The scary but cute Ghosts of Amfissa
Amfissa, a town going back three millennia, 20 km from the famous Oracle of Delphi, has had a complicated history, occupied by and/or fiercely resisting Persians, Macedonians, Romans, Knights of St. John, Catalans, Ottomans and Nazis. New empires and religions left their mark but failed to erase ancient customs, which, as in other parts of Greece, are particularly evident during the "Apokries" (Carnival) season, that lasts four weeks sometime between early February to late March, depending on Easter day. One of the most famous 'pagan' feasts, officially part of the "intangible cultural heritage of Greece", is the Harmaina Ghost of Amfissa (Το στοιχειό της Χάρμαινας στην Άμφισσα).
The modernised version of the feast, based on local oral traditions, was revived in 1995 and is performed annually since. It starts on the eve of the last Friday of the Carnival and ends 24 hours later. You will see street processions by men, women and children and a performance featuring three giant monsters/ghosts, each representing a borough of Amfissa and the "kodonoforoi" (bell-wearers) skin-wearing, goat-like figures reminiscent of the god Pan, with bells sewn in their uniforms, as the town was also famous for its bell-makers who produced enough sheep bells for the whole of Greece. The tale essentially is a Romeo & Juliet type love story celebrating the tanner profession. The ghost/monster of Harmaina is always the winner as Harmaina is the borough of the traditional tanneries active until the early 1960s. Today a single working traditional tannery remains in Harmaina, which is also the last in Greece, dating all the way back to the 17th century when it produced parchments for the Vatican! Still owned by the Merinopoulos family, it still provides Athenian book binders with top quality leather. All other tanneries have been abandoned or gentrified, converted into hotels, art galleries and coffee shops. The Harmaina feast is becoming more famous every year and apparently the whole town, from schoolchildren to elders, proudly takes part in the preparations.
