The hasapiko (, , meaning “the butcher's
ance) is a
Greek folk dance from
Constantinople
Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...
. The dance originated in the
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...
as a battle
mime
A mime artist, or simply mime (from Greek language, Greek , , "imitator, actor"), is a person who uses ''mime'' (also called ''pantomime'' outside of Britain), the acting out of a story through body motions without the use of speech, as a the ...
with swords performed by the
Greek butchers' guild, which adopted it from the military of the
Byzantine era.
[''Sword dance']
in Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 14 April 2022, from Encyclopædia Britannica Online In
Constantinople
Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...
during the
Byzantine Empire, Byzantine times, it was called in Greek μακελλάρικος χορός (''makellárikos horós, ''"butcher's dance", from μακελλάριος “butcher”). Some
Greeks
Greeks or Hellenes (; , ) are an ethnic group and nation native to Greece, Greek Cypriots, Cyprus, Greeks in Albania, southern Albania, Greeks in Turkey#History, Anatolia, parts of Greeks in Italy, Italy and Egyptian Greeks, Egypt, and to a l ...
, however, reserve the latter term only for the fast version of the dance.
The slow version of the dance is called χασάπικο βαρύ / χασάπικος βαρύς (''hasapiko vary ''or ''hasapikos varys, ''"heavy ''hasapiko''") and generally employs a meter.
The fast version of the dance uses a meter. It is variously called γρήγορο χασάπικο (''grigoro hasapiko'', "''fast'' ''hasapiko''") or χασαποσέρβικο (''hasaposerviko''),
the last two terms in reference to
Serbia
, image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg
, national_motto =
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg
, national_anthem = ()
, image_map =
, map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...
n and other Balkan influences on this version of the dance. The fast version is also called μακελλάριος χορός (''makellarios horos)'',
Sirtaki, the
modern staple Greek dance, is a relatively new, choreographed dance, based on hasapiko.
See also
*
Greek dances
*
Kalamatianos
*
Pyrrhichios
*
Serra
*
Syrtos
References
External links
Hasapiko description
{{Balkan music
Cultural history of Greece
Greek dances
Music of Greece