Fortean Times – September 2019

The idea that witchcraft couldexplain ghostly

influences in daily lifewas a favourite theory

in vogue with Early Modern scholars and

scientific thinkers of the late 16thand early

17 thcenturies. Among rural populations

around the world such a belief persists to

this day. In spring 2019, I discovered the

extent of such survival in Europe duringa

visit to the island ofAgistri, near Aegina,

Greece. So potent do evil eye beliefs remain

here among some older people that mere

mention of them can be sufficient to shut

down any enquiry into local ghosts and

folklore.

If you want a tranquil time,Agistri isa

place in Greece to be recommended. One

of the minor gems of the Saronic Islands, it

is little known and frequently bypassed by

the more cosmopolitan holidaymakers, thus

sparing its charms from the worst effects of

mass tourism.With only three villages and

the majority of its surface still covered by

pine and beech forests, the island qualifies

as a mini-wilderness in parts,excellent for

gentle hiking and relaxation. Arriving at the

end of April, Iwas pleased to find it little

changed from my first visit in 2004.

The starting point for making my

enquirieswas theAgistri Club, aversatile

and long-established English-run hotel,

situated on the outskirts of the port.

Providing comfortable lodgings, it qualifies

as the last building on the north-eastern

tip of the island, bordered by both beach

and woodlands with its terrace for diners

commanding one of the finest views on

the island, over the sea to Aegina. On the

evening of my arrival itwas particularly

blessed by the sudden and unexpected

appearance of two dolphinsgambolling ina

lesiurelyway through the gentlewaves of the

bay, to the delight of early evening guests

and diners. But as MR James says in his

story ‘No 13’,I am not writing a guidebook.

At theAgistri Club, I consulted owners,

Bryan Robinson and his wife Henriette.

Presiding over the daily running of the Club

(which Bryan helped found back in 1982)

together with their staff, they provide a major

source of local news, intelligence and gossip

concerning happenings across the island.

On previous stays, I had neverraised the

subject of ghosts, which I can only ascribe

to the small size ofAgistri and the fact that

once immersed in the landscape of Homer

any talk of ghosts is often overshadowed

or trumped by the still vibrant images

of the deities of the classical era – the

immortal Olympian gods, colossal monsters

and heroes of Greek mythology. Another

pervasive influence on Greek attitudes to

the supernatural is the thriving Orthodox

Church, whose splendid annual Easter

festivities featuring fireworks and candle-lit

processions had just ended. Setagainst

these, and when bathing in the beaming

sunlight, ordinary phantoms seem paler and

more insubstantial than usual. So Iwas not

surprised when Bryan could not recall ever

hearing any talk of ghosts on the island,

but Henriette confirmed belief in the evil

eye. This is reflected in displays of painted

concentric turquoise and blue circles

around a black centre point, appearing on

decorative jewellery and charms worn by

many people. The emblem representsa

stylised eye, the symbol proving ubiquitous

onceyou becomeaware of it. The design is

used on many fashion accessories today

throughout Greece, even ifyounger people

only dimly grasp its original significance.

(For more on the evil eye in Greece, see

Jeff Koyen, “TheEvil Eye”,FT160:34-39.)

Accordingly, Iwas advised that if Iwanted

to find out about ghosts and anything

supernatural onAgistri, itwas best to go and

speak directly with the friendly locals.

This is sound advice which, previously,

I ha ve found always seems to work around

the world. I had no reason to believe that

the universals of a smile, genuine interest

and a kind word would not be appreciated

on Agistri (the other great social passport

is money, but obviouslyyou can’t pay

for testimony if it is to have any value).

Here Iwas conscious of following in the

footsteps of an early 20th century folklore

collector John Cuthbert Lawson (1874-

1935), a distinguished classicist andFellow

of Pembroke College. Interested in the

question of how much of the religion of the

ancients survived among the customs and

superstitions of the Greek peasantry into

modern times, he became convinced the

echoes of archaic beliefs and practices

could still be detected. His bookModern

Greek Folklore and Ancient GreekReligion

(1910) contains a wealth of first-hand

observations and anecdotes from two

years’ fieldwork and remains avaluable

source (even if his ingenious conclusions

are rejected by more recent scholarship).

He even hints at theexistence of real

supernatural forces on Greek islands, telling

of seeing the flitting life-like apparition

of a nymph in an olive grove during one

of his forays. Lawsonwas no stranger to

ghosts, holding the lease of Abbey House in

Cambridge, the most haunted house in the

city, where he had personalexperience of

16 FT

Here’s looking at you...

ALAN MURDIEfinds that belief in the evil eye still haunts a tranquil Greek island

BLOGJORDAN / CREATIVE COMMONS

ABOVE:The bright sunlight ofAgistri seems to have banished tales of ghosts, but other beliefs linger.

GHOSTWATCH KEEPING AN EYE ON THE HAUNTED WORLD

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