Family Tree - "If Macedonians in Greece Were Treated Like Gypsies ..."

David Edenden

A frequent topic of conversation at family gatherings was my grandfather re-telling the story of how he suffered for the "Macedonian Cause". He was never a partisan during the Greek Civil War, but most of his relatives were and that was good enough for the Greek police to send him to a prison island near Solon for a year. His younger brother (who also was never a partisan and never went to jail) in a display of sibling rivalry always insisted that my grandfather was imprisoned at the time the Greeks were arresting the women!

He started following hockey when he heard that there was a young Croatian playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs. His name was Frank Mahovolich. My grandfather had it on good authority, according to someone's brother-in-law's second cousin, that Frank had Macedonian friends and could even speak Macedonian. As part of my grandfather's pan-Slavic "Brotherhood and Unity" fantasy, he switched his allegiance from the Toronto Maple Leafs to Montreal Canadiennes when Frank was traded. This caused a great rift in the family who, although they loved Frank, thought it was treason to turn their back on the Maple Leafs.

My grandfather learned to read English by reading the stories about the Toronto Maple Leafs in the newspaper.

One day at his house, I saw an in-depth article in the paper about Gypsies in Skopje. This was in the 1980's. It said Gypsies had their own suburb, city councilors, a Member of Parliament, and I believe they could learn their Rom language for a few hours a week and I think a radio show in their own language.

Many commentators have praised Macedonia for being relatively accepting of Gypsies, as opposed to their neighbors. My thought: If Macedonia is a model for Gypsies in Eastern Europe, they they must be really treated like s***t in those countries.

I can't remember the article very well but my grandfather's reaction, I do remember very well.

I was watching quietly, and impatiently, as he read and re-read the article making sure, I guess, that he understood the whole thing. When he finished he took off his glasses, and slightly trembling, he said in a quivering voice full of emotion:

"If Macedonians in Greece were treated the way that Gypsies are treated in the Republic of Macedonia, I would be happy".

Family Tree: Consciousness

By David Edenden

I know for a fact that I have Grkoman (Hellenophile) relatives in "Northern Greece" whose children do not know they are Macedonian. The kids, no doubt have gone to demonstrations shouting "death Skopjians" without knowing that they have relatives in Skopje. Without a doubt they have "Greek Consciousness".

It reminds me of the story of a Polish mother who tried to start a relationship with her daughter who lived in East Germany after WW2. It seems the girl was kidnapped by the Germans because she had blue eyes
and blond hair. This girl, now a woman, would not go back to Poland
even though she knew who her real mother was, because she "felt"
German. She had a "German Consciousness"

Another story from Chile or Argentina about a police chief who
kidnapped a suspected terrorist (female and pregnant) who was tortured
for information. The woman was allowed to live long enough to give
birth and then she was killed because she could identify her
torturers. The baby was taken by the police chief and raised as his
own child. The woman's brother eventually found out the truth and
tried to legally get the boy back. The boy, who was then 16, would not
go back to live with the brother of his mother, even though he knew
who his real family was, because he "felt" like the son of the police
man ... the man that murdered his mother! (Where is Shakespeare when
you need him)

I am sure that if Cyprus is unified, Greek relatives will find a
woman or man in their 30's who was taken as a child by the Turks
during the Turkish invasion and now refuses to have anything to do
with the Greek relatives because of his or her "Turkish Consciousness"

We can then invite Bill Clinton to have Macedonian and Greeks get together and share each others pain, because the Macedonians will know how the Greeks feel.

Family Tree - How my Grandfather Quit Being a Grkoman and Embraced "Macedonianism" (part 1)

By David Edenden

I was doing some research in my family tree and it seems that my Grandfather's Grandfather thought he was being very clever by sending one son to the local Greek School and another to the local Bulgarian School. Had he realized the implications of this action, I think he would not have sent one son to the Greek School. He would have stuck with the Bulgarian school.

In the Ottoman times, Greek and Bulgarian churches subsidized the education of only one child (I'm not sure but it was probably only the boys). The theory being that if one child was provided with free education, the family would them pay for the rest of the children to attend the same school. As in the case of our family, many families sent children to both.

The whole confusing statistics on Macedonia could be settled if we go to each village today and estimate it's population at the turn of the century and identify those villages that are real Greek and those who are "Slavophone" Greek. It is the "Slavophone", Vlach's, and Christian Albanians that fluctuate from one side to the other in these statistics. It is very easy to get the true picture of what happened in the past. With so many "bilingual Greeks" now coming out of the woodwork, it is no longer seem as an obscenity to say that your parents or grandparents spoke "an unmentionable Slavic dialect.

The teachers on both sides promoted their theories of the ethnicity of the "Macedonian Slavs" or "Slavophone Greeks" if you will. What was unexpected was that the two brothers chose different churches to marry in, Bulgarian and Greek respectively. One married into a Bugaroman family and one married into a Grkoman family.

In our village, the Balkan wars and WW1 did not cause much suffering. The Greeks were tolerated since they never physically came into the village. Although the Bulgarian Church and School were closed, the people were promised education in their language. They were not forced to leave for Bulgaria during the population exchanges. There was peace after years of banditry, revolution and war.

The Greeks differentiated Macedonians from the true Greeks, with respect, as Slavomacedonians . Second class citizens, no doubt, but they were not considered to be "number one Bulgarians" which was considered and obscenity. All the villagers knew about the ABCEDAR. It was a reader with the latin alphabet for the primary grades developed by the Greek government to meet League of Nations minority rights obligations. Since to be educated meant going until grade six, that seemed to be enough for the people.

Everything changed in1926 (?) The ABCEDAR was abandoned, the names of the villages were changed, family names were changed. I'm not sure how it happened bureaucratically. Were the people lined up in the village square, with a policeman in the center handing out new identity papers with new Greek names or were people called to the local church and had it done there? Were people forced to be re-baptised in the Greek Church? I don't know.

The "urban legend" is that if two brothers, assume they were sons of Giorgi Popov, were living in different villages, one could have had his name changed to Papas, while the became Papagiorgiopoulos. Another urban legend was that farmers were fined if they spoke Macedonian to their sheep dog. Castor oil poured down people's throats. If they were true, we need to hear the stories from those who experienced it.

What was true was that people were fined for speaking Macedonian in public, relatives informed on each other. Those who resisted were denied bank loans and generally harassed.children were not taught Macedonian for fear of their children making a "mistake" at school. Children with "suspect" parents were not allowed to go "high school" - grade 7. Greek teachers would say to their students, if they spoke "this Slavic gypsy language" at home, a wolf would come and eat them when they slept.

The struggle between Bugaroman and Grkomans ended. Bugaromans lost but Grkomans did not win. The Greeks won and all Macedonians lost. The villages lived under constant petty terror. An elderly aunt put it this way. "I do not want all the Greeks to leave Macedonia. They should leave one in every village, pickled in a glass jar, in the village square, near the fountain, to remind the people how much suffering they have caused".

Life under the Turks had at least the possibility of choosing one's own identity and religion and the Turks very rarely came into the village. Greeks came in with both feet using informers to divide and destroy the village society. To this day, Macedonians have tough time working together and trusting each other.

Under this atmosphere, my grandfather (from a Grkoman family) married my grandmother (from a Bugaroman family). The differences between the two factions seemed to be bridged by their disgust with the Greeks. Having to bow your head to the Greek policeman, a Greek teacher, Greek priests was infuriating, more so because these people were often very stupid because no smart Greek would be caught dead in this area of "northern Greece". To pretend that you did not know the language that your mother and grandmother taught you was humiliating and degrading. To have to laugh at their stupid jokes about "Slavic gypsy pigs" was more than one could take.

In this atmosphere, the communists thrived ... secretly. They promised a 'Balkan Federation" with a united Macedonia. Few knew who Dimitar Vlahov was, or what United VMRO was. All they knew was that the "communists" with the backing of "our Russian brothers" would save Macedonians. To hell with the Greeks; to hell with the Bulgarians; to hell with Serbs.

"Mu baktisa na narodot" (the people were fed up). Russia will save the Macedonians. As far as my father can remember, growing up in this time, he was never a Bulgarian or Greek, he was always a Macedonian.

Although the vast majority of the villagers were pro-communist, the villagers always voted for the royalists. You can't be too careful with the idea that voting for the extreme right would somehow save the village. I'm not sure if it made any difference.

Family Tree - How my Grandfather Quit Being a Grkoman and Embraced "Macedonianism" (part 2)

By David Edenden

The personal rebellion of my Grandfather.

Even though my grandfathers family was Grkoman, (Hellenophile) he felt a solidarity with his fellow Macedonian relatives against the Greeks who pushed their weight around anytime they entered the village.(brainwashed by my grandmothers family, or so the story goes).

One time a group of Greek police (or army?) came to the village and entered the coffee shop where the men played poker, backgammon, etc during the winter months. Naturally, all the Macedonians had to stand and leave their seats to allow the Greek policemen to sit down. Apparently they took all the seats. It was a common occurrence for the police to "show the flag" and to show the Macedonians who was boss. The Greek Captain suggested a "sing-a-long" (yes you heard me). I think it was a new song about Crete (or Cyprus?) that was popular at that time.

My grandfather suggested instead that they sing a popular "real Greek Macedonian" song about "real Greek Macedonians" being the first to be subjugated by the Turks and the first to suffer, but that one day the Turks would be expelled from Macedonia and that "MACEDONIA WOULD BE A COUNTRY AGAIN". Those were the real lyrics of the song, and when they came to the last line, all the Macedonians sung (in Greek) loudly and with gusto.

Apparently, the Greeks were not amused and left in a huff and the Macedonians laughed and were congratulating themselves on this minor successful rebellion. The next day the police came and took my grandfather to the police station in the next village. I am not sure if he had to walk, take a donkey, go by bus or by car. Anyway he went and was interrogated for an hour or so.

The Captain said my grandfather was a traitor and an enemy of Greece. My grandfather protested that he was a true Greek patriot (yeh right!) as can be vouched for by his family. He dared the Captain to prosecute him for singing a famous "real Greek song". The Captain replied that my grandfather should stop being so smart. The Captain did not have to take him to court to smarten him up. The Captain warned my grandfather that if he continued being an asshole, "he would find himself walking with two feet in one shoe"

Ouch!

Family Tree - A Greek in the Family (Yikes!) and a Greek from Albania (Northern Epirus)

My grandfather had at least two real Greek friends both of whom were
leftists (aka "commies").

One of them was married to a distant cousin. He was born in Athens
(more likely a small village nearby) and was "half Magir". He met his
wife while on army duty in "Northern Greece". They married, lived in
"the village" and worked the family farm, and believe it or not, he
learned to speak Macedonian like a native. They had children moved to
Canada. I did not know that he was "a real Greek" since he spoke
Macedonian, as did his children, came to all the Macedonian dances,
picnics and the weddings at the Macedonian church.

The other Greek was from Albania and worked with my grandfather at the
same company. He sat at the same "slav lunch table" (Croatians, Poles,
Slovak, Ukrainian, etc). There were no Greeks working there but there
were a few Grkomans who shared a table. These Grkomans were
"royalists" and this guy could not stand them. Apparently, they also
spoke bad Greek, unlike my grandfather.

Both these Greek friends talked politics over the years with my
grandfather and they seemed to come to a consensus as to how things
should have worked out. Below is a rough outline as I understood it.
Not bad for people with a grade six education.

1. It was a big mistake for Greece to have a German King in the first
place (Catholic or Protestant ... who cares). They should have gone to
a Russia for an Orthodox king if they really wanted one. It was a huge
mistake for the Greeks to fight against the fellow the "Orthodox" in
the Balkans during the "Macedonian Struggle". This was the fault of
those "Bishops under Turkish control" and Melas was their dupe. Turkey
was the real enemy and Constantinople was the real goal ... even
today. It was a mistake to ally with Protestant England against
Orthodox Russia after WW2.

2. If Stalin had not put the boot Tito, the communists in Greece would
have won, a Balkan Federation would have become a reality and solved
all the problems of the Balkans. Everyone in the Balkans would be
free! (with the help God and Stalin!).

3. The proposal for a "united Macedonia" was a bad idea because too
many Magirs in Greek Macedonia, especially in Solun. This cost the
communists Greek support during the Greek Civil War. Unless the
Magirs could be sent back to Asia Minor, a "united Slav Macedonia"
including Pirin would be OK, but minor border changes to include
Macedonian speaking villages in the new United Macedonia. (especially
our village). This would have given the Republic a huge Macedonian
minority.

4. With Serbia, Greece and Bulgaria about the same size, no country
would dominate the Balkan Federation. Rivalry between Serbia and
Bulgaria would have meant that the Slavs could never gang up on
Greece. Croatians, Macedonians, Slovenians, and Albanians (yikes!)
would have been eager to put the screws to any republic that got out
of line.

5. Russia should have helped Greece to re-take Constantinople and to
allow the return of Magirs to Asia minor. This would have kept "the
Dardanelles" in the hands of the friends of Russia. (naturally no
Turks would have been allowed back in the Balkans ... screw the
Turks).

6. Epirus should be united and part of Greece. (screw the Albanians
... except the Orthodox)

7. Unification of Cyprus with Greece should have been part of the
'Balkan Federation" plan.

It may sound like these people were living in a "Pan Orthodox Fantasy"
(I think they were) and it may not have worked out that way. However,
today we can see that in the Balkans everyone is at each others
throats.

Also, after a century of racism and xenophobia (a greek
word!). Greece has no friends in their fight against "their real enemy
- Turkey". Somehow this all works out in favour of the US, which like
Britain, has sold out Greece in the past, and will in the future, if
the price is right.

Farewell to the Bosniaks

By David Edenden


This is a post transferred from my old site. The Bosniak leadership was discussing amending the Bosnian Constitution (aka - The Dayton Accords).


The Bosniaks are lucky that my fears have not been realized ... yet!

By David Edenden
March 20, 2007
When my grandfather and I were watching video footage of Mladic taking the Bosniak males away on buses, he had two comments:

1. "It's not fair".

2. "The Serbs are making the Germans happy, because when any European thinks of fascists, they will think of Serbia!

In Bosnia, Catholics are Croatians, Orthodox are Serbians and Muslims are Bosniaks. This gives Bosnia a certain symmetry which makes it easier to discuss a very complicated political situation .

The Bosniaks are making a huge mistake to try to change the Bosnian constitution for Srebrenica, which to me, seems totally beside the point.

The Bosniaks first mistake was to go along with the independence of Slovenia and Croatia. Their second mistake is to not voice objection to the independence of Kosovo. Bosniaks must realize that they will be the immediate losers if Kosovo gets independence, because what's good for Kosovo is good for Republica Srpbska, not to mention Herzegovina.

Watch for the US/EU to start criticizing the Bosniaks, in the press, as being obstructionist and not willing to compromise. Then you will know that betrayal is in the air.

Calls for Srebrenica secession follow ICJ ruling
(SETimes.com):

"In the aftermath of the ruling, Bosniak leaders are calling for Srebrenica to secede from the Bosnian Serb entity, Republika Srpska (RS).

'The territory of the Srebrenica municipality needs to have the status of district and as such should be taken out of the jurisdiction of the Republika Srpska institutions,' the Bosniak and Croat members of the BiH presidency, Haris Silajdzic and Zeljko Komsic, said in a statement. 'We are entitled to justice.'"

Family Tree - Macedonian Visiting His Grkoman Relatives in Canada

By David Edenden

This is a story I heard about a young Macedonian relative visiting from the Republic of Macedonia. He made the rounds to all the relatives including two Grkoman cousins.

Both brothers were married to Greeks. The younger one was married to a fair haired, good looking woman, (probably a Vlach ... as my mother would say), while the older one was married to someone that looked like Maria Callas ... you know the type ... a real Greek.

It turns out when he arrived at the house both brothers and their families were waiting for him. The brothers first starting talking to him in Greek. Since he did not speak Greek, they switched to English. He also did not speak English. There was an awkward pause and they then started to speak in Macedonian.

The good-looking wife of the younger brother, naively started asking, in a chirpy voice, what language are you speaking? How did you learn to speak this language. How come you did not tell me you spoke another language. Probably realizing that is must be the language they speak in "southern Serbia" she said that she want to learn this language. The two brothers totally ignored her, as did her sister-in-law.

The jaw of the wife of the older brother ... dropped. It seems that she must have immediately realized that she had unknowingly been married to a "Slavic Gypsy Pig" for all these years.

Yikes!

Family Tree - Grkoman Lawyer and His Manga Cake Wife

By David Edenden

It seems that a Macedonian met a Grkoman distant cousin at a kids hockey game. He was lawyer married to an educated "manga caksa" ... teacher ... I think.

He sent his fiance to a tutor to learn Greek, before the wedding, because they were going to the "Greeks Islands' for their honeymoon. They would also go to the old village" to show the new bride to his grandparents.

The wife said to the Macedonian:

"You Macedonians are weird. They sent me to a tutor to learn Greek, but every time my in-laws come over they only speak Macedonian. What's the point"

The husband ignored this remark and the Macedonian woman said nothing. Too embarrassed for her cousin.

Ouch!

Book Review: Hugh Garner

By David Edenden

Hugh Garner is a famous Canadian novelist who lived and wrote about "Cabbagetown", an area of Toronto where the first "Macedonian - Bulgarian" church was built . He must have been aware of the "Macedonian Question".

There is a minor character named Mike, who is a restaurateur (naturally) in the novel. These are the only references to Macedonians in the novel. Mike is Toronto's first "Grkoman" in Canadian literature - good fun.

If anyone has more information on Garner and Macedonians, don't be a stranger!

Cabbagetown by Hugh Garner is "the classic novel of the Depression inCanada" first published in 1950. MCGraw-Hill Ryerson 1968 Trade Paperback

p 234

Before putting Mrs. Plummer on the Greyhound bus for Detroit Myra found a job as a waitress in a restaurant on Queen St. West. Her boss was a short chunky man of fifty with a nearly bald head. He was a Macedonian who claimed to be a Greek, or the other way around. He wore heavy tortoise-rimmed glasses when he checked the invoices or read his New York newspaper with the queer-looking print. His name was Mike.

p 238

He told her about Greece when he was a young man there, and about driving a mule team during the Balkan War. He had arrived in Halifax with twelve dollars in his jacket and had got off the train in Toronto without knowing a soul in the city. He had seen a Macedonian name above a restaurant, had gone in and had been given a job washing dishes for his meals, tobacco and a place to sleep in the cellar. Myra found his story fascinating.