The “Hontzeas” family originally comes from Nomitsi (the original name was Zazeas but when a particular Zazeas killed a turkish “hotza or holy man” the name changed to “hontzeas“), and the clan eventually migrated to neohori leuktron. The port from which goods were sent and received by the neohori population was, and is still called, “Stoupa“.
Now, in my youth, during my visits to Stoupa, which is my village and where I have my summer house, I use to chat with an old family acquaintance named Takis Hioureas.
During and after the Balkan wars, there was a group of 3 not so young men (”los tres caballeros” if you wish) who went by the following names: Takis Hioureas, Kapetan Fourtounas (Captain Storm) and…. Alexis Zorbas.
Indeed, even though Nikos Kazantzakis places Zorba the Greek in Crete, in reality the events took place in Stoupa and Kalogria and that is also the place (Kalogria to be exact) where Kazantzakis wrote “Zorba the Greek” (or more appropriately : “the life and times of Alexis Zorbas“).
Anyway, amongst other things, los tres caballeros (Takis, Alexis Z and Captain Storm) were heavy drinkers and of course lovers of the fair sex (as a matter of fact, to quote the poet Marcos Avgeris, when asked “who is the fairest woman of all?” the answer usually was “the other guy’s!”).
In order to attract the young lasses and widows (and there were plenty of young widows then, due to the wars) the 3 use to urinate by the side of the road, and hold a lantern close to their manhoods in order for the fine ladies to witness the caballeros’ rich endowments.
In addition, if anyone reads Kazantzakis’ “Zorba” there’s also mention of a widow that was eventually beheaded by a certain person who desired her, and who took a fit ’cause she refused his advances. Anyway, across my house in Stoupa, there’s (or there was; she’s probably dead now) an old lady who happens to be the daughter of the said widow. The widow as mentioned in the novel was a teacher (and her daughter, the grandma that lives, or lived across my summer house in stoupa ended up also being a teacher) and was at that time the only educated woman in Stoupa/neohori. At that time, in pre WWII Greece, the people of mani, or maniates, did not look kindly towards educated women, and they regarded an educated woman equivalent to a prostitute.
Anyway, Zorba after the civil war ended up in Yugoslavia where he married a Serbian widow and dissappeared from history, Takis Hioureas ended up having a massive corronary due to his drinking and died in the steps of his, or a friend of his’ , house , and Captain Storm died in stoupa at a ripe old age (and quite drunk) after being initiated finally in the secrets and mysteries of ancient freemasonry.
Please read the novel! The woman’s throat is cut because she rejects a young man who subsequently commits suicide. Zorba’s “boss” does not defend her, and she has no man to stand against the village for her. Uneducated, but possessed of property the village regards as virtually communal, she’s expected to re-marry any man who wants her, regardless of her choice. Hortense and the widow are mirror images of independent women, but the Frenchwoman Hortense is the former dancer and courtesan. Both women suffer death for independence.
Dear Katerina. Thanks for your post. Your are indeed correct. However, upon closer review of my blog post, you will see that I am referring to what actually happened rather than what Kazantzakis writes about. Also, Kazantzakis being a “nullist” actually takes another perspective (as per nullism) as to what the “widow” and Madame Hortense represent, a more epic view if you permit, a view not just referring to the individual but to life itself (a view that is repeated in kapetan mihalis, the passion of christ and the recruxification).
I have read the book many times and in 3 different languages (Greek, English and French).
My writing skills though, it seems, need to improve dramatically.
i thing you are not able to impress with your writing . u need to work harder.