Myths and tradition
Kalavrita is full of events that have marked the history of the country, but also of a multitude of myths, which prove that the region was inhabited from very early times. The myths, legends and rich history of the place still impress us and inspire researchers and folklorists. From Neraidorachi to the mythical Water of Stygos and from the Caves of the Lakes to the majestic mountains of Kalavrita, there are countless places that playing a leading role in a mythical story and inviting you to get to know them and admire their beauty.
Melambous, the oldest physician
In Greek mythology, Melambodas or Melambous was a Greek seer, founder of a whole "oracular genus", the Melambodidon, and a famous psychotherapist. According to the myth, Melambous cured the daughters of the king of Tiryns, Proetus, the Proitides, from mania. Lysippe, Iphinoe and Iphianassa made the mistake of boasting that their palace was more beautiful than Hera's (or mocked the goddess' statue), and provoked her wrath, causing them to be possessed by demonic madness (mania). Melambodas, after having pursued them, led them to Loussous, where he cured them by rites and purifications (except for Iphinoe, who died). After this, Proetus married Iphianassa to Melambodas and Lysippe to Melambodas' brother, Viandas.
The love of Zeus with Kallisto
Kallisto was the only daughter of the king of Arcadia Lycaon, son of Pelasgos, and her name comes from the word kallos, which means beauty (Kallisti = beautyfull). Kallisto belonged to the Nymphs, attendants of the goddess Artemis, who had sworn eternal virginal life. But Zeus fell in love with her and managed to seduce her. Artemis learned what had happened and expelled Kallisto away from her, but Zeus felt sorry for her and transformed her into a bear. The legend says that Artemis found her and killed her with her bow, but again Zeus rushed to her aid and turned Kallisto into a constellation, the well-known Great Bear. The fruit of Kallisto's love affair with Zeus was the Arcas, the ancestor of the Arcadians, whom Midwife raised. Arcas had a son Azan (from whom the Arcadian Azania took its name), whose son and successor was Kleitor, who founded the city of Kleitoria.
The love between Apollo and Daphne
Daphne was one of the nymphs who were at the side of the goddess Artemis and was the daughter of the river Ladon (or by others Pineios) and Gaia. The god Apollo fell madly in love with her and began to chasing her. Exhausted from the chasing in the forest from the god, Daphne begged her father and mother to help her, and so, when Apollo reached her and tried to take her in his arms, she was transformed into a tree that grows on the banks of rivers, the well-known "laurel". Her feet became roots, her hands became branches and her hair became fragrant leaves. Inconsolable then, Apollo, who had lost his beloved, cut some branches from the tree, wove them into a wreath and named her his sacred plant, in memory of his love for Daphne (establishing the awarding of a laurel wreath to the winners of the ancient Olympic Games).
Pan's love affair with Syrinx
The god Pan was particularly fond of music and is considered the inventor of the shepherd's flute, or the syrinx, the "Pan's flute". How this musical instrument came about is revealed by the legend of his love for the nymph Syrinx. Pan was often wandering around the region of Ladon and one day he met Syrinx there, fell in love with her and began to court her. Syrinx didn't give in to his love and, trying to escape from him, she reached the banks of the river Ladon, begging him to help her. He took pity on her and turned her into a reeds. Pan, frustrated, cut some reeds of dissimilar size, joined them together with wax and formed his own distinctive in form and sound musical instrument called the syrinx, in honour of the nymph.
Hercules and the Erymanthian Kapros
The Erymanthian Kapros, was a huge ferocius boar that lived on the slopes of Erymanthos and was attacking the area of Psofidos and Lasionas in Peloponnese, terrorizing the inhabitants by destroying their livestock and their crops. The king of Tirynth and Mycenae, Eurystheus, commissioned Hercules to perform what he considered an impossible feat: to catch this animal and bring it to him alive. Hercules succeeded, chasing and trapping the boar in the Gorge of Foloe, in a bridge that had been blocked with a net. There he tied it up and carried it on his shoulders alive to Mycenae. When Eurystheus saw it, he hid in fear in a bronze urn, buried under the earth. Hercules sent the wild boar's teeth to the Temple of Apollon at Kymi as a votive offering.
The Oceanid Styx
Styx was an Oceanid, daughter of Oceanus and Tethys. Her palace was located in Tartarus, far from the other gods who did not like her, and it was from there that the river that flowed through the Underworld was believed to originate. The only one of the gods who liked her was Zeus and that is why in the Titan battle, when he fought his father, Kronos, Styx was on his side.
Zeus also decreed that in its terrible waters all the gods, even the Sun, should take the greatest and most sacred oath, and that there they should serve their sentence any of them that would be punished.
In the waters of Styx, Nereid Thetis baptized her son Achilles, and became immortal, except for his heel, the only vulnerable spot on him, since that was where she held him.
Furthermore, according to legend, the goddess Demeter, trying to escape from Poseidon, transformed herself into a mare and, after being disappointed by her idol in the waters of Styx, cursed them to turn black.
Finally, the waters of Styx caused death to animals and people and destroyed every material except gold and horse hooves. The only deity who could fearlessly approach Styx and carry messages from Zeus was Iris, his winged messenger.
Hercules and Kerynitis elaphos (Keryneian hind)
The goddess Artemis loved hunting excursions from her childhood, and during one of them in Parnassos, she met five beautiful deer with golden antlers and bronze hooves in the forest. She was enchanted by the beauty and pride of the animals, and desirous of obtaining them, she succeeded in gathering four of them into her chariot. The fifth, however, escaped, crossed the river Keladona and reached Mount Keryneia, on the borders of the province of Kalavrita. Artemis admired the free spirit of the doe and took her under her protection.
Eurystheus also asked Hercules to bring this sacred animal alive, hoping of course that he would fail, as either the deer would kill him or his patron goddess Artemis would punish him for hunting it. For a whole year Hercules chased it through the mountains and forests, knowing that he couldn't catch it on the run, so he decided to exhaust it. Ending up on the banks of the river Ladon, the deer stopped to drink water and Hercules caught up with it. Artemis was outraged at Hercules' action, but he promised her that, after completing his mission, he would return the deer to her, and so she calmed down. When Hercules presented Eurystheus the impressive doe, he reached out his hand to touch her, but she escaped him and ran to the goddess Artemis.