Defying Space and Time Through Language: The Case of Kozani’s Carnival, its Songs, and its Theatrical Productions in Kozani Greek

Abstract

This article studies two festive occasions taking place in Kozani, a city in northern Greece: firstly its carnival rituals and secondly some theatrical plays, both carried out entirely in the local dialect. In order to examine the relationship between language and performance, this article proposes an analysis in three parts. The first section shall rapidly outline the city’s linguistic history with regard to national politics, the second shall describe the use of the dialect in the carnival rituals of the fanos, and the third shall study a historically-themed play performed in Kozani Greek.