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Κάτω στον Αϊ-Γιάννη
Κάτω στον Αϊ-Γιάννη στο Θεολόγο
Πολλάϊ κάστρα ντελάστα1 μικράϊ μεγάλα
Σαν τούϊ Μαρού μ’ τόϊ κάστρο, κάστρο δεν είδα
«Κι αν πάρω (ι)γώ τόϊ κάστρο, τ’ είν’ τα δώρα μου;»
[«Άνοιξε συ, Μαρού μου, ξένος δεν είμαι»
Και στον ξένο κατόπι χίλιοι σέμανε2
Έπιασαν τη Μαρού απ’ τα μαλλιά]
1ντελάστα: γύρισα
2σέμανε: μπήκανε
The story of this song runs as follows: The Fortress of Maroù (or Oriá in other versions) is encircled by a foreign army. A soldier manages to break through one of the castle doors by deceit. He is followed by his comrades and the fighting starts. Maroù who is the commander of the castle, seing that her men are loosing the battle, kills herself by jumping from the battlements. It is possible that this song came into existence shortly after the Fall of the Byzantine city of Amórion to the Arabs in 838.
Time signature: 2/4
Mode: Diatonic B (plus subtonic) within the range of a minor seventh.
Transcription of the original 78 rpm recording of 1930 by Melpo Merlier, founder of the “Music Folklore Archive”.
Singers
Informant (source of the song)
