In 1930 a long-lost icon of the Panagia was rediscovered on Naxos through the dreams of a twelve-year-old girl, When the icon was returned to the mountain village of Koronos an epidemic of dreaming broke out among twelve-year-old children in the village. Throughout 1930 these children daily reported dreams of the Panagia or St. Anne directing them to find an icon of St. Anne still buried at a place called Argokoili (where the icon of the Panagia had previously been found). This article studies this episode of dreaming drawing on historical and oral historical sources as well as the texts of one of the children’s dreams, which have been preserved. The dreams prophesied beneficial consequences for Koronos if the icon of St. Anne were discovered and the Koronidiates applied their skills as emery miners to the search for this buried object. In the end the icon remains undiscovered, and the name for the dreamers and their followers -o/ oneirevamenoi— has taken on disparaging overtones. Argokoili has, nonetheless, developed into the largest pilgrimage on Naxos and some villagers still believe that the icon of St. Anne will be found.
Oi oneirevamenoi: The Events of 1930 in Koronos
24 Aug 2012
by Archaeology Newsroom
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