Souma’s Cauldrons
Souma, Paros’ island, in the Cyclades, local spirit, is not only a strong alcoholic drink (similar to the raki) and the cauldrons (kazania or rakidia), the distillation space, are not just places of production, celebration and merriment. It is a multidimensional set of ritual and anthropological characteristics inextricably linked to the folklore of Paros island.
Souma’s cauldrons is a series of images to illustrate the endeavors of the protagonists, the workers of the cauldrons, farmers in their majority, whose work preserves one of the island’s traditions, which is fading over time as there are progressively fewer cauldrons in operation each year.
In an effort to keep alive this heritage, these photos are also featured in the book “Local Spirit”, recently published which pertains to the symbolic character of souma’s cauldrons in the traditions of Paros.
