History

11 Sep 1929

Swedish archaeologist Alfred Westholm wrote to his parents about local festivities and the Cypriot songs dedicated to him

Swedish archaeologist Alfred Westholm wrote to his parents about local festivities and the Cypriot songs dedicated to him:

I am sitting in the church thinking of the good deeds of Ayios Fokas as these are recorded in the Byzantine account. Eleni has indeed made a wonderful braised partridge according to all the rules of the art which she learnt από την κυρίαν, that is from Vivi, up at Vouni. Diagonally behind my chair, she stands watching my expression while I eat. I smile slightly, and Ajios Fokas does the same when I raise my glass of O.P. snaps to him. Eleni becomes a bit bolder and tells me that even the other Vounites have bought partridges today and intend to celebrate the feast of Holy Theodora tonight (11/9). I can hear this, because every now and then a resounding “σκώλ” (cheers!) can be heard out there, meant for myself and ‘Agios. In between, the Cypriote folk songs follow one upon the other without interruption. Eleni also smiles quietly, from where she stands in her usual place diagonally behind my chair. Suddenly my ears prick up. A clear voice (for everything is relative) sings the following:

Αρχαιολόγον Σουηδικόν

Αν φαίρουσιν τσιάν δείτεν,

Εννά τους πεί έτσι ομορκίαν

Έν είδα ούτε ζωγραφ(κ)ίαν

Μόνον την Αφροδίτην.

Father should not be surprised if he cannot translate any of this, for it is in the most unadulterated Cypriot dialect, and can perhaps be interpreted like this:  “And even if they send a Swedish archaeologist here to see (the one I love), he shall not say: such a beauty I have never seen, not even a painting, only Aphroditi.”!  Is it not magnificent!