From: lyngos2@aol.com (LYNGOS 2)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.greek
Subject: FR: LYNGOS 2 RE: SISKOS
Date: 13 Jan 1998 19:59:44 GMT
Lines: 89
Message-ID: <19980113195901.OAA09791@ladder01.news.aol.com>
Today continuing with the Makedonian stories by George Modis I am going to take you to Amyntaion the small town south of Florina during the years of the Communist attacts against Greece,and more specific during the attact by the Communist-driven SLAVS against that town on 25th of July 1947. Two of their FORMATIONS from VITSI and GRAMMOS participated, isolating Amyntaion from its defenders, the 571st battaglion.
The story is about a GYFTOS (Gypsie) the universal translation does not reflect the special word by which the Greeks call a race mostly to the north of the country those years .The maggiority of them ,became Greek Orthodoxs, after Metropolitan in Florina and Eordaia became Bishop Kantiotis.Again my apologies for the mistakes,the translation is by Lyngos and is done word by word.Enjoy it.
SISKOS
Siskos a tall and stout,black and pure blood gypsie, was laying that evening of 25th of July 1947 in an already harvested field outside Amyntaion .No king laid that night in a better bed.Soft and silky was the grass underneath.The sky above was very clear.Farther, the silver lake was shining.It was truth, as pillow he had a torva.But it was quiet and the place was smelling good. Next to him were sleeping his two "puppies".He was widower,and he was the mother and the nusremaid to the children .
Laying down he was day-dreaming.What a GYFTOS should expect?To have the stars from the sky to come-down ?They were talking to him that night and they were smiling at him.......But he had not a shed,or an inch of land.!! But the sky and the full plain were his. For the rest of the people,his life was black, like his face.But he had not too many complains.Glory to God,he was getting by. With God's help if the summer was going to be long, every year, he was asking for nothing better.!
He didn't know himself, how he ended up in Amyntaion. He was living in Greece for many years now, after he came back from Roumania,Boulgaria,Servia.None of those places was better.Nobody ever bother him,nobody ever told him "go away GYFTOS". Nice place.Poor. But only God is rich. His children, once grown-up they were going to live better. Who knows ?
Maybe they were going to become important people.It was up to them and to God's will.............
He was almost asleep,when suddenly, he sees out of a corn field, slowly-slowly coming one behind the other many wild armed men.A bad smell of sweat,fat,dirty clothes and feet was following them.They saw him.
-----You don't say a word, GKYFTE, they told him in the Bulgarian language, because we are going to cut you in pieces.
Siskos was dumfound.He saw the first ones passing by and going near the small city.Another line without end was following them.Into his disturb mind many things went by, with the velocity of a lightning.He saw the gendarmes dead by slaughter, the Vice-Command Post in smoke and ashes.
His two friends, Kostas and Vasilis, who had help him on different occassions were laying in their own blood ,without hands and legs, their heads open, their eyes exctracted! Like that, were found, some "GYFTOI" who were taken by the "COMPANIONS".What was going to become of the land ,what was going to happen to him, if those savage people were to rule over?
His mind became clouded.
Without realizing how and why, suddenly stood-up and started yelling with his wild voice so hard, the whole plain could hear him.
-------A-I GENDARMES...........WAKE-UP. ANTARTES,PARTIZANS,KOMITATZIDES ARRIVED. ALERT GERDARMES. ALE...........
He never finished his frase.Many were all over his boddy,with knifes and bayonets,and perforated him.His two young ones, started crying convulsively.
They had choosen very well that evening,the two <<FORMATIONS>> from VITSI and GRAMMOS.
The 571st battaglion from Amyntaion was absent around Ptolemaida.They run toward the shooting and burning. But the road was blocked. PAPANTOULAS the KLEISOURA PRIEST who was walking ahead with his Manhliher on his shoulder and his cassock folded, fell , full with bullet wholes.
The two formations entered Amyntaion easily.They burned down few houses especially the ones belonging to MAKEDONOMAXOUS, and killed many women and children.But against the Vice-Command Post of the Gendarmery their main objective could do nothing.With the wild screams of SISKOS the <<Gendarmes>> jump-up from their beds and got in hold of the macchine -gun posts and the trenches.
In the other end also few helping soldiers who remained from the <<distribution squad>> of the <<Anti-malaria squad>> and four foreigners, suspects and passing <<muleteers>>, who were considerated <<suspects>>,defended very well the buildings where they were in Siskos after staying many months in the hospital,circles the plains again ,crippled and unable with his two young ones next to him, looking for his food <<Grasshoppers and wild honey>>. (1).
(1)Were found dead in Amyntaion most of them killed by a bayonet and knifes,MARIA GEORGIADI with her two children,MARIA KONSTANTINIDI, KALIPSO, PANDORA and PARISI GELLOU, MARIA MYLONA, EYANTHIA GOTSI, ZACHARIA RALKOU, with her son PANTELI, and MICHAIL XATZH-IOANNOU. 11 more people were wounded.
Regards.........L.
George Sofoklis Tsapanos
Regards to all.......L.*********************************************************
From: lanatan17@aol.com (Lanatan17)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.greek
Subject: Re: FR: LYNGOS 2 RE: SISKOS
Date: 14 Jan 1998 02:20:46 GMT
Lines: 13
Message-ID: <19980114022000.VAA00124@ladder02.news.aol.com>
>Communist attacts against Greece,and more specific during the attact by the
>Communist-driven SLAVS against that town on 25th of July 1947. Two of their
>FORMATIONS from VITSI and GRAMMOS participated, isolating Amyntaion from its
>defenders,the 571st battaglion.Lyngos2
Would you please clarify the statement "Communist-driven Slavs" ? I always knew that the Greek civil war of 1947 to 1949 was between Greek Communists and Right wing Royal Facists; both Greeks /Hellenes if you please. How the Slavs were involved? Aris Velouhiotis was a Slav?
Romaios
********************************************************************
From: lyngos2@aol.com (LYNGOS 2)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.greek
Subject: Re: FR: LYNGOS 2 RE: SISKOS
Date: 15 Jan 1998 13:37:31 GMT
Lines: 18
Message-ID: <19980115133700.IAA24552@ladder01.news.aol.com>
So .......Romaios you always KNEW that the Communist supported attack against Greece was between ,Greek leftists and Royal Fascists ?
Well what about the real Greeks that kicked their communist asses up in the mountains around Florina ?
Are you trying to tell me that the Faschists were so many that were able to eliminate the leftists ?
And then 8 out 10 we were killing on those mountains were speaking SLAVIC language and they were claiming that had nothing to do with Greece.
Did you ever wondered that maybe THIS is the reason why ARIS lost ? As I said it before.
Up in Florina we have too many white crosses and too many women dressed in black.
If you want to REALLY KNOW why you drop your books and start travelling around those lands where the actual fighting took place ?
Regards.........L.
George Sofoklis Tsapanos .
Regards to all.......L.
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