NAME: Emmanuel Kovaios (Manolios of Ryakas) of Nikitas and Evdokia
PLACE OF BIRTH: Amorgos
PLACE OF DEATH: Amorgos
PLACE OF RESIDENCE: Amorgos
SPOUSE / MAIDEN NAME: Unknown / Unknown
PROFESSION: Unknown
Instrument: Folk Poet – Rhyme Improviser
The following biographical note on the folk poet Emmanuel N. Kovaios was written by the Amorgian philologist – researcher Georgios A. Mavros. It was extracted from the archive of the latter which was granted in its entirety to the Digital Audiovisual Folk Music Archive of Amorgos and its Islands. The structure, the spelling, and the punctuation of the text in Greek have been preserved. The English translation has been mildly edited.
He was born in Hora. Fighter of the Greek-Turkish wars from 1914-1922. He was taken prisoner by the Turks in Ushak, Asia Minor. He suffered the horrors of captivity for seven months (August 1922-April 1923). He was rescued as one of 80 prisoners out of 2000. The only surviving captive from Amorgos. He has written about his sufferings in a vivid way. In unpublished manuscripts of his there exist also pages worthy of historical research. On the subject of his capture and his hardships he also wrote poems.