Tuesday 30 April 2019

ATTAN DANCE ~ WAR DANCE FOR THE GODDESS ATHENA IN CENTRAL ASIA

According to the Greek Religion, Athena was born out of Zeus' head, with a sword in one hand and a shield in the other.She came to this world with a fierce battle cry, which shook the Earth and the Skies.Even the Sun stopped His course on the sky to admire the Warrior Goddess.
Revered by the ancient Greeks as the Goddess of both war and intellect, Athena is the Protector of heroes and all those who embark on brave achievements.To celebrate Her during festivals dedicated to Her worship, Athenians would perform the Pyrrhic dance. This was an inter-tribal athletic competition at the Panathenaia festival, performed by young Athenian men in armour. According to Roger Dunkle, a Professor of Greek Mythology in the Classics Department at Brooklyn College, the dancers, in a kind of ballet, would emulate offensive and defensive movements derived from warfare. The dance is said to have been first performed by Athena Herself in a celebration of Her fellow Olympians' epic victory over the Giants. This dance, and other athletic events from the Panathenaia Festival basically continued until Christianity came to Greece and eliminated a significant part of the Ancient Religious rituals. 
Greece

When Alexander the Great came to power after the assassination of hs father, Phillip of Macedonia, in 336 BCE, he saw himself as a second Achilles, destined to defeat 'barbarians'. He began by quelling Greek rebellions, and moved on against the Persians. Along the way, he conquered Asia Minor, Syria, Palestine, Egypt, and Mesopotamia, before subduing Persia. He then went further and defeated Transoxania before reaching as far as the Indus River;his troops, exhausted by the constant battles, mutinied and Alexander had to turn back. During his journey back, en route to taking over Arabia, he fell ill and died.
Greece

Alexander's army consisted of over 30,000 Greek and Macedonian soldiers, each skilled with a Greek-style military training.

Alexander established new cities wherever he went; he is believed to have founded  over 70 cities. He appointed Greek men to every city he conquered, in order for them to govern and intermarry with the local population. His empire was called the Hellenistic Empire. After his death, the empire was divided into three Hellenistic kingdoms; Egypt, Bactria, and Macedonia/Greece.
Greece

During Alexanders' stay, and continued conflict with the people who would be later known as the Pashtuns, in the areas along the border of modern-day Afghanistan and Pakistan, Greek soldiers mixed with some local Pashtun tribes.Modern-day Khattak and Ghilzai are the main tribes who claim their ancestry from the Greek soldiers who followed Alexander in his campaigns. Genetic studies have shown traces of Greek ancestry among some Pashtun tribes, confirming these claims.

Αποτέλεσμα εικόνας για attan dance
Afghanistan

It also helps to clarify the origins of the Attan Dance. The dance itself is now an umbrella name for numerous variations of the dance, including the Kibali Attan, Wardaki, Logari, Paktia/Khosti, Kochyano/Kuchi, Kattak, and Nuristani styles.

The dance itself is believed to have originated from the Greek Pyrrhic dance, performed for the Greek Goddess Athena. The Khattak style is thought to be the closest version to the Pyrrhic dance.
According to VirtualAfghans.com, the Khattak style is as follows:
"..men performed this dance with their weapons in their hands. A Khattak dancer performs with the zeal of a hero, displaying his physical fitness through body movements, while holding one, two, or even three swords at a time. Each sword weighs about one-and-a-half kilograms. The dance is a 5-step routine involving spins, with the swords crossed over their backs and elbows outward, or it can be performed with the swords out the sides and typical Attan half-spin in place, while landing to a full spin. Depending on the rhythm of that beat, this spin can be completely reversed in full synchronicity. This dance is performed with the musician tuning the beat to the technique of the performers."

Today, the Attan dance is considered a traditional Afghan dance. It was accepted into the fold of Afghani-Islamic society during the rule of the Mughal Dynasty, when the dance was modified into a Muslim dance soldiers used to get 'closer to God' before they went on their missions. A concept that no doubt is attributable to Afghanistan's rich Sufi history.

Today, the Attan dance is often performed at large Pashtun functions, like wedding celebrations.This ancient Greek dance, one of the most important rituals of the Greek Religion lives on, within some of the most conservative communities in the world.

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