The Song of Daskaloyannis was composed in 1786 by Barba-Pandzelios. Cretan historian Theocharis Detorakis maintains in his History of Crete that Barba-Pandzelios was a semi-literate cheese-maker from a village not far from Sphakia. A narrative of the poet’s life is contained in the Epilogue to the 1032-verse poem: Barba-Pandzelios is depicted sixteen years after the revolt below a tree describing the events of 1770 from memory in the form of poetical lament. The poet builds into the poem the circumstances of its own transition from memory to text. Here follows a portion of the poem recorded by folklorist James A. Notopoulos in 1953.

Lord, give me thought and mind in the head

To sit and think of Master John

Who was the first in Sfakia, the first lord,

And with all his heart wished Crete to be

Greek.

Every Easter and Sunday he put on his hat

And said to Protopappas, “The Moscovite

I’ll bring

To help Sfakia and chase the Turks

Along the way to Kokkine Melia.

And all those who wish to stay in Crete

The Cross should worship and Christians

become.”

And Protopappas replied, “Master, what is

in your mind?

The thoughts you think will enslave Sfakia

And until the ships arrive and the Moscovuite

come

No Sfakian will have a home to live in.

And if the fleet should chance to reach Gavdos,

Turkey once again will smash it.”

“Silence, Protopappa, sooner or later

I will carry the Cross to the gate of Khania;

I will carry the Cross and fix it to the gate;

And with lemon rinds I will chase them out.

I will not give tribute or pay the tax,

Let the Sultan bring against us thousands of

battle flags,

Let the Sultan bring against us armies and

pashas,

Sfakis has men, castle-wreckers,

Sfakia has worthy and gallant warriors,

To throw Turkey in the sea as a feast to the

fish.

And letters came again to Master John

That Vlahia is in revolt, and Roumele and Mani,

Their ships have arrived and seized the straits

And others have reached Morea to keep a

watch.

—selection from “The Song of Daskaloyiannes”—J.A. Notopoulos—1959.

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