Dusk are shedding while the Tsirigoti and her husband Nikos – including an excellent physics professor – arrived at my hotel, and now we chat in the garden courtyard, lower than good bougainvillea which is just a shadow lighter than Tsirigoti’s magenta-colored hair. About face of each other Tsirigoti and you can Koulianos I will detect contours of one’s solid top features of its maternal grandmother, once the caught inside the a photo pulled by Australian artist Cedric Rose, which inserted Clift and you will Johnston with the Kalymnos for hot dutch girl many weeks during the summer from 1955.
Just how genuine would be the fact?
Georgia Tsirigoti, an excellent physics professor to your Kalymnos, states you to definitely now to the island, as with their granny Sevasti Taktikou’s big date, “the women will be manager of the house”. Credit: Nadia Wheatley
“You will find too many photos regarding the lady – wry, sardonic, intimate, gentle, raffish, sad,” Clift authored out of Taktikou. “However, real time, all of them, enjoying and you may respiration and you may live.”
Correctly, inside the Cedric Flower’s pic, Taktikou try ready in order to Clift a full bowl of fruits, as if she was the archetypical Planet Mom; it is obvious one toward Australian woman, recently found its way to a confusing, alien people, this new earlier Greek lady is actually the surrogate mom who educated this lady to shop and you will prepare and continue maintaining home about local fashion.
Georgia Tsirigoti spent only annually out-of their childhood towards Kalymnos; this lady father’s community since the a police officer caused him to maneuver his household members on, amongst the island regarding Rhodes, the Peloponnese, therefore the town of Thessaloniki. Offered Tsirigoti’s familiarity with the rest from Greece, I’m specifically interested locate their take on the brand new island’s personal organization. I start: “Regarding the guide, Charmian states you to definitely, under the stamina one to Kalymnian guys appear to have . ”
“Sure! Since the majority of your boys were take a trip, because of the sponges. Even now, many men will work while the mariners – captains otherwise technicians. They traveling much. ”
We recount my personal earlier day of conversation with Hatzismalis with his spouse, and i quotation Hatzismalis’ denial one to “We Kalymnian guys are very happy.”
Again, Tsirigoti in an instant believes. “Yes. While they have nothing to be concerned about. Most of the tough conclusion try pulled of the lady – this new spouses – maybe not of the boys. The newest guys are liberated to subside to your workplace, and also to go back to Kalymnos and you will real time some time that have people they know, and then leave once again. And this is the way it was, even now.” I see Tsirigoti’s husband, that is Athenian, quietly agreeing.
“All of the difficult choices try removed by lady – this new spouses – maybe not by people … This is the way it is, even today.”
It price between anyone are indicated maybe not in a beneficial created pre-nup however in something that is oftentimes literally concrete: a house. Shortly after detailing the latest constant power of Multiple Deity, Clift produces inside Mermaid Singing: “The latest obvious facts out-of men supremacy should be set from the more mature plus significant fact that possessions right here descends from lady line, from mother so you’re able to earliest daughter.”
“Yes.” Immediately following particular talk from inside the Greek having Nikos, she clarifies: “Right now – not very purely now, but even today – it’s heritage to offer all the daughter property.”
Therefore, the women can be the latest company of the home
This house is the fresh bride’s prika, the girl dowry. Pursuing the wedding, the brand new groom motions inside the. And if the wedding doesn’t work, Clift informed me, “it is not her that is proved of house”.
Absolutely nothing ponder, In my opinion, you to definitely towards Kalymnos, individuals talk endlessly away from houses, however even as we carry out in australia, since the an issue of monetary value. Here the house ‘s the supply of an effective female’s strength, from inside the actual terminology.