'Ola Ta Kástra - Greek Song

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Description

Violin and flogera by @Dimitrios_Dallas​⁠, daouli by Dimitri Papadimitriou; video, main vocals, laouto and santouri by Farya Faraji; with additional vocals by Dimitrios Dallas, Eleni Dimopoulos, Dimitris Kap and Panagiotis Athanasiou.

This is a folk song from the Peloponnese, and one of the many Greek variants of folk songs recounting the tale of the mythical Castle of Oria, a common motif in Greek folklore. To my knowledge, there are two other variants, one from the Agean Islands and the other from Pontus. This version tells of how, after a long siege of twelve years, a Janissary tricks the castle into opening its doors by strapping a pillow to his belly and feigning being a pregnang woman, leading to the castle's fall.

This arrangement uses instruments common to the Peloponnese: a violin, santouri, daouli drums, mainland laouto, and an archaic flogera flute, the latter having been mostly replaced by clarinets nowadays, but I wanted it used here to give a more archaic sound to this arrangement.

I filmed this video around the Peloponnese, collecting images from some of its many castles and fortifications.

Lyrics in Greek:
Όλα τα κάστρα τα είδα κι όλα τα 'δειρα
Βρ' αμάν αμάν αμάν, κι όλα τα 'δειρα
Κι όλα τα 'δει- τα 'δειρα, Φραγκοπούλα και Ρωμιά.

Σαν της Ωριάς το κάστρο, κάστρο δεν είδα
Βρ' αμάν αμάν αμάν, κάστρο δεν είδα
Κάστρο- κάστρο δεν είδα, Φράγκα με τα ρεπαντιά

Να 'χει ασημένιες πόρτες κι αργυρά κλειδιά
Βρ' αμάν αμάν αμάν, κι αργυρά κλειδιά
Κι αργυ- κι αργυρά κλειδιά, Φραγκοπούλα και Ρωμιά

Τούρκοι το πολεμούσαν χρόνους δώδεκα
Βρ' αμάν αμάν αμάν, χρόνους δώδεκα
Χρόνους μήνες δεκατρείς, συ το νου μου τον κρατείς

Μα 'νας κοντός Τουρκάκος και γενίτσαρος
Βρ' αμάν αμάν αμάν, και γενίτσαρος
Και γενί- γενίτσαρος, τουρκεμένος χριστιανός

Το μαξιλάρι εζώστη και γκαστρώθηκε
Βρ' αμάν αμάν αμάν, και γκαστρώθηκε
Και γκαστρώ- γκαστρώθηκε στο κάστρο φανερώθηκε

Στην πόρτα πάει και στέκει και παρακαλεί
Βρ' αμάν αμάν αμάν, και παρακαλεί
Και παρα- παρακαλεί, συ το νου μου τον κρατείς

Ανοίξτε μου της δόλιας και της ορφανής
Βρ' αμάν αμάν αμάν, και της ορφανής
Και της ο- της ορφανής, Φραγκοπούλα μου να ζεις

Γιατ' είμαι γκαστρωμένη και στο μήνα μου
Βρ' αμάν αμάν αμάν, και στο μήνα μου
Και στο μη- στο μήνα μου που να 'χετε το κρίμα μου

Κι ώσπου ν' ανοίξ' η πόρτα, χίλιοι εμπήκανε
Βρ' αμάν αμάν αμάν, χίλιοι εμπήκανε
Χίλιοι- χίλιοι εμπήκανε, το κάστρο το πατήσανε

English translation:
I have seen all the castles, and I have conquered them all,
Oh, aman, aman, aman, and I have conquered them all,
And I have conquered them all, oh Frankish maiden and Roman girl.

But a castle like that of Oria, I have never seen,
Oh, aman, aman, aman, I have never seen,
A castle- a castle like that, Frankish (girl) with the colourful (clothes).

With silver gates and silver keys,
Oh, aman, aman, aman, and silver keys,
And silver- and silver keys, Frankish maiden and Roman girl.

For twelve long years, the Turks laid siege to it,
Oh, aman, aman, aman, twelve years,
Twelve years and thirteen months, you hold my mind captive.

But a short Turk, a Janissary,
Oh, aman, aman, aman, and a Janissary,
A Janis- a Janissary, a Christian turned Turk,

Strapped a pillow to himself and feigned pregnancy,
Oh, aman, aman, aman, and feigned pregnancy,
And feigned- feigned pregnancy, then appeared at the castle.

He went to the gate and stood there, pleading,
Oh, aman, aman, aman, and pleaded,
And pleaded- pleaded, you hold my mind captive.

"Open for me, the poor wretch, the orphaned one,
Oh, aman, aman, aman, the orphaned one,
The or- the orphaned one, my Frankish maiden, may you live.

For I am with child, and my time has come,
Oh, aman, aman, aman, my time has come,
And my time- my time has come, may you not bear the blame."

And before the gate could open, a thousand men rushed in,
Oh, aman, aman, aman, a thousand men rushed in,
A thousand- a thousand men rushed in, and the castle fell.