Exploring Offbeat Greece

Dateline - 08/14/98

While Greece is a land of sunshine and light, the landscape holds a few darker secrets as well. Greek folklore abounds with tales of the undead, the vrykolakes who are said to be particularly prevalent in the area around the volcanic island of Santorini, called by some "Island of the Vampires"...when it's not being claimed as the site of sunken Atlantis! The island of Santorini has been long renowned by the Greeks themselves as the final resting place of many suspected vampires, since the populace of the island was believed to be particularly adept in dealing with the undead.

Nearby islands would bring the remains of suspected vampires to Santorini for proper, permanent disposal. The dark banded cliffs created by the ancient eruption and the stark, almost lunar landscape of the Kamenes, the small islands of the caldera, help create a certain eerie atmosphere where such superstitions seem more reasonable. When the wind is right a faint sulphurous scent whispers of the nearness of the underworld. Today, various unofficial "vampire" events are held throughout the summer months...keep an eye open for posters and flyers, since these events rarely make it into the tourist press.

And no, Greek vampires were not at any particular disadvantage from the blazing Greek sunlight. In this part of the world, demonic creatures are believed to be powerful not only at midnight, but at midday as well. Anyone who has been caught in a traditional village during the heat of the day is probably convinced of the supernatural powers of the inhabitants, all of whom seem to disappear until cooler temperatures coax them out again.

The Nekromanteion

The abduction of the beautiful young goddess Persephone by Pluto, Lord of the Underworld, is commemorated at a number of sites, none more believably than at the grim and spooky Nekromanteion Oracle of Ephyra near Perga, where the local River Styx seeps into the dark subterranean chamber where offerings were once made to Pluto and Persephone. A labyrinthine path through the high walls of the remaining buildings twists the visitor who dares to approach. Even the caretaker was unwilling to enter the buildings, letting our driver escort us down the rusting stair to what is left of the underworld. On my recent visit, a giant toad sat in one corner, scowling at our flashlights and looking like a perfect representative of Pluto himself. Above, in a chapel placed as if to quell any rebellious spirits rising up from the miasma below, a hidden image of Mary as the Black Madonna spreads out her dark arms from an alcove. Though the chapel felt peaceful, we swore that the number of lit candles increased during our visit, kindled by apparently unseen hands. Even the chapel of the Madonna is not found without crossing the path of fear: a narrow, railingless wooden catwalk bordered by a sheer drop.

After leaving the Nekromanteion, we drove to where the River Styx makes an above-ground appearance, in a weed-clogged channel that suddenly disappears. The slowly pulsing waters seem like a heartbeat growing dimmer with each moment.

Visit the Nekromanteion and the River Styx. The brilliant sunshine of the Greek islands and much of the rest of Greece will be even more welcome after a little sojourn in the shadows of the underworld.

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