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A symbol of gallantry, a souvenir of tradition, a decorative item
of sentimental value, an irreplaceable accessory of the Cretan costume,
the Cretan knife is unique in the world and a reminder of the successive
battles for freedom and the revolutions against the conquerors.
A popular theme in many mantinades (characteristic 15-syllable rhyming
verses in Cretan music) and folk songs, the Cretan knife has been the
inseparable companion of Cretan people for many centuries, a symbol of
gallantry closely connected to the primordial tradition of the “Queen of
the Mediterranean”. A walk in the knife shops (known as maheradika) of
Heraklion and Chania will give you a taste of this artistic manufacture.
Fire, anvil, steel, hammer, chipping tool and long-handled pliers
together with the virtuosity of the knife-maker constitute the “recipe”
for the creation of the legendary Cretan knife for hundreds of years.
The typical Cretan knife, as we know it today, first appeared in the end
of the 18th century and its shape resembles a dart. The hilt of Cretan
knife is called manika and its shape varies. However, there are three
dominant types of hilt shapes: the first resembles a bird's beak; the
second is similar to the 18th and 19th century naval cutlass (known as
yatagan); and the third, which is the classic Cretan type, is V -shaped.
As Nikos Vasilatos writes in his book “the Cretan Dagger”, the V- shaped
hilts are the most common and can be found only in Crete, making them
unique in the world. The numerous flocks of sheep and goats in Crete and
the stout horns of buffaloes still provide abundant raw material for the
manufacture of this unique hilt, which is always made of animal bone or
horn, and for those who wish something more exclusive and expensive,
there are also ivory hilts.
The Black-hilted Knife
The Cretan knifes with hilts made of black horn are known as mavromanika
(which means “black-sleeve” in Greek) and until recently they bore great
symbolic value in Cretan society. It was believed that a small
black-hilted knife should be placed on the shoe of the bride before and
during the wedding ceremony to cast the evil eye away and to set strong
foundations for a long and happy family life. After the end of the
ceremony, the newly weds had to engrave a cross on the threshold of
their house with a black-hilted knife in order to keep evil spirits
away.
Glykeria Stoiou |
