Crete tourist guide

Drosoulites under Frangokastello

2025-05-18 19:33:50

May 18th marks another anniversary of the Battle of Frangokastello. In 1828, this distinctive fortress, located right on the seashore and with a mountain range behind it, became the scene of a bloody battle between Ottoman forces and Cretan rebels led by Hatzimichalis Dalianis. Ultimately, Frangokastello was taken by overwhelming Turkish forces. According to legend, every year on the anniversary of the battle, armed black shadows, the so-called Drosoulites (Greek: Δροσουλίτες), also known as the dew men, appear in the fortress.

According to legend, these are the spirits of Cretan rebels who died on May 18, 1828. They resemble a procession of black-clad and armed men who walk from the area around the monastery of St. Charalambos to the fortress and then continue towards the sea, where they disappear with the first rays of sunlight.

Frangokastello (Φραγκοκάστελλο) is a small fortress that was built by the Venetians over a period of four years starting in 1371. It is located about 80 km from Chania, a dozen or so kilometers east of Chora Sfakion. This structure was built to limit the activities of the Sfakians and pirates. However, it is remembered in the pages of history as the place of the most dramatic chapters of the Greek revolution.

Fierce battle

In 1828, rebels seeking to liberate Crete and Greece from Turkish occupation took refuge in the fortress of Frangokastello. Despite warnings from locals that the structure would not withstand an attack, they resisted the attack of an eight-thousand-strong Turkish army for a week. On May 18, 1828, a bloody battle took place at the fortress of Frangokastello. As a result of fierce fighting, the superior Ottoman forces finally defeated the rebels heroically fighting for the freedom of Crete.

According to accounts, between 335 and 385 Cretans were killed, including Dalianis himself. After killing him, the Turks beheaded his head, which they sent to Mustafa Pasha. Legend has it that the bodies of the defenders were left unburied on the beach, only to be covered by the wind with sand carried from the nearby dunes. Since then, their souls have not known peace. Every year on the anniversary of the battle, they return here before dawn to remind us of their sacrifice.

A realistic mirage

The phenomenon of the Dew People is supposedly so real that German soldiers stationed here during World War II opened fire on Drosoulites, fearing that they were Cretan guerrillas. Local residents speak of shadows wandering along the beach and strange lights. Scientists explain this phenomenon as a simple optical illusion that occurs only on a windless day and with high humidity. The sun's rays then disperse in very small water droplets, creating a kind of mirage.

Gosia,  2025-05-18 19:33:50

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