About Corfu
Corfu's Colourful History Myths and Legends - Regions Of Corfu - FAQs

Corfu's Colourfull History Myths and Legends

The Island of Corfu – a place where myth and legend are interwoven with fact to create one of the most colorful accounts in all of Greek history. Known to the Greeks as: Korfiou- meaning “two points” named after the two mountain peaks behind the Town, or Kerkyra - the place where Poseidon brought his lover; the beautiful nymph Korkira; also much admired by the God Zeus, and daughter of the river God Aesopos. Here they created a child - named Phaeacas; founder of the Phaecians. (Phaecia) being one of the other names by which Corfu was known) Another Legend proudly told by the older generation of Corfu describes the voyage of Odysseus and his meeting with Nausica; daughter of the Phaecian King; Alcinoos, when she was bathing with her hand maidens, somewhere along the coast of Corfu. Homer talks of: “the sweet grass edging the stream and clear pools bubbling forth from the never failing rivers.” (A perfect description of Corfu) The poet Apollonius of Rhodes makes mention of the Island in his story of the Argonauts – The Argonauts, having stolen the Golden Fleece were pursued by the Colchains and found refuge as guests at the palace of king alcinoos. And there’s the tale of the courageous old monk who fought single handed with raiders of the Paleokastritsa Monastery but was too frail to prevent them from leaving with religious artifacts. He called upon god to assist him, and the ship the raiders were sailing was turned to stone and the marauders into large rocks strewn upon the shore – still there in Paleokastritsa Bay for all to see. Some identify this rock with the ship that carried Odysseus to Ithaka which on its return journey was turned to stone by Poseidon – others say it was one of Neptune’s ill tempered rages which petrified the ship. While yet another legend claims that Ulysses crashed his ship into the rock during a violent storm.

From the Afionas Peninsula on the south of Corfu Island you can see the Island of Karavi; meaning “Ship” in Greek. According to the local villagers the Island is the ship on which Queen Phamplagona’s husband fled with his lover. On discovering his betrayal, Queen Phamplagona invoked Saint Nicholas, who punished her unfaithful husband by turning his fleeing ship into the rocky Island. Archaeological excavations show that as far back as the 5th Century BC; Corfu was a significant commercial trading centre, visited regularly by the sailing traders the Phoenicians, (not to be confused with the Phaecians who inhabited the Island) The Phoenicians were the first to develop and trade in purple dyed cloth made from Morex mollusks known as Tyrian purple.

Greek legend recounts the discovery of the purple dye by the God Heracles when he was walking his dog along the beach – the dog bit into a Mollusk Mussel which stained his mouth deep purple. Heracles was so delighted he had a garment dyed in the colour for his favorite consort.

After the Punic wars, when Rome emerged victorious, the Roman state took over the production of the purple dye and under the rule of Emperor Nero the wearing of purple garments was restricted to the emperor alone. It was also claimed to be a favored colour of Dionysus; the God of fine wine – he often wore the colour embellished with gold and used the purple stone of Amethyst as a cure for over indulgence of wine – the Greek word Amethyst translates as the un-drunk. Purple remains the favored colour for Royal and Religious state garments to this day.

The Phaecians were an accomplished and fiercely independent people who refused to obey the many unreasonable restrictions from the rulers of Corinth. The ongoing dispute was a bitter one and culminated in the first recorded naval battle in Greek history, off the coast of Corfu, and they suffered greatly at the hands of the brutal Corinthian tyrant Periander - consequently, the population of Corfu was dramatically reduced. Quarrels with Corinth continued unabated as the Island fought to regain its independence. Eventually they requested for help from Athens. The request was granted but led them into further battles in the Peloponnesian war in 410BC. The Island of Corfu was mercilessly attacked, and conquered several times; by both the Spartans and the Illyrians. When the government of the Island asked for help from Rome it was given generously, to the point that Corfu was instated as part of the Roman Empire. The Romans went on to establish the Island of Corfu as a free state. There are several remains of Ancient Roman sights on Corfu including Kassiopi Castle used by Octavian; who became Emperor Augustus, as a naval base in the war against Mark Anthony in31BC. In 337 the Roman Empire broke apart and Corfu fell into the hands of vicious pirates “The Vandals Of Genizerichou” who attacked Rome, brutalized the Ionian Islands, and savaged Corfu and its inhabitants. Gradually, the few remaining survivors rose up once more against adversity and as always were productive and enterprising. In time they were able to supply ships and men to assist the imperial force of the dynamic and ambitious Byzantine Emperor Justinian, in his fight against powerful King Totila of the Goths. Unfortunately, because of this involvement; Corfu, and the surrounding Islands, was practically annihilated, and once again Corfu fell into deep decline. Little has been recorded of that dreadful time in Corfu’s history, other than limited accounts of numerous attacks by Arab raiders, the Turks, the Normans, and feuding Italian Kings, until the 7th Century and the beginning of the Byzantine period, which lasted until 1267AD, when the French King of Sicily; Charles Of Anjou took the Island. Under the rule of King Charles the orthodox Christians of Corfu were persecuted and an attempt was made to convert all churches to Catholicism. The attempt failed and in 1386 the Venetians returned to the Island after being awarded Corfu for their loyal assistance in the successful Crusade to overthrow the Byzantine Empire. The time of the Venetian rule is widely recognized as the most significant period in the history of Corfu and architectural evidence still remains across the Island – magnificent buildings and mansion houses with acres of preserved indigenous forest land - which once covered the entire Island before the large scale planting of olive trees by the Venetians in 1565 to replace the vineyards. The Venetians knew the value of the olive tree as a “wonder food” over three million were planted, and their oil, which was called liquid gold and a main part of the diet, was also known to improve the immune system when applied to the skin and hair, used to treat arthritis, eczema, infected wounds and many other ailments Olive oil was invaluable in the preparation of textiles and used as a fuel for light and heat throughout the empire. Branches of the tree were reputed to ward off evil when hung inside the house. Originally, the farmers on Corfu were given one gold coin for every tree planted. Even today, the olive is much loved and protected across the Island and is still the main staple of the local diet. Many existing trees are centuries old – it is the way in Corfu, to allow the trees to grow tall and sinuous, as depicted in the paintings of Edward Lear. In 1797 Napoleon Bonaparte overthrew the Venetian Republic and publicly burned the “Librod Oro” (Golden Book) which enumerated the privileges of the Venetian Nobles of the time. Bonaparte ruled until 1814, interrupted briefly by minor battles with sea faring Turkish invaders. Napoleons forces were powerful and the Turks never managed to get a foothold on Corfu, unlike many other Greek Islands. The French occupation gave Corfu the Liston, which is an exact miniature of the Rue De Rivoli in Paris. Napoleon was defeated in1815 by the British and the 50 years of British Protectorate began; bringing greater stability and with it a significant development to the infrastructure of the Island. The Palace of Saint Michael, which was originally a Venetian hospital, was designed by Sir George Whitmore and today, the palace houses a fine museum of Asiatic and Christian art, and a vast public library. The Mon Repos Estate; birth place of Prince Phillip the Duke Of Edinburgh, husband to Queen Elisabeth of England, was built by Commissioner Frederick Adams in 1921 and although several unique buildings were destroyed by invading German forces, many remain as a legacy of that time. The first game of cricket was played on the Esplanade, in front of the Liston, on the 23rd of April 1825 between officers of the British Navy and the Garrison. It took only 12 years for the Corfiots to master the game and begin competing with the British. British rule lasted until the 21st of May – 1864 when Corfu was given independence. The date is still remembered and celebrated with music, dancing and feasting by all. The year of 1942 saw the invasion of the friendly Italian forces, and later the German army who massacred thousands of the occupying Italians and sent 5000 of the Islands Jewish population to internment camps. The depopulation continued during and after the war, with famine brought about by depletion and confiscation of food by the German forces and later, mass emigration. The islanders suffered extreme hardship up until the 1950’s when the first travelers discovered the beauty of Corfu. Gerald Durrells book “My Family And Other Animals” gives a wonderful account of the Island prior to that time. The Durrel family had made Corfu made their home, but sadly were forced to leave for reasons of safety before the German Invasion. In more recent years; tourism has brought prosperity to many on the Island and although some of the tiny villages have grown, the hospitable Corfiots have remained the same – giving a heart felt welcome to all visitors regardless of status, making Corfu one of the most loved holiday destinations in the Ionian Sea. North Corfu and Kassiopi in particular is favored by the discerning visitor and many have decided to relocate to this and other areas along the coast. The North Coast is a summer home to the Rothschild family and several famous celebrities and members of the Royal family have visited the area. The Royal yacht has been spotted many times by local fishermen. All visitors to the Island can enjoy: sun, sea, beautiful clean beaches, and a genuine welcome from the people who live here. Corfu continues to be one of the most colorful of all the Ionian Islands, with its unique History and cultural heritage still very much in evidence.