Hasapiko

Music of Greece
General topics
Ancient • Byzantine • Néo kýma • Polyphonic song
Genres
Entehno • Dimotika • Hip hop • Laïko • Punk • Rock
Specific forms
Classical • Nisiotika • Rebetiko • Skiladiko
Media and performance
Music awards	Arion Awards • MAD Video Music Awards • Pop Corn Music Awards
Music charts	Greek Albums Chart • Foreign Albums Chart • Singles Chart
Music festivals	Thessaloniki Song Festival
Music media	Difono • MAD TV (MAD World, Blue) • MTV Greece
National anthem	"Hymn to Liberty"
Regional music
Related areas	Cyprus
Regional styles	Aegean Islands • Arcadia • Argos • Crete • Cyclades • Dodecanese Islands • Epirus • Ionian Islands • Lesbos • Macedonia • Peloponnese • Thessaly • Thrace

The Hasapiko (Greek: χασάπικο Greek pronunciation: [xaˈsapiko]), is a Greek folk dance. The dance originated in the Middle Ages as a battle mime with swords performed by the Greek butchers guild, which adopted it from the military of Byzantine era. ^[1] In Constantinople during the Byzantine times, it was called in Greek μακελλάρικος χορός (makellarikos horos)^{[citation needed]}. Some Greeks, however, reserve the latter term only for the fast version of the dance.

The slow version of the dance is called χασάπικο βαρύ (hasapiko vary) or χασάπικος βαρύς (hasapikos varys) and generally employs a 4/4 tempo. The fast version of the dance uses a 2/4 rhythm. It is variously called γρήγορο χασάπικο, μακελλάριος χορός; χασαποσέρβικο (grigoro hasapiko, makellarios horos, hasaposerviko – the latter a reference to Serbian and other Balkan influences on this version of the dance).

Hasapiko served as one of the bases for the Sirtaki.

See also

• Greek dances
• Sirtaki
• Kalamatianos
• Syrtos

Reference

1. ^ sword dance in Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved July 18, 2010, from Encyclopædia Britannica Online: http://www.search.eb.com.proxy-um.researchport.umd.edu/eb/article-9070677

External links

• Hasapiko description