Spanos and the Forty Dragons - Cyprus Children's Stamp 2013 issue

Update:

On 9 October 2013: Put back to 13 November 2013h) "Children's Stamp" - "Spanos and the Forty Dragons" ("Ο Σπανος τζαι οι Σαραντα Δρατζιοι")
Self-adhesive stamp booklet comprising of 5 individual stamps contained in an illustrated booklet. 

This booklet, no FDCs (First Day Covers) will now be released at the same time as the Cyprus Christmas Stamp issue for 2013.

So, who is or was Spanos?

Apparently, he got his name because he had no moustache or beard and the Cypriot village he lived in had its' water supply restricted by a group of some 40 dragons. So the diminutive Spanos set off to sort them out once and for all. The story goes that our hero defeated all the dragons and the water ran freely once again. Sadly, there is no explanation how one man managed to slay all forty dragons single handed but then I suppose, that would destroy the essence of this folk story... The story was transferred into written form in 1958 (a very good year) ;-)

Of course, it's not really all about dragons - the real story behind this tale is about Cyprus' various enemies during her history of civilisation. She still fights on and one day perhaps through sheer determination she may finally be free....

To whet your appetite until we manage to create some clear images from the Cyprus Post official release leaflet, here are some images and behind the 2013 Children's Stamp issue:

Technical Information for this issue:
Linocut: Hambis Tsangaris printmaker, Limassol
Artwork: Christina Vasiliadou Mezavorian, Limassol
Text: Eleni Sioufta

Size of adhesive stamp booklet: 9 x 22 cm
Quantities: 28,000
Printing method: Litho-Offset on unwatermarked paper
Printer: Giesecke & Devrient Matsoukis S.A., Greece

An engraving from Hambis of Limassol, Cyprus - the person behind the Lithograph

 

Phonecards (top image from Delcampe.net)

 

For further details on this and the 2013 Christmas stamp issue, please visit CyprusStamps.com website.