During an uprising of Greeks in the Souli region of Epirus against their Ottoman Albanian rulers in 1803, village residents began evacuating en masse to avoid the onslaught of war.
A group of Souliot women and their children became trapped in the mountains by Ottoman troops in the mountains of Zalongo.
On the one side were hundreds of armed troops and certain enslavement. On the other— a steep cliff.
Numerous historical accounts share one of the most heroic mass suicides in modern history when on December 16, 1803, one by one, dozens of women tossed their children over the cliffs before jumping themselves.
Although the mass suicide itself has numerous documented sources from Greek and foreign writers and politicians of the era who were in the region, historical folklore has since been exaggerated to claim that the women sang folk songs and danced over the cliffs.
The brave incident on the part of the Souliot women became known throughout Europe prompting artists to interpret the remarkable act, including the French artist Ary Scheffer who created the romantic painting, entitled Les Femmes Souliotes (“The Souliot Women”), which is currently on display in the Louvre in Paris.
A drone video shows the contemporary monument that was built in the 1960s in honor of the women of Souli. The video shows steepness the cliff and the perspective of the women who jumped.
There is a popular Greek dance-song about the event, which is known and danced throughout Greece today, particularly during school celebrations commemorating the anniversary of Greek Independence on March 25. It was part of popular play that was written by Spyros Peresiades and first published in 1903.
The Greek folk song “Dance of Zalongo”
English lyrics
Farewell poor world,
Farewell sweet life,
and you, my wretched country,
Farewell for ever
Farewell springs,
Valleys, mountains and hills
Farewell springs
And you, women of Souli
The fish cannot live on the land
Nor the flower on the sand
And the women of Souli
Cannot live without freedom
Farewell springs,
Valleys, mountains and hills
Farewell springs
And you, women of Souli
The women of Souli
Have not only learnt how to survive
They also know how to die
Not to tolerate slavery
Farewell springs,
Valleys, mountains and hills
Farewell springs
And you, women of Souli
Greek lyrics
Έχε γεια καημένε κόσμε,
έχε γεια γλυκιά ζωή
Και ’συ δύστυχη πατρίδα
έχε γεια παντοτινή.
Έχετε γεια βρυσούλες
λόγγοι, βουνά, ραχούλες
Έχετε γεια βρυσούλες
και σεις Σουλιωτοπούλες
Στη στεριά δε ζει το ψάρι
ούτ’ ανθός στην αμμουδιά
Κι οι Σουλιώτισσες δεν ζούνε
δίχως την ελευθεριά.
Έχετε γεια βρυσούλες
λόγγοι, βουνά, ραχούλες
Έχετε γεια βρυσούλες
και σεις Σουλιωτοπούλες
Οι Σουλιώτισσες δε μάθαν
για να ζούνε μοναχά
Ξέρουνε και να πεθαίνουν
να μη στέργουν στη σκλαβιά.
Έχετε γεια βρυσούλες
Click here to listen to the song
