Rizitika songs (Greek: Ριζίτικα τραγούδια) are the oldest type of Cretan music. They mainly originate from Western Crete, but are also widespread in central and eastern Crete. Rizes (Greek: ρίζες = roots) are the foothills of the mountains. One view says that from the roots of the mountains those songs took their name, from Ida, Dikti and the White Mountains. Another view argues that «the songs of the roots» of the ancestors, were called by the people Rizitika.[1] Today, Rizitika considered all those songs of unknown artists that came to our day through tradition from past centuries.
| «Ἀγρίμια κι΄ἀγριμάκια μου ΄λάφια μου ΄μερωμένα πεστέ μου ποῦ 'ν οἱ τόποι σας καὶ ποῦ 'ν τὰ χειμαδιά σας; - Γκρεμνὰ 'ν ἐμᾷς οἱ τόποι μας λέσκες τὰ χειμαδιά μας τὰ σπηλιαράκια του βουνού είναι τὰ γονικά μας.» |
«Ferals, my little ferals my tamed deers tell me, where are your lands and where are your shelters? - Cliffs are our lands gorges are our shelters the little caves of the mountains are our ancestral estates.» |
- ^ -ika (-ικα) it's a plural suffix of adjectives which indicates nouns that derive from or belong to the stem of the adjective, in this case rizit-ika (ριζίτ-ικα) are those who derive from the roots, ie the songs. An ancient example of this grammatical phenomenon in Cretan literature can be found on a lost writing of Epimenides with the title Cretica (Κρητ-ικά) those who derive from Crete. Encyclopedia Britannica: «Epimenides, (flourished 6th century bce?), Cretan seer, reputed author of religious and poetical writings, including a Theogony, Cretica, and other mystical works.