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Question on Helenic Greek Fighters Clothing

Discussion in 'General Figure Talk' started by Kevin D., Jul 25, 2016.

  1. Kevin D. Well-Known Member

    Country:
    United-States
    [IMG]

    I have looked at several paintings as well as figures and cannot tell what the waist belt is made of or how to paint it. In oil paintings it looks almost metallic but I assume its leather. Is there a name for this waist belt that I can google images of?

    Thanks in advance!!

    Kevin D.
  2. billyturnip A Fixture

    Country:
    England
    Kevin, I am sure our Greek friends will be along to help but this is what I know.... or think I know. :D

    Google Σελάχι

    Scroll down the page here,
    https://argolikivivliothiki.gr/tag/όπλα/

    You'll need Google translate I expect but here's a copy and paste of part of the translation, The skate or silachliki or silefi (derived from the Turkish word silach) were male belt made of TSAROUCHA consisted either leather or thick cardboard coated with teak cloth or thick velvet. :)
    Oda, Trex, Kevin D. and 2 others like this.
  3. rossbach PlanetFigure Supporter

    Country:
    Netherlands
    Alternatively you could contact Oda who is on the forum. He is from Greece and my experience with him is that there is little he doesn't know. And he's a very nice chap!
    Oda, napoleonpeart and billyturnip like this.
  4. billyturnip A Fixture

    Country:
    England

    Absolutely!
    rossbach and Oda like this.
  5. billyturnip A Fixture

    Country:
    England
    rossbach likes this.
  6. rossbach PlanetFigure Supporter

    Country:
    Netherlands
    Well Roger....................... your are Hellenic at heart I'd say! So when are you going to exchange Bedale for the beautifull village of Paranesti (Παρανέστι) close to the Bulgarian border?

    Cheers
    Paul

    31670f2.jpg
    Oda, Kevin D. and billyturnip like this.
  7. billyturnip A Fixture

    Country:
    England
    Paul, every summer I say let`s stay here and not go home, one day we will do it.
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  8. rossbach PlanetFigure Supporter

    Country:
    Netherlands
    Yes. Actually I spent a lot of time in a little village on the Bulgarian side of that mountain range. It stunningly beautiful there.
    billyturnip likes this.
  9. Trex Well-Known Member

    Billyturnip is more Greek than some Greeks. :D
    As he said, the Greek word used for this type of gun belt is "Σελάχι".
    It was most usually made of leather (fabric was an option too) and some times decorated with gold or silver embroidery.

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  10. Kevin D. Well-Known Member

    Country:
    United-States
    Billy, Paul.... THANKS very much, and yes....I'd move to some place like that in a heart beat! GORGEOUS

    Both links were helpful but the 2nd one really filled the bill! Thanks Billy!

    I'll contact Oda soon, have some impending commitments that require putting the brushes down for a few weeks. Had a friend send me the 90mm YS Miniatures Hellenic Fighter.....looks to be a great piece to paint and a nice adjunct to my collection since I lived in Crete for a few years long and long ago.

    Thanks guys.....and to my Greek friends....Add in please! This hobby is about learning the history as much as painting!

    Best,

    Kevin D.
  11. Kevin D. Well-Known Member

    Country:
    United-States
    SCORE!!!! Thanks Trex !!!!!!!!!!! VERY Cool! This and Billy's link are just what I was looking for.....pronouncing the word for the belt....that's another matter LOL
    billyturnip and Trex like this.
  12. Trex Well-Known Member

    It's pronounced "Selachi".
    I know the Greek letter "χι" is difficult to pronounce in English.
    To help you with it, think of how you pronounce the "ch" in a Greek word like "chaos". :D
    rossbach, Oda and billyturnip like this.
  13. billyturnip A Fixture

    Country:
    England
    Or ch as in Scottish loch. ;)
    rossbach likes this.
  14. rossbach PlanetFigure Supporter

    Country:
    Netherlands
    Not trying to hijack the thread but I could not resist posting this.

    Watch this Youtube vid taken on the other side of the mountains opposite Paranesti near Smolyan in the Bulgarian Rhodopi mountains. Enjoy the bagpipe music and the dancing. And watch the men closely. I have actually seen this Horo perform although its not my vid. Maybe you note that men and women dance seperately. This is customary in the Rhodope were there still are Muslimic minorities. Some of the men had Tokarev's stuck in their belt! Watch as the camera zooms in. At the end of the dance they fire them in the air!!!



    A picture of a couple in folkloristic dress from the Rhodope region:

    fe99f53d839d9cfe33b19fc1ea90518a.jpg

    And a picture of two Bulgarian reanactors dressed as Bulgarian freedom fighters. Greek and Bulgarians fought the same enemy at one point in their history: the Turks.

    a6627a9a10abe7065801093b984f11a4.jpg

    As you can see there are a lot of similarities in dress with the Greek costumes. I love Bulgarian folklore and its not so far from Paranesti to Smolyan across the mountains!
  15. billyturnip A Fixture

    Country:
    England
    Nice pictures paul and very interesting.


    You weren't based at Gournes Airforce Base by any chance were you Kevin?
    rossbach likes this.
  16. Oda A Fixture

    Paul and Roger the feelings are mutual.And yes the material mostly associated with the Σελάχι is leather.It is a piece of equipment common to many Balkan male dresses.A finer point I would like to stress is that the σελάχι is not a belt,meaning that it doesn't hold any clothing in place.It is worn over the belt and its sole purpose is the carying of arms and other equipment (usualy a pen-κονδυλοφόρος and an inkpot-καλαμάρι combined in a single ornamented case).Greeks as well other Balkan people used to prefer pistols extravagantly ornamented in silver,platine and other precious materials.There was not any space on them for a ramrod so the Greeks carried a separate ramrod called a χαρμπί also carried in the σελάχι.Τhe belt that secured the σελάχι was also used as a means of suspension of the cartridge box-παλάσκα and of a special tubular cartridge holding animal fat-μεδουλάρι for greasing the weapons.So the English equivalent of the σελάχι is the cummerband.
  17. billyturnip A Fixture

    Country:
    England
    χαρμπί - Charbi?
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  18. Tubby-Nuts2 A Fixture

    Country:
    United-Kingdom
    Fantastic photo reference!(y) ... Just the job

    Mark.
  19. Oda A Fixture

    The word used by the people of the time Charbi (ch like loch-ness only with little less "throat")altenative words:οβελός-ovelos and μπαρουτόβεργα-barutoverga,the later litteraly meaning gun-powder stick.The pistols were too long and elegant,so the ramrod was omitted and carried seperately.I don't even have to comment on your Greek Roger you've rally become very adept.By the same time next year I think that we will probably having these conversations in Greek.Hats off to you mate.

    Oda.
    rossbach and billyturnip like this.
  20. John Bowery A Fixture

    Country:
    United-States
    Thanks for the history lesson.
    Cheers
    John
    Oda likes this.

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