Skamneli - Name

Name

The name "Skamneli" is of uncertain origin. It may derive from the word "sycaminea" (Greek: συκαμινέα, the sycamore of the Bible - the fig-mulberry tree). There are several villages and toponyms in Greece with the name Sycaminea or Sykamia. It is more likely, however, that the name is derived from the Greek "skamnos" (σκαμνός), "skamnon" (σκάμνον) or "skamni" (σκαμνί) (Latin: scamnum, scannellum that means "seat" or "footstool") perhaps because the village itself seems like a seat and has an amphitheatric view. Skamneli is flanked by the steep cliff of Rhadio (Greek: Ραδιό < ῥάδιον) meaning easy or accessible, (if so, either a euphemism or a reference to the road passing by connecting Epirus with Macedonia since ancient times) on its western side and the hill of Prophetes Elias on the eastern side. It looks over the valley of Selio (Σελιό), perhaps from Greek: σέλιον or σήλιον, archaic form of Greek: ἥλιον meaning "of the sun" or sunny, as this area remains out of the shadow of Rhadio for the entire day. At the bottom of the valley of Selio passes the Skamneliotic stream (Skamneliotiko rema).

The village is not mentioned in the Turkish records of 1564. There seemed to be in the area several other small villages that slowly coalesced with Skamneli in the 17th century. These were Catuna or Catuni, Agios Georgios, Prophetes Elias, Gardiki, Trepesi, Kotsanades, Palaiochori (Koziakos-Katsikochori) and Nouka. Nouka was a small settlement of Vlachs at Gyftokampos.