Η Greek revolution ensures 1821 with the heroic confrontation of the conquering fury of the Ottomans is a milestone in the history of Europe, and the hero general Makrygiannis is the unique personality of this struggle.
The Historical and Ethnological Society of Greece published in 2010 a very elegant book entitled "Historical masks - the collection of the National Historical Museum". The publication presents the collection of plaster casts that depict the figures of prominent figures of modern Greek history, among them the model of Makrygiannis. The Museum holds a large number of relics of the fighter Makrygiannis, among them 11 paintings out of the 24 that were painted under his guidance and depict battles and naval battles of the '21 Struggle.
This book quotes the words of George Seferis in the work, "Tests" about the funeral mold of Makrygiannis, which the poet likens to "withered apple or gem of the beach, deeply licked by the tireless wave, a little bigger than a fist . This tormented thing was all that was left, at the time of death, of the handsome and kind form of the generous man. " This is what our Nobel Prize-winning poet writes about the cast in his own unique way.
Makrygiannis was born in Avoriti of Dorida in the middle of the 1790s. His real name was Triantaphyllos, but during the Struggle he was called Makrygiannis for his tall stature, a name that kept him and thus remained in history. "My hometown is from Lidoriki, a village in Lidoriki called Avoriti. It is three hours from Lidoriki}}} five huts "he writes in his Memoirs. He continues: "My parents are very poor and this poverty came from the kidnapping of the local Turks and the Arvanites of Alipasa. When I was still in my mother's womb, one day she went for wood, she was in pain and she gave birth to me. She picked it up alone and mixed it up, loaded some wood, put grass on top of the wood and on top of me and went to the village ".
Makrygiannis did not learn letters and in order to write his memoirs, now 30 years old, he asked friends to learn writing on his own. Makrygiannis is the most important novelist of modern Greek Literature, if not the greatest, because we have Papadiamantis, said George Seferis. In our place, where we are once so hard self-taught, Makrygiannis became my most humble but also the most stable teacher. The content of Makrygiannis's writing - Seferis observes - is the endless and the real struggle of a man who, with all the instincts of his race rooted deep in his bowels, seeks freedom, justice, humanity.
The second reason I believe that Makrygiannis is our most important novelist is, because I think of him as a great teacher of our language. If I exclude the ruined Woman of Zakynthos of Solomos, - concludes Seferis - I do not know any other text in our new letters that teaches as much as the text of Makrygiannis.
It is a fact that the writing of the general of the revolution was considered an ideal depiction of the popular lalia and the soul of the modern Greek. It was considered a model of popular language, which can validly and authentically express the popular soul, which has remained unchanged over the centuries.
Having the great general, an admirable ability to adapt to the new things brought by the Revolution, he passionately participated in the destruction of the old world, the only world that could meet his expectations, observes Nikos Theotokas in his book about Makrygiannis.
Suffice it to recall in the Memoirs the words he addressed to Governor Kapodistrias, to find that the general shows us in relief the story of the people who, giving their souls and blood, set out to overthrow the traditional world. And so they overthrew the only people who could fit them ..: "We did not urge this freedom, my Governor, in the alley and we will not easily go back to the egg shell. That we are not a bird to fit back, we became a bird and we do not fit ".
The Memoirs of General Makrygiannis are so important for our modern Greek literature, that they managed to overshadow the very capacity of Makrygiannis, as a brilliant fighter of '21, when in fact in these memoirs, the protagonist is the general himself. Makrygiannis's texts should be in the library of every Greek to remind future generations, of every young Greek citizen what he owes to his homeland, and most importantly, to teach the Governors of this place how to correct their mistakes, which unfortunately repeated!
To remind all of us what we owe to Greece and how much we should change our mentality as young Greeks. Because only if we evaluate our payments, we will feel strong and able to face any partner and any enemy.
Ohm. Professor Stella Priovolou, President of the College of Emeritus Professors of EKPA.
Published in VIMA on Sunday, June 20, 2021
