The Shepherd’s World: Unwritten Institutions and Customary Practices of the Shepherds of Psiloritis

Pastoral life on Mount Psiloritis has long had a decisive influence on the economic structure, social organization and cohesion, as well as on the cultural character of the mountain communities that surround Mount Ida (Psiloritis), from the distant past to the present day.

The term “voskiki” — a phrase originating from the shepherds themselves — describes a wide field of unwritten institutions, rituals, techniques, and practices that, over time, have shaped a complex set of cultural elements which together form the shepherd’s world.

Pastoral life on Psiloritis is the combination of elements that constitute both livestock farming as an economic activity and the broader culture of pastoral living. Over time, it has exerted a defining influence on the system of values, the economic structure, social organization, social cohesion, and the cultural identity of the mountainous communities surrounding Mount Ida.

Through oral interviews conducted directly in the shepherds’ own field of activity — the grazing lands of Psiloritis — and within a shared thematic framework, the evolving trajectory of pastoral institutions and practices in the region was documented. These include the significance of the oath (a form of moral commitment among shepherds) and of sasmós — a traditional form of mediation and diplomacy aimed at resolving or preventing extreme conflicts. The interviews also explored past and present professional prospects of shepherding, the close relationship with nature and natural phenomena, as well as symbols of ownership and traditional practices such as spoon reading, folk incantations, and protective rituals for sheep.

Interaction with shepherds of different generations — ranging in age from 20 to 88 — proved crucial in understanding how a range of customary practices, rituals, and cultural traits have evolved over time, and how they may carry different meanings for today’s shepherd compared to those of earlier generations.

The main qualitative criteria for the interviews were age (from a young shepherd entering the profession at 24 years old to a retired shepherd of 88 who no longer practices due to age), geographical distribution (covering the entire pastoral territory associated with Anogeia on the mountain), and social-family diversity (each shepherd coming from a different family background). Through interviews conducted within the same thematic framework, an effort was made to document the evolving course of pastoral institutions and cultural traits on Psiloritis, such as the importance of the oath and sasmós (mediation and diplomacy aimed at preventing extreme situations), the professional prospects of past and present shepherding, the closeness to nature and natural phenomena, as well as ownership symbols and traditional practices such as spoon reading and protective charms for sheep.

The shepherds who participated were:

• Andreas Sbokos, 24 years old, Asfentamopoupa area, grazing altitude 1210 m
 • Dimitrios Kallergis, 31 years old, Koutsia area, grazing altitude 1320 m
 • Manolis Skoulas, 40 years old, Rouso Lakkos area, grazing altitude 1050 m
 • Giorgos Skandalis, 55 years old, grazing altitude 1150 m
 • Emmanouil Chairetis, 73 years old, Pano Ampelia area, grazing altitude 900 m
 • Charalambos Manouras, 87 years old, Koritsi area, grazing altitude 1400 m

This video is an initiative of the Municipality of Anogeia.

Project Team:

Production – Coordination: Georgios Kalomoiris, Antonis Ntagiantas
Direction – Sound Recording – Editing: Manolis Foinikianakis & Spyros Roumeliotis
Translation – Subtitles: Evangelia Koumentaki
Editorial supervision: Androidus Project Tank, Marina Geronti, Nikos Kallergis
Year of Production: 2019