Greece and Greece and

Olive TreeOlive Tree

Tradition-Health-Religion

Greece

A field with Olive Trees-A picture on the

walls of Minoan Palaces of Knossos

Collection of the olives using sticks and hands

The cultivation of Olive Tree in ancient times

Huge clay containers were used for the storage in appropriate places of

olive oil.

Whoever has wheat ,wine and olive oil in the jar

is rich and blessed by god

Legend from the island of Crete

Centrifugation: Spinning the paste round at high speed to separate oil

Competition between God Poseidon and Goddess

Athena. Panagia the Elaiovritissa

Greek athletes use olive oil on their skin.

Use of the instrument strigil for cleaning.

Soap made out of oil for cleaning.

Lamp for lightening.

Bless the ground that feeds olive tree

Bless the rain that comes from heaven and is watering the olive tree

Bless three times more the product of the olive tree, the olive oil,

because it is lightening in front of icons

and feeds poor people

free translation from a poem of Ioannis Polemis

Olive oil is used as a therapeutic agent in ancient years.

Good Samaritan (Jesus Christ) treats wounded person

(people).Luke, ι΄, 34

 To the courteous and honorable

from God human being was given the

excellent food; bread, wine and olive

oil. Bread to support and strengthen

the heart, wine to delight the soul and

olive oil to please and cure the body

from the painful hardening.

 Efsevios, On the inscriptions of psalms

……23, 1273,47-55

Olive oil is used in the sacrament of baptism. The new

baptised is released from the power of devil.

In 1830, Michaud in his visit of the island of Cyprus realizes that the crowns of people to be

married are made with branches of olives.

People of Cyprus are calling the Sunday before the Resurrection, the “Sunday of Olive Tree” because according to their custom they bring

branches of olive tree to be blessed.

“The collection of olives in the island of Mytilini” Theofilos, 1933

Olive Tree and Art

Olive Tree

…I am not a fair, sweet-smelling rose or citron-tree I blur the eyes of soul…

Kostis Palamas

Knossos, Crete

1600-1425 π.Χ.

“Your age, does not prevent you from

becoming richer and richer every year!”

Aristos Kampanis

Olive tree and labour

Jesus Christ before crucifixion prayed under the shadow of olive tree.

 

Agony in the garden El Greco

Olive tree loves the blue sky.

Olive tree filters the light and it is a shady tree.

Olive treesOlive trees G. Zoumpoulakis

The pigeon returns to Noah with a branch of olive tree and brings the message that the storm is ended.

The olive oil is the magic golden natural fruit which as the umbilical cord joins the tradition of the past of our existence, with the sacred

symbols of our civilisation. It feeds us and introduces us to its supreme, simple, pure and

dismantle taste.

Molecular Analysis Lab. Institute of Organic and Pharmaceutical Chemistry

National Hellenic Research Foundation

Laboratory personel:Errika Zervou,

Panagiotis Zoumpoulakis (Narrator),Agni Kapou (Narrator),

Ioanna Kyrikou,Ioanna Ntaliani,

Eleni SiapiSupervisor: Dr. Thomas Mavromoustakos