Καλλιτεχνικός Σύλλογος Δημοτικής Μουσικής Δόμνα Σαμίου

Arachova honours Saint George as its patron and defender. Popular tradition attributes the repeated deliverance of the village from Turkish assault to the terrifying appearance of the saint on horseback. Hence the spectacular celebration of the saint’s feast day. Dancing begins after vespers and the procession; it is opened by the village elders singing ‘A festival is being held’. For that occasion it used to be the custom to dam the water in the reservoir, and when they reached the verse ‘O dragon, let the water flow, so revelers may quaff it’ to let it flow again. Though the name of Saint George occurs here only as a place-name, the subject matter of the song –the withholding of spring water by a dragon– clearly links it with legends about the saint, in particular with the dragon-slaying incident that also had to do with securing the release of a city’s water supply (see also comment on the Song of Saint George). Miranda Terzopoulou (1998)

Studio recording, 1997.

Based on Simon Karas' recording which belongs to the Association for the Dissemination of Greek National Music.