Mytilene: The “silent water” from Panagia Faneromeni who came from Aivali

A small church on the north side, Panagia Faneromeni, is today, on New Year’s Eve, a point of revival of the custom of “silent water”. The tradition of the “silent water” which is adhered to faithfully in Mytilene “tangled” harmoniously with a similar custom brought with them by the Asia Minors and especially the Ayvalian refugees on the island, after the Asia Minor Disaster. CORVERSE By 1922, the Mytilene took New Year’s water, a key element of “the foot” at home or at the store, from any public tap in the city. After the destruction and especially after the building of the small church of Our Lady of Faneromeni in the heart of the old Turkish mahala, the custom began to be observed by everyone in how it was done at the Holy Church of Our Lady of Faneromeni in Asia Minor Aivali. With the change of time, fountains in the center of the church begin to run uninterrupted water considered holy water. CORVERSE The faithful, after worshiping the image of the Virgin who holds Christ in her arms, “survive” by wetting their faces and filling the vessel they have brought with them with water. Inside the container they place an olive branch or myrtle and return home to make the “polar”. Water transport requires absolute silence, as water must remain “silver”. The “podal” is made by the head of the family or its oldest member, which fastens the olive branch or myrtle at the entrance of the house. He then breaks a pomegranate on the threshold for good luck and throws a stone into the house along with coins. Finally, the house is sprinkled with “silent” water. All of this, in Panagia, Faneromeni with the lost image in Aivali, was said to picture Panagia with Christ in her embrace of a place called the land. From Aivali to Mytilene In 1922, the Asia Minor refugees carried the worship of Faneromeni to Mytilene, continuing to perform a festival as in Aivali, on June 28. Originally in the space of a couvel covering a well that had been found in the second half of the 19th century wrapped skin (provia) with the image of the Virgin Mary. Hence the name of Panagia Proviadina. She was taken and put on pilgrimage to the church of Saint Theodora. No thought then of pilgrimage there to the well among the “turcosites”. In the place of this well, where they had now inhabited Asia Minor and above all Aivalian refugees, the chapel of Panagia Faneromeni was built. Poor and small at first and then bigger. The image of the Virgin Mary of Proviadina entered a canvas and a silver shirt covered her. From the church of Saints Theodora where it is kept, every year on 28 June it is transferred to Panagia, Faneromeni, Mytilene. There it is celebrated, without many knowing it, to find the lost Virgin Mary of Aivalius. But why the celebration on June 28? On 27 May 1821, in the bay of Eresos, Papanikolis fires the Ottoman dicrotos. The fire gives rise to the massacre of Mytilene Christians, known as the “great julushi”. The quote 27 May 1821 According to the Code of Metropolis Mytilene, on Thursday 27 May 1821 43 Christians were slaughtered in the market of Mytilene and houses and shops were looted. Two more were killed in the Kerameian area. All of them from angry mischievous from the Asian coast, which he calls “basibusuks”, with which the garrison of Mytilene had been strengthened, given the Greek revolution. In the same days, in the usual outside castle place of executions in the area of Paptsuda (platoma in the Children’s Station in the District of Mytilene, where today Dionysiou Street) is carried out by hanging instruments of the Ottoman Authority the Friends of the city. A few days later, on 3–4 June 1821, the city of Kydonia, the well-known Aivali, the seat of the Kydonia Academy, the womb of the Greek Enlightenment is on fire. Those of its 35,000 inhabitants are saved from the massacre, loaded on ships of Aivali and Fish rebels who rush to help and flee for the islands. In Mytilene, in Cyclades, where they constitute the Order of Kydonion and of course for Morias where they participate in the revolution. After 1827, the return to Ayvali, completed between 1832 and 1840, begins when the Sultan’s firmanies are returned conditionally to the repatriated Ayvalians, their assets. Finding the icon of Panagia miraculously In 1852, in the “survol of Saliokoula”, 100 meters from the coastline that has meanwhile expanded towards the sea from its bust with the use of building materials from the houses demolished to make new, Kantili Gialo, was found – “disclosed” – in a miraculous way the icon of Panagia. They have preceded the tradition, dreams of Evangelina (a young poor woman) and excavations. The revelation of this image on June 28, 1852 also activates a water source, the sanctuary of the Virgin Mary of Faneromeni. The event was a cause for encouragement from the Romans and led to the development of the city and the economic, cultural and ultimately political miracle that was particularly performed in the late 19th century. Samples of this economic miracle are visible today to the visitors of Aivalius. In place of finding the image, a space of “defence” of the Ayvaliotes to load the women and children on board, in 1890 a beautiful structure is built from the famous red stone of the area, the famous “sarmoussakopetra”, with its front section adorning a beautiful colonnade that results in pseudo-Korinthic capitals and pediment. This construction, which was not a temple but “Holy Sacrifice”, renovated and visited today in Aivali, succeeded precedent, built in 1867, building. During the excavations during the recent renovation work, two water veins were revealed, and the tank of the “Holy” was found with relief images of angels and other Christian symbols. The floor and fountains of the first sanctuary were also found. What about the picture? The image of the Virgin Mary of Faneromeni showing the Virgin Mary with Christ in her arms playing with a place, the land, was lost… In the so-called first persecution of 1917 the priests of the Kydonia are said to have taken her with them from the church of St Haralambos where she was located, inside the Ottoman Empire where they were displaced. They brought her with them and placed her back in her hospitality after 1919. “Inflamed the well with holy water and poured into the street” It should be noted that the image was transferred to the Holy Monastery of Panagia every year on June 28th day of the memory of her finding when she “bubbled the well with the holy water and poured into the street”. Every Thursday when a petition was sung. And during the period from 15 August to the “Nemera” of Panagia on 23 August. All the other time it was located in Agios Charalambo, and the proceeds of the pilgrimage (its) used them for the operation of the “Psychomeridi” (the aivaliotiki Charities) and especially the neighbor at the church of Agios Charalambos Hospital. In 1922 the image was said to have been taken back by the town priests who were taken to the Labor Battalions inside. None of them came back alive. That’s how the image is thought to be lost. Other sources, (testimonials from refugees) reported that Panagia Faneromeni was transferred to Mytilene in 1922 to move then, and specifically during the interwar period, to Attica. If that’s true, no one knows where that image is anymore. Copies of it are considered two images. One in the church of Zoodochos Pigi in Varia, Mytilene. She was donated to the temple by the descendants of the family Makaroni – Koukonarta who brought her from Ayvali in 1922. And one in the private collection of the family of the late, aivalian origin, professor of the University’s Theological School in Thessaloniki Giannis Fundoulis. Those who, on New Year’s Eve or at the turn of the year, arrive at the chapel of Panagia, Faneromeni, remember…. All this is not public relations like some people want to turn it into ignorance. They’re stories of people who hurt a lot. Our grandparents who have been refugees and touched on a picture of Panagia their pain. Proviadina has shown herself, what difference does it make? “Bread” New Year’s Eve and remember them. And two drops of the unspeakable water pour it on earth, cool off their souls.