Joined: Jun 26, 2008 Posts: 453 Location: Thessaloniki, Greece
Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2012 6:23 pm Post subject:
Norman-D-Beeches many thanks for the information, I would not know without your post.
Seedy AFAIK Vlachs and Karakatsans are entirely separate entities. While Vlachs are of Romanian origin -most probably descendants of Roman legionnaires who colonized the then Dacia-, Karakatsans are as Greek as you and me are.
Most of the Vlachs I know -and I do know many- have been aware of their ethnicity but have been Hellenized. True in Greek the term Vlach is a synonym for uncultured, uneducated etc, point is at least those I know are both cultured and educated, I would not hesitate to say that some of them are truly brilliant people. To get an idea, the first to come in mind is a 'grand maitre' with the Greek National Chess squad.
Joined: Aug 28, 2008 Posts: 2885 Location: Sofia/Dupnitsa/Lincs/S France
Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2012 8:47 pm Post subject:
In that neck of the woods it's not easy to tell who's who, it's true: "Sarakatsani" who call themselves "Vlachs", "Vlachs" who call themselves "Romans", Albanians who at least seem to know who they are (and who gave us Bouboulina ), and Greeks who poetically, and confusingly, also like to call themselves "Romans" but who would be insulted to be called "Vlachs"..... No wonder Northern Europeans have always been baffled by The Balkan Question!
I'm not entirely convinced by all the ethnographic "proofs" of who's who but in the end it doesn't really matter - Romiosyni is more important than a passport.
As always, it's interesting to read such differing information and/or knowledge and experience on a topic. It appears that the opinions in this case are at the opposite ends of the spectrum: positive informed by experience and knowledge, and negative by somewhat confused hearsay and predjudice.
Though I realise that what followed my first post on the Karakachani people, and the gathering later this month in Rechitsa and Sliven, has strayed into the realm of history, for myself, this only enhances the appeal of the event. But then, I love to learn local history and, since they have all but disappeared in the UK, local and national traditions. Perhaps, however, I should add, at this point, a little of my own knowledge and the reason for my own interest in the subject.
Back in 2006 and 2007, after 2 months of house-hunting in Bulgaria, we finally found or, as we tend to believe, were divinely guided to a small village about 25k West of Sliven. Though unaware, at that time, this village was unique in Bulgaria since the population was, we read, 100% Karakachani. (There is, in fact, also one Bulgarian family, here for 25 years, and now ourselves, and we have been been, accorded the title of ‘honorary Karakachani’.) We have twice been invited to big weddings of grandchildren of friends. When we asked why we should be invited, since we didn’t know anyone involved, the response was that, if we lived in the village, we were ‘family’.
Even today I read that there is still dispute over the origins of these people. Some believe they were originally from Turkey, (the Turkish word for ‘black’ being kara, or something like that.) The nomadic tribes from Northern Greece, however, are Sarakachani, and they vigorously deny any connection with Turkey, either now or historically. Bulgarian ‘Karachani’ echo this antipathy towards the Turks, and indeed, towards any other, what may have once been, nomadic peoples. They object strongly to any hint of similarity to Tsigani, and there is a very distinct difference in the ethics and ethos of the two groups.
Since moving here, I can only say that we have experienced nothing but kindness, help, generosity and honesty from, not only all of our neighbours, and everyone else we have met in the village, but from their extended families in other Karakachani communities. We do, indeed, feel as if we’ve been accepted into a large family.
If anyone is interested, there are photographs of several of the gatherings we have attended, both at Karandila and in our village at this link, (I hope.)
http://picasaweb.google.com/emmarola
Joined: Aug 28, 2008 Posts: 2885 Location: Sofia/Dupnitsa/Lincs/S France
Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2012 11:36 am Post subject:
Norman-D-Beeches wrote:
Thanks for the responses, Seedy and scasparz.
As always, it's interesting to read such differing information and/or knowledge and experience on a topic. It appears that the opinions in this case are at the opposite ends of the spectrum: positive informed by experience and knowledge, and negative by somewhat confused hearsay and predjudice.
Joined: Jun 26, 2008 Posts: 453 Location: Thessaloniki, Greece
Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2012 6:50 pm Post subject:
Again thank you for the additional info Norman-D-Beeches, it is very encouraging to find a man so fond of the place he -and his family- have chosen to live at.
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), and Greeks who poetically, and confusingly, also like to call themselves "Romans" but who would be insulted to be called "Vlachs"..... No wonder Northern Europeans have always been baffled by 
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