Page:The Folk-Lore Journal Volume 5 1887.djvu/301

Rh Diokleia. All agree that this feast is a very ancient one, though its origin is now unknown.

Mægara is accessible from Athens either by steamer or in a carriage: the latter mode takes the traveller through the pass of Daphne, a low defile which separates the plain of Athens from that of Eleusis. From the top of this little pass there is a lovely and extensive view; the road skirts the bay of Eleusis for some distance. To the south is seen the island of Salamis, which from that point seems almost to join the Attic mountains, giving to the bay the appearance of a vast lake. Eleusis (best known to us as the place where religious mysteries were celebrated in Athenian times) is now only a small village; it is slightly raised above the shore of the bay, and distant from it about a quarter of a mile. The drive from Athens to Mægara occupies from four to five hours; it perhaps takes rather less time to go by steamer to the nearest point; in the latter case, after landing, it involves an hour's walk up hill to the village.

On the day of this annual festival the country people begin dancing at five a.m. on a mountain high above the village; at eleven a.m., when we arrived there, they had already descended to a hill to the left of the village, but still considerably above it. At one p.m. all retired to refresh themselves; they resumed their dancing on the Place of the village an hour later. On that occasion all the peasants wore their national costume; the men, what is commonly called the Albanian dress, the fustanella or voluminous white petticoat, a richly embroidered cloth jacket, leggings en suite, and a fez on the head. Tie women were attired in various styles, according to the district to which they belonged. Some of the wealthier ones were very richly dressed; all had a long white under-garment, reaching down to the ankles, and coming up close round the throat: it has long wide sleeves, the lower edges of these and of the robe are ornamented either with embroidery or with the so-called Greek lace; its depth varies according to the wealth or the industry of the wearer.

Certain women wore a kind of polonaise over this garment made of dark blue cloth, and bound with some red material. In the case of the youngest girls, this over-dress (which is open on each side) is