The Dance of Zalongo

The Dance of Zalongo 

What is now known as the Dance of Zalongo refers to the mass suicide of women and their children from Souli in northwestern Greece, that occurred in the aftermath of the invasion of Ottoman troops on December 16, 1803.

During the Souliote War between the independent state of Souli and the invading Ottomans, the Souliotes brave resistance would begin to wane after 500 years of fierce fighting. In December 1803, the Souliotes began evacuating after their defeat by the forces of the local Ottoman-Albanian ruler, Ali Pasha. 

During this evacuation, a group of Souliot women and their children were trapped by Ali's troops in the mountains of Zalongo in Epirus. In order to avoid their inevitable enslavement and rape, the women of Souli chose to commit mass suicide. The women would first throw their children and then themselves off a steep cliff. 

This event would go on to inspire a number of romantic painting as well as plays across Europe. In Greece a popular song and dance is still preformed to this day, reliving the legend that the women threw themselves of the cliff one by one whilst singing and dancing. 

A monument to this disturbing event was erected in Souli to commemorate the women and children who perished that day