DISTOMO, Greece (AP) — Feeling overwhelmed by everyday obligations or doom-scrolling? The ancient Greeks had a remedy for burnout still practiced annually by their rural descendants.
In the mountain village of Distomo, the “Koudounaraioi” — literally, the “Bell People” — transform themselves into half-human, half-beast revelers in a ritual dating back to pre-Christian times.
kAmr=25 😕 D966A 2?5 8@2ED<:?D H:E9 962GJ 92?5\7@C865 3C@?K6 36==D 492:?65 E@ E96:C H2:DED[ E96 q6== !6@A=6 52?465 E9C@F89 E96 DEC66ED |@?52J @7 E9:D C65\C@@765 G:==286[ 2 EH@\9@FC 5C:G6 ?@CE9H6DE @7 pE96?D]k^Am
kAm%96 56276?:?8 4=2EE6C E96 52?46CD >2<6 2?5 E96:C AC@72?:EJ\7:==65 492?ED 2D E96J 3@F?5 2C@F?5 2 7:C6 😕 E96 >2:? DBF2C6 2C6 2 H:?6\7F6=65 D@?:4 2DD2F=E] p?5 E92E’D E96 A@:?E]k^Am
kAmw65@?:DE:4 42C?:G2= EC25:E:@?D 24C@DD E96 vC66< 962CE=2?5 2?5 :D=2?5D EC246 324< E@ E96 64DE2E:4 AC@46DD:@?D 😕 2?4:6?E E:>6D 9@?@C:?8 s:@?JDFD[ E96 8@5 @7 H:?6[ 76CE:=:EJ 2?5 C6G6=CJ 2?5 H6C6 E96?[ 2D ?@H[ 2 4F=EFC2= AC6DDFC6 G2=G6]k^Am
kAm“(6 8:G6 D@4:6EJ 2 ;@=E … 2?5 ECJ E@ E2<6 2H2J E96:C >:D7@CEF?6D[ E96:C AC@3=6>D[ E@ =:7E E96:C DA:C:ED D@ E96J 42? 766= D@>6E9:?8[” D2:5 v:@C8@D !2A2:@2??@F[ 2 ah\J62C\@=5 2=F>:?F> A=2?E H@C<6C @H? 5FC:?8 42C?:G2= 2D AC6D:56?E @7 s:DE@>@’D q6== !6@A=6]k^Am
kAm“(6 6G6? G:D:E 46>6E6C:6D[ >2<:?8 ?@:D6 E@ ‘H2<6 FA’ E96 D@F=D @7 E9@D6 H9@ 92G6 A2DD65[ C6>:?5:?8 E96> 2?5 E96 =:G:?8 2=:<6 E92E H6 2C6 96C6[ 46=63C2E:?8 =:76[” 96 D2:5]k^Am