The klephts were mountaineer pastoralists, debtors, fugitives, adventurers, or misfits who pursued a life of lawlessness and brigandage in an effort to survive. Their presence was the result of a harsh terrain and an environment of insecurity in regards to their life and property. They valued arms and thrived on violence, whether directed against the Ottoman authorities or their compatriots. The prosperous and populous mountain communities provided them with recruits and the means of sustenance. The popular imagination celebrated their exploits in folk songs and viewed them as a symbol of defiance against oppression by the established authorities.