dance sent from god. Before battle, the Cretans danced it in order to demoralize opposing armies. Pentozali music is instrumental: the main tune is played either on the violin or on the pear-shaped, bowed Cretan Lyra, to the accompaniment of a Laouto, played not in a melodic but in a more percussive or rhythmic fashion. It is the soloist who usually directs the flow of the dance: he improvises to signal the first dancer to improvise too, and resumes the main tune when it is time for the first dancer to yield his place to another. Dances vary from island to island and it has become an everyday staple of Greek culture. Every island has their own version and their own style. A version of it is also popular in the Dodecanese islands in the Aegean sea. See also Byzantine music Greek dances Greek folk music Greek music Kalamatianos Sirtaki Syrtos References External links Greek Reporter article, 2021: “Pentozali: The Traditional Dance Of Crete”: YouTube video: “kourites pentozali cretan dance manolioudis”: Greek war dances