The Maniots () or Maniates (Greek: Μανιάτες) is the traditional name for the native Greek inhabitants of the Mani Peninsula in the southern Peloponnese region of Greece. They have historically been known as Mainotes, and the peninsula as Maina.
In the early modern period, Maniots gained a reputation as fierce and proudly independent warriors, who engaged in piracy and blood feuds. They lived mainly in fortified villages and "tower houses" built as defenses against "Frankish" (see Frankokratia) and Ottoman invaders.
The Maniots claim to be descendants of the ancient Spartans and heirs to their militaristic culture. Modern observers noted Maniots' self-identification as warriors ready to "preserve their liberty" with arms. Genetic studies have identified the Maniots of Inner Mani as a population isolate within mainland Greece, showing substantial parental genetic continuity from antiquity and limited influence from medieval population movements.
Maniot variety of Modern Greek
Maniots have historically spoken one of the varieties of Modern Greek, defined as either a "dialect" or an "idiom".
One of the Maniot variety's properties—shared with Tsakonian and with dialects spoken around Athens until the 19th century—is the divergent treatment of historical /y/ (written <υ>). Although this sound merged to /i/ everywhere else, these dialects have /u/ instead (e.g. [ˈksulo] versus standard [ˈksilo] 'wood').
These varieties are thought to be relic areas of a previously larger areal dialect group that used to share these features, and was later divided by the penetration of Arvanitika in much of its area, in the late Middle Ages.
Other features of the Maniot dialect include the palatalization of velar consonants, i.e. the realization of /k, ɡ, x, ɣ/ as ([tɕ, dʑ] or [ɕ, ʑ] before /i, e, j/. This feature is shared with many southern dialects of Greek; especially Cretan.
In Outer Mani, family names end in -eas, while surnames of Inner Mani end in -akis, -akos, or—less frequently—-oggonas.
Maniot society is traditionally clan-based. By examining shared paternal lineages within major clans, it has been proposed that the formation of the Maniot clan structure dates primarily to the 14th and 15th centuries AD, earlier than some previous estimates based solely on documentary sources. This timing has been linked to regional instability, episodes of warfare, and the absence of a centralized authority in the Mani region during the late medieval period.
Two dances come from Mani: Palio Maniatiko (Παλιό Μανιάτικο, lit. 'Old Maniot') and the Modern Maniatiko. The Palio Maniatiko is only found in Mani and is described as an ancient dance. The Modern Maniatiko is the modern version of the Palio Maniatiko dance and includes certain aspects of the Kalamatiano dance in it. Like the Palio Maniatiko, it is only performed in Mani.
Historically, Maniots were notorious pirates. Piracy was their main source of income into at least the 18th century. Local Eastern Orthodox Church priests blessed the raiding ships before departure; sometimes priests joined the pirate crews. Most of the Maniot pirates came from Mesa Mani (Μέσα Μάνη, 'Inner Mani').
There is a strong history of superstition and folklore in Maniot culture; most common stories revolve around witches, demons, vampires, and ghosts. When Henry Herbert, 3rd Earl of Carnarvon, was touring Mani in 1839, he found a fresh egg by the side of the road and offered it to a Maniot soldier who escorted him. The soldier declined the offer and explained that if a hag had enchanted the egg then the soldier would be forced to marry her. The Maniots thought that certain areas were haunted by demons.
Another important aspect of Maniot culture were the vendettas which frequently plagued Mani. Usually, the decision to start a vendetta was made at a family gathering. The main aim of a vendetta was usually to wipe out the other family. The families involved locked themselves in their towers and whenever they got the chance murdered members of the opposing family. The other families in the village normally locked themselves in their towers in order not to get in the way of the fighting.
Vendettas could go on for months, sometimes years, and usually ended when one family was exterminated or left the town. In some cases (like the killing of a murderer) vendettas would be concluded after the 'guilty' individual(s) were killed. In other cases vendettas, particularly long-running ones, were ended in a peaceful to terms or exchange of property. In the case of long vendettas, families often agreed upon a temporary treva (τρέβα, 'truce') in order to allow for harvests or the attendance of religious ceremonies; when the treva ended, the killing could resume.
A cornerstone of the Maniot's vendetta culture was the agreement that all vendettas immediately stop in a universal treva whenever the community faced a Turkish threat. The longest known treva was announced by the Mavromichalis clan when war was declared on the Ottoman Empire in March 1821, beginning the Greek War of Independence. Vendettas continued after Greek independence.
The Maniot vendetta culture is considered one of the most vicious and ruthless of all the Mediterranean vendetta cultures. One of the last large scale vendettas on record required the Greek Police, 1,000 Greek Army soldiers, and 200 Greek Navy sailors to stop.
Lalagides or Lalagia (Λαλαγγίδες)