New project revives nine historic myths across rural Larnaca

A cultural project has been launched to revive the myths and legends of rural Larnaca, the Larnaca tourism board announced on Thursday.

The initiative presents nine local stories through short audiovisual recordings filmed in the villages where the tales originated. 

It is organised by Larnaca’s women’s rural association and the Larnaca tourism board, with support from the tourism deputy ministry.

As part of the project, residents of each village recount a documented legend on camera, with the filming set against recognisable village landscapes. 

English subtitles have been added to make the material accessible to international visitors.

The organisers say the aim is to highlight the region’s intangible cultural heritage, strengthen local identity and improve the cultural experience offered to tourists.

QR-code signs will soon be installed in all nine villages. Each sign will be placed at a site linked to the relevant myth and will allow visitors to watch the videos instantly on their phones. 

The approach is designed to encourage people to explore the villages and connect the stories to their physical settings.

The featured myths include well-known tales such as the Snake of Pentaschoinos in Ayios Theodoros, the myth of Loukas in Alaminos, the Little Bridge in Kalavasos and the Pig of Pikros in Anafotia.

Other myths come from villages including Layia, Lefkara, Ora, Skarinou and Kato Drys. 

The organisers emphasise that these stories, sometimes frightening and sometimes humorous, form an important part of local heritage and risk being lost without active preservation.