The national identity of a country depends on the political and cultural matters of the nation, and its distinction from other nations. Culturally, the nation is made up of different aspects such as language, religion, customs, music, and ethnicity. Politically, the nation is shaped by common history, a defined territory, a form of government, and common symbols. However, national identity cannot exist without having another nation to compare itself to. In the article, “National Identity and The Other,” Anna Triandafyllidou states that national identity is not only defined from within but also from without, through distinguishing the nation from other nations or ethnic groups (Triandafyllidou, 1998). This process of examination and differentiation from other nations helps nations build and strengthen their idea of national identity.
The formation of Greek national identity starts with its language. During the Ottoman rule, the Greek-speaking population was among various groups, which composed the multiethnic Ottoman Empire (Babali, 2007). The ethnic Greeks belonged to the Greek Orthodox Church. They, compared to the other groups, were privileged with regard to the spread of their language. Following Byzantine traditions, before Ottoman times, all official religious functions were in Greek, which gave the Greek language primacy (Babali, 2007). This fact allowed a “pure” version of Greek to be reproduced (Tsoukalas, 1999, 9). Moreover, although most Greeks were illiterate and lived in the underdeveloped parts of the Balkan Peninsula, they were taught their language through psalms and prayers. “The Greek language thus seemed to be evolving into something like the Latin of the East” (Tsoukalas, 1999, 9). This was the beginning of establishing their identity.
With regards to their language, their music, specifically their folk music, was also important in establishing the Greek’s national identity. In the 10th century, their music first appeared with the name “secular Byzantine music.” Folk music was implemented in daily life ranging from everyday activities to celebrations and feasts and became the “vehicle through which the Greek language survived for centuries” (Babali, 2007, 2). This music shaped and strengthened their national determination and later was used for national enhancement, organizing the struggle for independence (Babali, 2007).
In the years before Greece’s independence, the country went through many different leaders and eras. Most recently, the Byzantine and the Ottoman empire. The Byzantine empire was the period of rule and establishment under Constantine, but in the eyes of the west, the Byzantines were not acknowledged as the inheritors of the Roman empire and were rather perceived to be a continuation of ancient Greece. On the Eastern side, Arabs and Persians continued to view the Greeks as “Romans.” Toward the end of the Byzantine Empire, they and their lands ultimately became dominated under Ottoman Rule. The Ottoman period lasted from the mid-15th century until interrupted in 1821 when the war of Greek independence began. The war lasted until 1832, as a result of years of negotiation, and Greece was finally recognized as an independent nation in the Treaty of Constantinople.
After their independence, most customs were linked with the Orthodox faith and were anti-western as the Christian Orthodox Church had been opposing the Roman Catholic West since the 11th century (Tsoukalas, 10). On one side, there is the orthodox church that drew its inspiration from Byzantine times, and on the other, the myth of eternal Greece. Moreover, the Eastern side had more emphasis on Eastern Orthodoxy and the Western had more emphasis on rationalism and enlightenment. This caused some tension but the answer to this dilemma was given by Constantinos Paparrigopoulos in his writings during the 1860s and 1870s. He argued that the continuity between Classicism and Byzantine Christianity must be brought through a new concept, bringing forth a new term, the “Helleno-Christianity,” which combines East with West, and implies a continuity (Babali, 2007).
The combination of East and West into “Helleno-Christianity” also shaped the national identity of Greece. Mainly with music. Greek composers faced the dilemma of trying to decide if they should follow the Western harmony or the Eastern folk music culture. After the proposal of “Helleno-Christianity” by Paparrigopoulos, the majority of the Greek composers accepted the new term and worked on the synthesis of both musical cultures: that of the East and that of the West. The type of folk music was Kleftiko song. These songs were the musical mediation between Classical and Modern Times and established the meaning of the new term of “Helleno-Christianity.” Their themes enhanced the “national feeling during the pre-revolution as well as the post-revolution period” (Babali, 2007). Therefore, the combination of Eastern and Western sides into “Helleno-Christianity” evolved the music and contributed to establishing the national identity of Greece.
As of right now, Greece is having their own national identity dispute with Macedonia. A nation can have both internal and external others, and in this case, Macedonia is an external significant other that is not contesting territory, but Greece demands that they not be recognized by their name. Macedonia became a sovereign state in 1991 when the majority of voters chose independence, but Greece immediately argued that the country not be recognized. Greece opposed international recognition due to a number of reasons concerning the country's name, flag, symbols, and constitution that are historically considered part of Greek culture. Also, Greece claims that as millions of ethnic Greeks identify themselves as Macedonians, who are unrelated to the Slavic people associated with the Republic of Macedonia, they further object to the name of Macedonia and Macedonian. In 1995, the two countries committed to starting negotiations on the naming issue. Until a solution is found, the reference "the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia,” or “FYROM” is used.
In conclusion, without Greece’s language, music, and historical background, they would not be the country they are today. Those aspects help build and strengthen their idea of national identity and differentiate themselves from other nations.
Word count: 1060
Citations:
Babali, Anna. (2007, June). The Construction of The National Identity of Modern Greece and its Impact on Music. Hellenic Observatory PhD Symposium on Contemporary Grecce: Structures, Context and Challenges. Hellenic Observatory, European Institute, LSE. Retrieved from http://www.lse.ac.uk/europeanInstitute/research/hellenicObservatory/pdf/3rd_Symposium/PAPERS/BABALI_ANNA.pdf.
Triandafyllidou, A. (1998). National identity and the 'other.' Ethnic and Racial Studies, 21(4), 593-612. Retrieved from http://login.proxy.seattleu.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.proxy.seattleu.edu/docview/210167159?accountid=28598
Tsoukalas, Constantine. (1999). European modernity and Greek national identity. Journal of Southern Europe and the Balkans, volume 1, 7-14. Retrieved from http://web.a.ebscohost.com.proxy.seattleu.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=3&sid=0b7d3392-d7bf-4f14-89b8-213bf8618a67%40sessionmgr4007
“The Macedonina-Greek Conflict.” History of Macedonia. Retrieved from http://www.historyofmacedonia.org/MacedonianGreekConflict/conflict.html
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