“Why yet another collection of mantinades? Isn’t it the same as the others? No, because it is an inexhaustible treasure that encapsulates the essence of the soul of the Cretan people and faithfully reflects their customs and traditions.

In recent years, the people continue to compose mantinades, as the genuine inspiration is inexhaustible. The old material is constantly being enriched.

The younger generation must deeply instill within themselves the need to preserve and protect the customs and traditions of our land, just as our ancestors did, and to transmit them to other cultures. And because if the oral tradition is not recorded, it is forgotten and lost, similar anthologies contribute to its preservation and perpetuation.

“With these thoughts, I publish this collection, the fourth in a series, so that the older generation may remember and the younger generation may learn.” E.P.-L.