Recently, while walking around my neighbourhood in Athens, Greece, I noticed Greek flags on balconies, reminding me that it’s “that time” of year, time to put mine up too, in anticipation of 28 October, Oxi Day.
This important date commemorates Greece’s defiant “OXI” (“NO”) in 1940 to Mussolini’s demand that Italian forces be allowed to occupy strategic positions within Greek territory, as part of his wider military ambitions during WWII. Our then Prime Minister, Ioannis Metaxas, responded with a firm “No,” expressed in the phrase, “Then, this is war.” The majority of the Greek public supported this decision and soon took to the streets, standing together in defence of their freedom and right to self-determination against the Axis powers.
It was in reference to the courage of the Greeks during this war that Winston Churchill is often credited with saying: “Hence, we will not say that Greeks fight like heroes, but that heroes fight like Greeks.”
On this same neighbourhood stroll, I noticed a few posters advertising Karagiozis (Shadow Theatre) performances at local schools, squares and related public spaces. These essentially community advertisements have to do with 28 October Oxi Day themes, with titles such as “Karagiozis at the Front” or “Karagiozis During the Occupation”.
When my sons were young, they would come home excited after watching a Karagiozis performance. I fondly recall that around Oxi Day, after seeing a related Karagiozis show, they would play at home, mentioning Karagiozis and other shadow-puppet characters, such as Hatziavatis and Barba Giorgos. They would even chant the line, «Θα φάμε, θα πιούμε και νηστικοί θα κοιμηθούμε» (“we’ll eat, we’ll drink and go to sleep hungry”).
I’d smile at their adorable young voices repeating this iconic Karagiozis catchphrase, which is used at the end of many Karagiozis performances. It captures the main character’s poverty and his lot in life, to which he is by no means resigned. His clever antics and schemes to improve his circumstances essentially form the comic heart of the performances.
Yet I also felt, and still feel, a tinge of sadness when I hear this Karagiozis phrase during Oxi Day, as it highlights the tragedy of war: the suffering of the Greek people, but also their resilience in the face of deprivation and fear, something that Karagiozis performances remind us of. It’s important to bear in mind that Karagiozis plays were part of Greek popular culture during the 1940s and throughout the WWII period.
During the war and the Axis occupation of Greece from 1941 to 1944, hundreds of thousands of Greeks died. Estimates vary, with some placing the number of deaths from starvation alone at around 300,000. My then seven-year-old father and his family in Patras also experienced starvation, bombings and near death. Thank God Dad survived to this day at 94 years of age.
Karagiozis Shadow Theatre thus transcends its comic appeal, functioning as an important educational tool. Kindergartens and primary schools in Greece are major recipients of Karagiozis shows, and it is understandable that at such young ages, children are introduced to the history of Greece, including its heroism in the face of obstacles. This, in turn, contributes to both individual and collective national pride.
Each Karagiozis shadow puppet has its own persona, relating to human characters who represent our trials, tribulations and foibles through the clever skills of the puppeteers. The performance is accompanied by music and takes place against a lit, thin white fabric screen, hence the “shadow” in the title of this form of theatre.
Shadow theatre has a long history, with early shadow puppets often made from scraped and painted animal hide, while later versions used materials such as cardboard and heavy paper. This performance medium developed across many parts of Asia and later through areas such as Persia and the Ottoman Empire.
The Greek Karagiozis tradition developed through its history within the Ottoman world, whereby Greek and Ottoman/Turkish cultural expressions became increasingly intertwined, including food, music … and Karagiozis.
Turkey’s “Karagöz” was performed in male-dominated kafeneia, or coffee houses, with the antics of the underdog Karagöz being a main theme also. But the language and symbolism used could be much coarser in terms of swearing and rude jokes, not to mention the sexual symbolism associated with the character in some Ottoman performances.
The “taming”, let’s say, of Karagiozis occurred gradually in Greece after the 1821 Greek Revolution and the founding of the modern Greek state, as aspects of the Ottoman Karagöz tradition were adapted for Greek audiences.
A major influence in this Hellenisation of Karagiozis was Dimitrios Sardounis (1865–1912), or “Mimaros”, as he was known by his stage name. Mimaros, an educated man who had studied Byzantine music, helped modify the musical and language influences within the Greek Karagiozis shadow-puppet world, transforming performances into more family-friendly shows.
This included clever depictions of Greek mythological and historical themes, such as Alexander the Great slaying the dragon, incorporating Christian themes into historical stories within the Karagiozis play genre. The Greek War of Independence of 1821 also became a Karagiozis theme.
These “re-shapings” of Karagiozis continued beyond Mimaros’ lifetime, with depictions of events such as the 1940 Oxi Day appearing in these mostly comical shadow-puppet performances. The name given to these Karagiozis historical representations is the Iroika (heroic) plays.
Some scholars refer to Ancient Greek influences on Shadow Theatre and Karagiozis, such as Plato’s Allegory of the Cave, where shadows represent illusions but also hide certain truths. On a less metaphysical level, Aristophanes’ plays are also cited as influences on Karagiozis, particularly through comedic themes involving underdog characters who satirically fight “the man”, mocking authority and social pretensions.
Karagiozis performers have also adapted Aristophanes’ plays, especially The Frogs and Peace, bringing their ancient themes into modern Greek theatre settings such as the Athens Megaro Mousikis, with themes like the human struggle for freedom and cooperation.
In Australia, Karagiozis performances do sometimes take place, mainly in Greek schools. Their success as both an entertaining and important teaching aid could perhaps be amplified through cooperation with Greece’s many Karagiozis shadow theatre groups. This could include the use of English subtitles, for example.
In the meantime, we can smile, but perhaps also keep in mind the beloved, bittersweet Karagiozis phrase: «Θα φάμε, θα πιούμε και νηστικοί θα κοιμηθούμε», remembering those before us who bravely endured tragic hardship with tenacity, with the help of Karagiozis in their shadow.
