Angelos Sikelianos ( el, Άγγελος Σικελιανός; 28 March 1884 – 19 June 1951) was a Greek lyric poet and playwright. His themes include Greek history, religious symbolism as well as universal harmony in poems such as ''The Moonstruck'', ''Prologue to Life'', ''Mother of God'', and ''Delphic Utterance''. His plays include '' Sibylla'', '' Daedalus in Crete'', '' Christ in Rome'', '' The Death of Digenis'', '' The Dithyramb of the Rose'' and '' Asklepius''. Although occasionally his grandiloquence blunts the poetic effect of his work, some of Sikelianos finer lyrics are among the best in

Western literature Western literature, also known as European literature, is the literature written in the context of Western culture in the languages of Europe, as well as several geographically or historically related languages such as Basque and Hungarian, an ...

. Every year from 1946 to 1951, he was nominated for the

Nobel Prize for Literature ) , image = Nobel Prize.png , caption = , awarded_for = Outstanding contributions in literature , presenter = Swedish Academy , holder = Annie Ernaux (2022) , location = Stockholm, Sweden , year = 1901 , ...

Biography

Sikelianos was born in

Lefkada Lefkada ( el, Λευκάδα, ''Lefkáda'', ), also known as Lefkas or Leukas ( Ancient Greek and Katharevousa: Λευκάς, ''Leukás'', modern pronunciation ''Lefkás'') and Leucadia, is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea on the west coast of G ...

where he spent his childhood. In 1900, he registered to the

Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...

Law School but never graduated. In the course of the following years, he traveled extensively and devoted himself to

poetry Poetry (derived from the Greek ''poiesis'', "making"), also called verse, is a form of literature that uses aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language − such as phonaesthetics, sound symbolism, and metre − to evoke meanings i ...

. In 1907, he married the American Eva Palmer in the United States; the couple moved to Athens in 1908. During that period, Sikelianos came in contact with Greek intellectuals, and in 1909 he published his first collection of poems, ''Alafroískïotos'' (''The Moonstruck''), which had an immediate impact and was recognized by critics as an important work. He also befriended fellow writer

Nikos Kazantzakis Nikos Kazantzakis ( el, ; 2 March (Old Style and New Style dates, OS 18 February) 188326 October 1957) was a Greeks, Greek writer. Widely considered a giant of modern Greek literature, he was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature in ni ...

, and in 1914 they spent forty days on Mount Athos, visiting most of the monasteries there and living the life of ascetics. The following year, they embarked on a pilgrimage through Greece. The two writers were kindred spirits, but also very different in their respective views on life. Sikelianos was a man of the world, full of optimism, and with a steadfast faith in his abilities as a writer. Kazantzakis was the taciturn and reclusive counterpart who was doubt-ridden, and had, as he himself admitted, a tendency to focus on the skull behind the face. Together, however, they shared the mutual concern of attempting to refine and elevate the human spirit through artistic pursuits.

The Delphic Festivals

In May 1927, in collaboration with his wife, Eva Palmer-Sikelianos, Sikelianos held the Delphic Festival as part of his general effort towards a revival of the "Delphic Idea". Sikelianos believed that the principles which had shaped classical civilization if reexamined, could offer spiritual independence and serve as a means of communication among people. The event consisted of athletic contests (in classical fashion, reminiscent of the Pythian Games) a concert of Byzantine music, an exhibition of

folk art Folk art covers all forms of visual art made in the context of folk culture. Definitions vary, but generally the objects have practical utility of some kind, rather than being exclusively decorative. The makers of folk art are typically tr ...

as well as a performance of ''

Prometheus Bound ''Prometheus Bound'' ( grc, Προμηθεὺς Δεσμώτης, ''Promētheús Desmṓtēs'') is an Ancient Greek tragedy traditionally attributed to Aeschylus and thought to have been composed sometime between 479 BC and the terminus ant ...

''. The Delphic Festivals were acclaimed by critics (many of them invited to attend) and despite a lack of state assistance, they were repeated three years later. The revival was then permanently abandoned due to the excessive organization costs. In honor of the memory of Angelos and Eva Sikelianos, the European Cultural Centre of Delphi bought and restored their house in Delphi, which is today the Museum of Delphic Festivals. Later, Eva Palmer-Sikelianos left for the United States, and Sikelianos married Anna Karamani.

Later Life, Death, and Legacy

During the Axis occupation of Greece (1941–44), he became a source of inspiration to the Greek people, especially through his speech and poem that he recited at the funeral of the poet

Kostis Palamas Kostis Palamas ( el, Κωστής Παλαμάς; – 27 February 1943) was a Greek poet who wrote the words to the Olympic Hymn. He was a central figure of the Greek literary generation of the 1880s and one of the cofounders of the so-called Ne ...

. It was he who composed the letter which was spearheaded by Archbishop Damaskinos to save the lives of

Greek Jews The history of the Jews in Greece can be traced back to at least the fourth century BCE. The oldest and the most characteristic Jewish group that has inhabited Greece are the Romaniotes, also known as "Greek Jews." The term "Greek Jew" is pred ...

by appealing directly to the Germans. The letter was signed by many prominent Greek citizens in defense of the Jews who were being persecuted. There is no similar document of protest against Nazi occupiers during World War II that has come to light in any other European country.Margie Burn
"Archbishop Damaskinos"
The International Raoul Wallenberg Foundation In 1945 he was a founding member of the Greek-Soviet friendship union (among

, Nicolas Kitsikis, Yanis Kordatos,

Aimilios Veakis Aimilios Veakis ( el, Αιμίλιος Βεάκης; December 13, 1884 – June 29, 1951) was a Greek actor. An active member of the National Liberation Front during the Axis occupation of Greece, he was persecuted for his leftist beliefs durin ...

, Ilias Iliou, Patroklos Karantinos, Athanase Apartis, George Zongolopoulos and others). Sikelianos suffered from a chronic disease for several years. He died accidentally on 19 June 1951 in Athens from inadvertently drinking

Lysol Lysol (; spelled Lizol in India) is a brand of American cleaning and disinfecting products distributed by Reckitt, which markets the similar Dettol or Sagrotan in other markets. The line includes liquid solutions for hard and soft surfaces, ai ...

after having requested Nujol (a medicine). He was buried in the First Cemetery of Athens. He is the great-grandfater of the poet Eleni Sikelianos.

Work

Sikelianos published his poetic work in three volumes in 1946 and 1947. The collection's title was "Lyric Life". He left, however, several poems unpublished. In 1965 G.P. Savvides, a leading Greek philologist, started to publish the entire poetic work of Sikelianos, which finally comprised five volumes.

Translations

* ''Selected Poems'', tr. E. Keeley, P. Sherrard (1979; repr. 1980)

References

External links

Selected Poems of Angelos Sikelianos in Bilingual Edition
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sikelianos, Angelos 1884 births 1951 deaths Eastern Orthodox Christians from Greece People from Lefkada Greek dramatists and playwrights 20th-century Greek poets Greek nationalists Accidental deaths in Greece Burials at the First Cemetery of Athens 20th-century Greek dramatists and playwrights Greek male poets Male dramatists and playwrights 20th-century Greek male writers People associated with Mount Athos