASIS KOMPOKIS had gone that day to take a look of his vineyard. He was an older, prosper, and God fearing resident of Egrintere of Drama (today's Kallithea). With his own expences he had built the church of ST. Athanasios. He name it after his own name.
He was happy with his vineyard. It had deep green leaves and plenty of green grapes. It was the best, as always, vineyard of the village and the surrunding area.
He turned around to go home, when suddenly behind some bushes 4 guys bearing guns showed up. They were Bulgarian Komitatzides. They had make their presence well known those days ,w ith plenty of noice.
------Good morning, Mr.Thanasi, are you all-right; they told him in the Bulgaromakedonian.
-------I am all-right, glory to God............So far.........
-------Come, one moment. The leader wants to ask you something.
-------Do you think my legs can support me bre children ?
-------It is here, close Mr.Thanasi.They took him in the woods of STRETZOVA, about three hours far! Over there were another 15 of their companions. Somebody who could be the leader, told him with wild voice:
------We brought you here poor Thanasi because we circle the mountains, we are fighting, we are getting killed, in order to run away the unfaithfull dog, the Turk and bring the liberation and you are not helping.
------How is it possible now in the old age to run in the mountains ?
------We don't want you to go out in the mountains. We are good in this kind of businness. We are expecting from you to help thru your example. Because of your attitude most of the villagers are not helping.
-----And what do I need to do in order to help you ?
------To become a Bulgar.
------Are the Turks going to leave if I become Bulgar ?
-------They are going to leave faster and easier. Because the Graikoi , the Bishops, the korakazanides, the Patriarchate, all are the same with the Turks. They double-crossed Christ.
------Don't talk like this, children, regarding the Patriarchate. It is the one that protected us and we didn't became Turkish.
------But now the Patriarchate became Turkish. It double-crossed Christ and is helping Mohamet. Him who really likes freedom, wants the Turks to go down the ravines, to divide their lands, must send it to hell, to renounce it. Orthodox Christians are the Bulgars.
------But they are schismatics.
------What do you mean schismatics?
------That's how all the Orthodox churches are calling them. Even the Russian one.
------I see, you are not going to change your mind.
------Now in my old age i will?
------But you are not going to become Jew, or Turk. Bulgar ,you are anyway. Your language is the Bulgarian. Think it over.
------I have nothing to think about it.Then suddenly the real leader showed up,the VOEVODAS, wild man, with long hair, and beard, and yelled:
------Why are you losing your time?This old man is not planning to change his mind. He doesn't want to give us even one promise even a fake one.
------Do you want me to lie to you ?
------We want you to become Bulgar and to work for the freedom.Are you or not ?One plus one equal two.Do you understand ?Your donkey's head is going to pay the price.The sin is going to be on you .Thanasis was silent.
They threw him in a big fire they have started to roast two rams.
Night 31 of August 1905. From a canyon entered in Egrintere the gang of Ivan. He surrounded the house of Vasilis Kompokis son of Athanasios and asked him to come out to tell him something really important. Of course Vasilis didn't fell for the trap. He remembered his father's end. He resisted them with a side by side shotgun and a revolver. The Turks were allowing the Giaourides to keep their shotguns. He had also an old Martini with few bullets. HissonEyagellos and his brother Prokopis were away from the village. Still ,he fought like a brave one. He fought for two-three hours. The result was fatalistic and inevitable. The Komitatzides were more than 30 and they had good guns Manhlihers and many bullets. They had bombs too and they used them.
Vasilis died.
The Komitatzides light-up on fire his house and they burned alive his wife Anastasia and the wife of his son Eyagellia.They also burned the house of his brother Prokopis.His family was safe because they hide somewhere in the neighborhood.
The Turkish guards heard the shooting and the bombs and saw the fires, but they didn't move. They were waiting to become daylight.
The bishop of DRAMA Chrysostomos and later Martyr of the Nation from Smyrna,wrote in a report toward the Patriarchate, regarding the killings of Vasilis and the two women, and the burning of the two houses!
<<<THE PAST IS A DEEP ABYSS !.......THE PRESENT A VALLEY OF TEARS AND THE FUTURE IS A DARK AND MOONLESS NIGHT........>>>
The 4th of April 1907 Prokopis Kompokis was in one of his fields.A gang was able to find him and send him to meet his father and his brother.The gang was driven in there by the Turk server of him, Abbas, who was paid 30 liras, << the 30 silver coins of Juda>>. Prokopis made it on time to kill the unfaithfull and traitor server and one Komitatzis. But as it was natural he fell with many holes from bullets in his body.
From all the brothers Kompokides, the only one still in safe was Periklis and the reason was , being in prison in the seven towers in Thessaloniki. The only secure protection able to offer the <<High and Saved by God Empire>>, to its residents was the prison .The Turks were not motioned by the faith of the family Kompokis. But if anything was going to happen to a Bulgar,they were arresting a Kompokis.!!!!!!!!
They had to be eliminated in order not to react .Maybe to be able to say <<slaughter me, my AGA in order to be sanctified>>.
They faced later death in order, George and Athanasios Kompokis. Periklis too couldn't escape the faith of his family . In 1916, during the time of the...... friendly penetration of the Bulgar-Germans in the Easter Makedonia the Bulgars eliminated him...........
The martyrized family had 8 consecutive victims from Bulgarian hands. Many victims were also from the families Papaioannou from Ano Brontou Drama's,and Mantella from the mountain area of Frastani from Serres.But the family of Kompokis were tragically ahead.
Sotiris Kompokis too, found death in 1944 but not from Bulgarians. He was set free, from the weight of life, by the top-fighters and champions of freedom,the members of the EAM and the Apostles of the KKE (Greek Communist Party).
The << DARK AND MOONLESS NIGHT >> had continuation..........
Regards to all...............L.
Regards to all.......L.
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