The Ghost Army of Frangokastelo
“Frangokastelo is located on the southern beaches of the Chania Prefecture and is one of the most famous beaches in Crete. The fame surrounding Frangokastelo is not only due to its truly enchanting main beach but also the stories about the Drosoulites. The Drosoulites are the ghosts of the fallen warriors of Hadjimichalis Dalianis, who were killed defending the fortress on May 17, 1828.
Frangokastello - Greek Castles
https://www.rental-center-crete.com/blog/frangokastello/
Frangokastelo, on March 28, 2021, amidst restoration works is the home of the Drosoulites… According to legend, they are human-like shadows that either walk dressed in black or ride on horses carrying their weapons. All their appearances occur from late May to early June, as the first-morning dew falls hence the name Drosoulites which is also associated with morning chill. As reported by locals over time, they have been seen walking one after the other and disappearing into the sea. The Drosoulites struck fear into Turkish and German soldiers. It is said that in Turkish military correspondence in 1890, the Turkish soldiers stationed at Frangokastelo fled in panic upon encountering the Drosoulites. On another occasion during the brief German Occupation period in WW2, a similar incident occurred, according to legend. In fact, the German soldiers reportedly opened fire at the human-like shadows, but none of them fell down, which terrified them and led them to flee in panic.
These shadows do not appear every year. They may appear in consecutive years or even pass many years without an appearance. The castle has a simple rectangular shape with a tower in each corner. The Drosoulites were 600 to 700 brave men who resisted under the command of Hadjimichalis Dalianis that managed to hold their ground against 8,000 Turkish invaders for an entire week. Most of them were killed, including their leader. Their bodies remained unburied until, according to legend, a strong wind carried sand from the beach and covered their bodies. According to some Google reviews, the last part doesn’t sound that strange at all since many people visit Frangokastelo when the wind blows.
The Legend of the Drosoulites
Source: https://cretebee.com/the-legend-of-the-drosoulites...
The busts of Hadjimichalis Dalianis and Nteli-Giannis (Stratis Nik. Deligiannakis from Asfendou Sfakion). Nevertheless, the Drosoulites only appear in the morning dew (hence their name) and have never disturbed anyone. Tradition holds that they are the ghosts of Greek soldiers, yet science attributes the phenomenon to reflection or optical illusion. The castle of the Franks. Just as the “frangosykiá” which translates to “French fig tree” is the fig tree of the Franks, Frangokastelo is the castle of the Franks. When the Venetians built it during the period 1371–1374, they named it the Castle of Saint Nikitas. However, all the locals referred to the Venetians as “Franks.” So, the castle they built in their area also took their name and was christened Frangokastelo, a name that gradually prevailed even among the Venetians. Recently on the stunning seaside landscape in Frangokastelo, they added a reconstruction and the winged lion. That’s according to specialists it is a faithful recreation of the one the Venetians had constructed when the castle was first built. Originally they believed that this feature would play a significant role in thwarting pirate raids and suppressing the often rebellious Sfakians. After the battle in which Dalianis and most of his men fell dead, the invader Nailis Pasha temporarily destroyed the castle to prevent its future use by the rebellious locals. However, the castle’s ongoing restoration efforts have managed to preserve this monument to this day. Now visitors can see the winged lion above the main entrance of Frangokastelo, the emblem of the Venetians.