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Keri Lake was inhabited in prehistoric times. In 1936
tools and ceramics dating back to Neolithic times were found
in the area of
Castello.
The picturesque harbour of Keri Lake is the famous ancient
harbour of Zakynthos, known by all in ancient times, it was
an important trading centre for the whole island.
It was spacious and
could
be used in times of war and for trading purposes.
The harbour was used by the Spartans, the Athenians and the
Romans.
For this reason, all the city-states of ancient times wished
for alliance with
Zakynthos.
The beach and the
harbour
of Keri Lake were known in ancient times as
"Nafthi"
It may have been here that the ancient council of
"Nyllou"once
existed.
It was created by the democratic ancient Zakynthians with
the help of the Athenians in 374BC, when they deserted the
capital of the island after the prevalence of oligarchy.
The name (lake) is mentioned for the first time by
Herodotus
on his journey to
"Thourious"
in Italy when he visited the island in the 5th century BC.
He mentions more specifically "I saw tar and water spouting
in the lake.
In this place there are more lakes, the biggest of these has
an area of seventy feet and her depth is two arm's length.
In this lake they lower wooden poles, after tying on them
myrtle and with the myrtle they raise the tar, which has the
smell of asphalt. They pour the tar into a pit dug
close to the lake, and when they have gathered enough they
pour it into
amphorae.
Whatever falls into the lake
travels
under the earth and appears in the sea, which is
approximately four stadiums from the lake"
Many doubtless
presumptions
have been composed regarding the historical records of the
time.
In ancient times people came here from various places of the
known world, they took the tar, which they mixed with resin
and used it to caulk and paint their ships.
Today the source is near the public road, approximately 500
metres from the sea. It is called the "Spring
of
Herodotus",
and even today spurts clear metallic spring water.
There are other springs which gush water (approximately 15),
forming three small rivers, which flow, through the reeds
and past small bridges into the sea.
In the water live fish, eels and marsh turtles. In
days of old, raisins and grapes were cultivated between the
three small rivers. The residents kept this difficult
land fertile, and when
necessary
would all gather to clear the central rivers, protecting
their crops from floods. The crops were destroyed
when, during the Balkan wars there were no
workers to keep
the rivers clear, resulting in floods and destruction of the
crops.
On the high grounds of
Kastello
and
Paliopyrgo,
left and right of the lake, there were fortresses to protect
the entrance to the
harbour.For
centuries the
Sarakini
and
Barbarezi pirates
pillaged the area. These frequent and terrible raids
left deep marks on historical memory.
Of those raids worth mentioning is the one that which
recalls the story of the 'people's cave'.
For this cave there is the following folk tale.
When the Algerian pirates landed at Keri
harbour
the residents of the village left their homes and hid in the
mountains and in the caves.
The pirates, however, found a dog that was sniffing around.
They followed it and came to a cave that was full of one
hundred and fifty locals, men, women and children.
Wanting to exterminate the people inside, the pirates lit a
big fire in the entrance to the cave. Everyone inside,
apart from one woman died from smoke
inhalation.
Because of this
occurrence
the cave was named 'the people's cave' and the mountain 'the
people's mountain'.
Immediately
after the event, the pirates continued their raid and headed
straight for Keri. Suddenly, just before they reached
the village, a strange thing
occurred.
They came
across
such thick fog that they could not see
in front
of them. Not being able to continue, and losing their
direction, they were forced to desert their plans and return
to their ships and leave.
The villagers of Keri considered they were saved by a
miracle by the icon of the Holy Virgin of Keri.
Wanting to
honour
the Holy Virgin, they built a glorious church on the site of
the monastery, which became famous.
On the mountain pass, at the place where the pirates turned
back, the villagers built a pillar to honour the miracle of
the Virgin, which still exists today.
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