ΤΟ ΓΥΝΑΙΚΕΙΟ ΠΑΡΑΔΟΣΙΑΚΟ ΠΟΥΚΑΜΙΣΟ ΤΗΣ ΗΠΕΙΡΩΤΙΚΗΣ ΕΛΛΑΔΑΣ

Abstract

THIS PAPER, WHICH FORMS PART OF A PLANNED GENERAL STUDY OF TRADITIONAL GREEK COSTUME, IS IN TWO PARTS. THE FIRST PART CONTAINS A BRIEF HISTORICAL AND GEOGRAPHICAL SURVEY OF THE TRADITIONAL WOMEN'S CHEMISE (POUKAMISO) IN MAINLAND GREECE FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF ITS FORM, MATERIALS AND DECORATION. IN THE SECOND PART THERE ARE DESCRIPTIONS OF SOME TYPICAL EXAMPLES FROM MORE OR LESS ALL PARTS OF THE GREEK WORLD, FROM WHICH IT IS CLEAR THAT THIS GARMENT HAD IMPORTANTASSOCIATIONS WITH THE MAJOR TURNING-POINTS IN A PERSON'S LIFE (BIRTH, MARRIAGE AND DEATH) AND WITH OTHER ACTIVITIES TOO, SUCH AS ADOPTION, AUGURY, FOLK MEDICINE, AND SO ON. THE WORK IS BASED MAINLY ON BIBLIOGRAPHICAL SOURCES AND THEVERY EXTENSIVE COLLECTION OF MANUSCRIPTS (NEARLY ALL UNPUBLISHED) OF THE DEPARTMENT OF FOLKLORE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ATHENS, AS WELL AS MY OWN FIELD RESEARCH AND INTERVIEWS WITH SUITABLE, FOR THE PURPOSE OF THIS WORK, PEOPLE. SINCE THE POUKAMISO IS DESCENDED FROM TWO MUCH OLDER GARMENTS, THE CHITON AND THE DALMATIC-OR SO AT LEAST I BELIEVE I DECIDED THAT THE WORK WOULD NOT BE COMPLETE WITHOUT A BRIEF SURVEY OF THEIR EVOLUTION FROM THE TIME OF THEY FIRST APPEARANCE UP TO THE MIDDLE OF THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY, WHEN SECULAR AND CLERICAL DRESSSTARTED DEVELOPING ALONG DIFFERENT LINES. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED)