«Αβρόσ̆σ̆ιλλα» Πηγή: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drimia_maritima#/media/File:Drimia_maritima_Infllor_2010-10-03_SierraMadrona.jpg
Sea squill.
Name - Origin
Σκίλλα η παράλιος. (Yangoullis 2009, article αβρόσ̆σ̆ιλλα - αρκόσ̆σ̆ιλλα,η 33) Common name: Sea squill .
Scientific name: urginea maritima, a perennial poa plant (Chadjikyriakou 2006, 14).
Eugenia Petrou-Poeitou notes that the scientific name of the plant is Urginea maritima. Avrošilla is derived from the words αφρός foam + skilla [schinos] (Petrou-Poeitou 2013, entry Αβρόσσιλλα, 21).
Commonly called kremmidoskilla (κρεμμυδόσκιλλα) and spourtoulla (σπουρτούλλα). Chr. G. Pantelidis calls it agrioskilla (αγριόσκιλλα) or agroššilla (αγρόσ̆σ̆ιλλά) ˂ wild + skilla (Yangoullis 2009, entry αβρόσ̆σ̆ιλλα - αρκόσ̆σ̆ιλλα,η - αβρόσ̆σ̆ιλλος - αρκόσ̆σ̆ιλλος,ο - αρκοσ̆σ̆ιλλίν,το, 33).
It was also called arkos̆̆illa (Taousianis 2008, 86), agros̆illa (Yangoullis 2008, 54, fn. 95) or labain (Hadjikyriakou 2001, 14), as well as spourtoula or loufatos (Petrou-Poeitou 2013, entry Αβρόσσιλλα, 21).
"Arkotz̆eramion (the) = bulb of the wild plant of sea squill. The word is also found as avrotžeramion. We also call the sea squill arkoššillan and avroššillan. And in Paphos we also call it krommiarkos̆s̆illan' (Xioutas 2008, 99).
Xenophon P. Pharmakidis in his Glossary lexicons the word as αρκόσ̆σ̆υλλος, with -υ and not -ι, like the others. He thinks it was so named for its harsh and noxious juice (a metaphor referring to a wild dog). In plural αρκόσ̆σ̆υλλοι (Kypri 1983 [2003²], entry αρκόσ̆σ̆υλλος,o, 131).
The word avroskilla is used because of the refinement of the leaves and bulbous roots of the plant. Its juice resembles the rabid foam secreted by wild dogs. It is called by others skyllokrommion or agriokrommion, again because of the association of the wild or angry dog with the plant. In Kythera the word avros̆s̆illan is changed to askella (Kypri 1979 [2002²], entry αβρόσκιλλα και αρκόσκιλλα,η, 4-5).
Ioannis Erotokritos in his Glossary lexicons the word as arkossyllos and avrossyllos, and in common Greek asphodelos. The name arkos̆σ̆ύλλoύδιν is used to refer to several types of small asphodels (Kypri 1989, entry αρκόσ̆σ̆υλλος and αβρόσ̆σ̆υλλος,ο, 15).
The kremmidos/hino, the avros̆s̆illa or loufatos was a kind of bulb, which was boiled, dried, pounded, vinegar and salt were added, it was put in flour and also pies were made, which were baked on the satz̆in (Petrou-Poeitou 2013, entry Αβρόσσιλλα, 79).
According to the testimony of a resident of Palaichori, avros̆s̆illa was prepared as a spoon sweet but was also used as a medicine (Psillita-Ioannou 2010, 595).
Functional and symbolic role
It was considered very healthy for the heart (Psillita-Ioannou 2010, 595).
They used to hang an avrossillan on the outside door of their house on New Year's Day to bring good luck in the new year. When the new day would dawn, they would throw the avros̆s̆illan inside the house or hang it on a volitzin (wooden beam) of the house (Yangoullis 2008, 54).
Avros̆s̆illa is associated with a custom on the New Year in order to have a good start of the year: on the morning of the first day of the year, the inhabitants are very careful about the first prerson to enter the house and do the podariko (make a good start). For a good start, an arkos̆s̆illa is necessary, as well as a vyzaka. The first step into the house is usually made by a person of young age, a child, who is sent by his parents on the evening of New Year's Eve to sleep in the house of a relative, e.g. their grandparents. Sometimes, they may invite some relative, again of young age, or some other person they consider charming; they arrange from the day before that this person will go to their house in the morning and will be the first person to enter the house. Podariko can also be made by a child sleeping in another room of the house. "He leaves one room and enters another". On New Year's morning the child, who slept in the house of a relative, or the person who had been invited to do the podariko for them, comes home happy and cheerful and does the podariko. He takes the vyzakan and the arkosshillan, which the landlord or some other member of the family had found and placed outside the door of the house in the afternoon of the previous day, puts his foot on the doorstep and throws it into the house with his right foot, saying: "Come thy strength, my God, to be a good year," or "many happy returns and a happy new year," or "many happy returns and a good new year". The landlady "treats that person with sweets so that the new year will also be sweet." If the person who did the podariko is a child, she gives him a pouloustrenan (money as a gift). If people don't have arkosshillan, they use their wallet for podariko. Arkos̆illa is most often used. Then, the arkos̆s̆illa, that they used for podariko, is not thrown away, but is hung on the pole of their house or at the tip of the pole, where it is left all year round. Some put it on the cupboard. The arkos̆s̆illa often sprouts again after the old leaves have withered, and puts forth fresh leaves. "When the arkos̆s̆illa blossoms again, the house is happy." They believe that it will be a good new year. It should be noted here that the arkos̆s̆illa, used for the podariko, "must be single-stranded, single-rooted, and must be picked from a place near the sea" Arkos̆s̆illa for podariko was also used in Leonarissos, Yialousa, Koma tou Yialou.
In some villages they also throw an arkos̆s̆illa, a double one, in the animal hutches. In Leonarisso, for example, 'double arkos̆̆illas are dragged through the cattle yards so as the animals will have twins'. Also in Koma tou Yalou 'the shepherds used to collect from the fields double bulbs of avros̆illa, which they would throw on New Year's Day into their sheepfolds. By doing this they believe that ewes will give birth to twins'. And in Eptakomi 'the shepherds would throw into the sheepfold a double one, so that the sheep would have twins'. In Komi Kepir, "scattering avros̆illa in the stables and sheepfolds on New Year's Day is believed to help the animals to live longer" (Taousianis 2008, 86). The following popular belief is known about avrošilla in relation to agriculture: 'We have heard from our grandfathers that when the avrošillas are full, then there will be a lot of production. But when they are not, then agricultural production will be behind a lot" (Yangoullis 2008, 54, fn. 95).
Additional information and bibliography
Reference to avrošilla bulb is made in the folk song «Ο Διενής τζ̆’ο κάουρας» (Digenis and the crab) (Xioutas 2008, 99).
The sea squill plant was used for protection against plant diseases. In particular, they used to scatter sea squill bulbs on cereals to protect them from the "petalouda" (butterfly), i.e. the wheat blight. They also used to rub the trunks of carob trees with bulbs of the plant to protect them from mice. Finally, the plant was used to protect the stalls of oxen from the evil eye (Great Encyclopaedia of Cyprus, vol. 1, entry αβρόσσ΄ιλλα, 28).
Ioannis Erotokritos in his Glossary states that two species are known in Cyprus. One is called arkos̆yllos, and its roots are similar to the horns of α goat. They are used for their adhesive substance (tsirishin), which is used by shoemakers. The other species is called krommyoarkos̆yllos, because its root resembles in all respects the onion bulb, and is very hot. The Cypriots use the juice of this root as an antiseptic medicine for animal wounds, which helps them heal easily (Kypri 1989, entry αρκόσ̆σ̆υλλος and αβρόσ̆σ̆υλλος,ο, 15).
Yangoullis K.G. (2008), Κυπριακά ήθη και έθιμα του κύκλου της ανθρώπινης ζωής, του εορτολογίου και των μηνών με στοιχεία γεωργικής λαογραφίας (Βιβλιοθήκη Κυπρίων Λαϊκών Ποιητών αρ. 67), Theopress Ltd., Nicosia.
Yangoullis K. G. (2009), Thesaurus of the Cypriot dialect. Interpretative, Etymological, Phraseological and Nomenclatural Dictionary of the Medieval and Modern Cypriot Dialect, Theopress Publications, Nicosia.
Kypri Th. D. (ed.) (1979 [2002²]), Materials for the compilation of a historical dictionary of the Cypriot dialect, Part A, Glossary of George Loukas, Publications of the Centre for Scientific Research, XLI, Nicosia.
Kypri Th. D. (ed.) (1983 [2003²]), Materials for the compilation of a historical dictionary of the Cypriot dialect, Part B, Glossary of Xenophon P. Pharmakides, Publications of the Centre for Scientific Research, IX, Nicosia.
Kypri Th. D. (ed.) (1989), Materials for the compilation of a historical dictionary of the Cypriot dialect, Part C, Glossary of Ioannis Erotokritos, Publications of the Centre for Scientific Research, XIV, Nicosia.
Xioutas P. (2008), Από τα Τραγούδια μας, Newspage Publications, Nicosia.
Pavlides A. (ed.) (1984), Great Encyclopedia of Cyprus, vol. 1, Filokypros, Nicosia.
Petrou-Poeitou E. (2013), Where do they come from. Words and stories from the world of taste, Epiphaniou Publications, Nicosia.
Taousianis Ch. (2008), Λαογραφικά σύμμεικτα Ριζοκαρπάσου. Αναφορές και σε άλλα μέρη της Κύπρου και του ευρύτερου Ελληνισμού, Nicosia.
Hadjikyriakou G. (2006), "Η χλωρίδα της ευρύτερης περιοχής των Λευκάρων" (the flora of the wider area of Lefkara). Part E (last), Lefkara 76, Nicosia, 9-18.
Psilita-Ioannou P. (2010), Παλαιχώρι: Ιστορία και Πολιτισμός (Palaichori: History and Culture), Platypus Publishing, Athens.
Tonia Ioakim, Kyriaki Panteli, Savvas Polyviou, Maria Tsangari, Petroula Hadjittofi, Argyro Xenophontos
Foods
Field and mountain greens
In difficult times of poverty and drought, people would resort to wild greens.
