Abstract
The aim of this paper is the folkloristic examination of the great earthquake in Athens, on September 7th, 1999. Such a catastrophe can radically change a community, such as the way and quality of life, habits, relationships, natural environment and create fear and collective traumatic memories. Therefore, an earthquake can be part of the folk culture, as it can bring about significant changes in society, which is studied by the Science of Folklore. The 5.9 magnitude earthquake from the unknown rift in Parnitha Mountain, hit the city at 14:56 was the deadliest earthquake of the last 50 years, but also the one with the highest damage cost in Greece. Within 15 seconds, 145 people lost their lives and about 50,000 were left homeless. The earthquake made Athens change in many ways, not only in terms of seismological data, but also the people themselves, which is a collective traumatic experience for those who experienced it then. This paper is based on research methods followed by the science of Folklore, in combination with interdisciplinary approaches and methodological tools of the sciences of Anthropology and Ethnography. The collection of stories is carried out through the qualitative method by conducting interviews in Athens with people who experienced the earthquake of 1999. More specifically, victims of the catastrophe are included - people who lived through the events, volunteers at the Hellenic Red Cross, members of the Fire Service, medical and nursing staff, journalists, reporters and seismologists.
Presenters
Katerina SchoinaStudent, Ph.D. Candidate in Folklore Studies, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Natural Disaster, Earthquake, Traumatic Memory, Oral History, Folklore, Narratives, Greece
