Knin, June 19
Itinerary
17:30 Traveling to Knin
18:00 Legend about King Zvonimir
19:00 Tourist guide and all about fortress
20:00 Dinner in the restaurant Tvrđava – in the fortress with flares
Legends of Knin
Dragon Zmajpaša and Fairy Zlosutnica
In the town of Tenen, there lived a lovely maid Tena, whose beauty was known all across the country. In a cave on top of a hill, a dragon called Zmajpaša dwelled, and he assumed a human appearance to deceive people. He and fairy Zlosutnica were after the lovely Tena who was to marry prince Radovan, the son of king Zvonimir and queen Jelena.
Tena would only be safe if she stayed in the fortress which was located on the sacred ground. But Zmajpaša and Zlosutnica forged a plan to lure and capture her and when Radovan comes to save her they would kill him.
Tena escaped from the lair of Zmajpaša and returned to the fortress Spas where she waited for Radovan who did not appear for months. She was engrossed in sadness, as she thought Radovan was dead. Radovan wandered through the maze of the dragon’s lair and looked for a way out. After he found it, he killed Zmajpaša who just before he was killed, flew into the air, lifted the fortress high above and then collapsed under it.
He has been under the fortress of Knin ever since.
Source: Various legends. Tena is an invented character created to complement this story. The legend is associated with the event “Days of Zvonimir”.
Drniš, June 18
Itinerary
08:00-09:00 Marta’s pit cave, filming the Legend
09:30- 11:00 Filming the “Nakić wedding” legend, story about haiduks
11:00-11:55 From Vinovo Gornje (Nakić wedding) to Drniš, then from Drniš to Oklaja – 10 minutes and then to Nečven town, 15 minutes by foot to Bogočin
Legends of Drniš
Legend of the ruthless haiducs (The wedding procession of the Nakić family)
In a village near Drniš there was a girl in love with a village boy whom she wanted to marry. However, one of the haiducs, Maleta, set his eyes on this girl. As the girl did not wish to marry a haiduc, he forged a devious plan with his fellow haiducs. They attacked the wedding procession and planned to abduct the bride, hence getting his revenge for her refusal to marry him. The wedding procession was slain, and the bride boldly decided to ask the best man to decapitate her to save her from misery.
Primošten, June 20
Itinerary
12:00-12:15 On the road to Primošten
12:15- 13:00 First filming of the wooden boats and rowing
13:00- 14:00 Filming the Legend about Queen Neda and gold coins
14:00- 14:45 On the boat to Primošten
15:00- 17:00 Lunch
18:00-20:00 Pirates on the boat, Press conference and party
Legends of Primošten
Queen Neda
Queen Neda, the daughter of Petar Krešimir the 4th, who ruled in the 11th century, was a danger for all plotters who schemed and fought for the future king of Croatia, Zvonimir. To place him upon the throne, Neda had to be imprisoned in a dungeon cell. Jelena, the wife of Zvonimir, took her in secrecy to the island of Maslinovik from which she managed to escape once but was caught and again imprisoned in the tower of the castle in Bihać. At that time, Zvonimir became king.
At the end of the 19th century, people from Primošten went to the island of Maslinovik to collect grass for the cattle. Grass was scarce as vineyards and olive groves were clear-cut. One day, an old woman named Old Bene was collecting grass. She dug out gold coins for which it is believed that they belonged to Queen Neda. Secretly, she filled a bag with coins and left the island to see a fortune-teller who told her that if she went back to Maslinovik, she would again find gold coins but she would not live very long after that. Old Bene chose life and she never set foot in Maslinovik again. Local people, who heard what happened, ran off to the island to find gold coins but no one except for Old Bene ever succeeded in finding them.
Rogoznica, June 20
Itinerary
ROGOZNICA
08:00- 09:00 Legend about Dragon’s Eye
09:00- 10:00 Story about Cross
10:00- 10:15 On the road Rt Planka
10:15- 11:10 Legend about John of Trogir, miraculously saved sailors by walking on the water – filming
Legends of Rogoznica
Legend of the fight for the land (Dragon’s Eye)
After the death of their parents, three brothers were to share the land. One of them was blind, but not foolish, and he knew quite well that the other two wished to trick him. In a fervent discussion and with tumultuous feelings the blind man cursed his brothers saying:
“If you tricked me, the land will turn into a lake and a dragon will surface and swallow you.” The lake from which the dragon emerged is known as the Dragon’s Eye.
Legend of the painting
An old fisherman was at sea catching fish when all of a sudden he noticed an unusual light. It was a painting of Our Lady which he took home after fishing. However, the next morning, the painting was not there. He went fishing again and the same light took him by surprise, but this time he took the painting to the priest. The painting seemed every time to mysteriously find its way back to the sea where it would then be found by someone.
On this exact location, the chapel of the Lady of Chapel was erected and this is where we will film the story.
Legend of St. John of Trogir (Cape Planka)
In the oldest part of the Croatian coast, Cape Planka, there is a natural dividing line between the Adriatic’s winds and currents which makes the sea dangerous for ships. Of course, this was not beneficial for the sailors who sailed the sea but in spite of that, on one occasion, during a shipwreck, a miracle occurred. Whilst walking across the waters, St John of Trogir saved the sailors and all the cargo on the ship, and they happily landed on the coast. As a sign of gratitude, a chapel was later erected at that exact location.
Šibenik, June 19
Itinerary
08:00- 09:00 Debeljak Hill – Madonna’s apparition
09:30- 10:30 Sv. Nikola’s Fortress – Legend about witches
11:30- 12:30 Famous legend – Dražen Petrović, Sport Center
13:00- 15:00 Legend about Johnny Restaurant Peškarija in the yard, while having lunch – Association ŠUM, actors
15:00- 15:45 On the road to Čikola canyon fom Ključica, Filming Čikola canyon
Legends of Šibenik
Legend of witches
Dobra was married to Jurko who had a mistress, but she was not innocent either, so she seduced a nobleman who fell head over heels in love with her. The talk of the town was that Mrna, her mother and Dobra were scheming with the devil to cast a spell on this nobleman.
They were to be punished for this mischief and subjected to an inquisition from Church for which friar John of Trogir was summoned. The mother and her daughter managed to flee from the dungeon and have been untraceable ever since.
Legend of the Casanova from Šibenik
With his friend Marinko, who drove him as his personal chauffeur, he often welcomed foreign ladies at the airport and railway station and seduced them with his charms. Then he would eat and drink at their expense, and would stay long into the night in their hotels. At the end, he would simply disappear and the ladies would pay for everything.
Johnny, the Casanova from Šibenik, a charming lover whose passion for women was oozing already in his young age, succeeded in winning over the heart of every damsel he set his eyes on.
Eternally unemployed; rich in the summer, poor in the winter, ready for adventures and silly scheming, tradesman, surveyor or something else, he lived his entire life making a legend the town of Šibenik still talks about.
Apparition
In 1936, a boy named Stipura, a do-gooder by nature, tended his sheep. While he was chatting with his shepherd friends, he did not notice that his sheep vanished. However, as this was the first time such a thing had happened, he hoped he would find them by climbing the mount Debeljak from top of which the whole valley seemed like a stone’s throw away. While he was climbing, he would turn around every now and then to check if his sheep were behind him. When he came close to a cave at the very top of the hill, he thought he saw something strange in there. A white light was dazzling from inside and Stipur entered to take a closer look. What he saw was stunning. A young woman all dressed in white was sitting on a stone holding a child in her arms. Such a beauty, Stipura thought, had never been seen before. Yet, he was frightened. He fled and returned after a few minutes with his friend. Of course, no one was there anymore.
NP Krka & Skradin, June 18
Itinerary
11:55-12:55 Filming the Legend about Bogočin town
12:55-13:45 Little bit walking to Nečven and then filming the towers and short story about Nečven
14:30- 17:30 Lunch at stari Mlin
17:30- 18:30 Old village at Roški slap, filming neanderthals and the Legend about Breathness tower
18:30- 19:30 Visovac Monastery, filming a wedding from the Legend about The Tower of SighsAs – Asociation ŠUM, actors
20:00 Dinner at Solaris
Legends of NP Krka
A true love story (The Tower of Sighs)
The Tower of Sighs was occupied by the Turks (15th century) and was ruled by Mehmet Bey. Paul and Stana were a young couple but Mehmet Bey was spellbound by Stana. One day, he sent spie to eavesdrop on Paul and Stana, but unfortunately he was killed. Having learnt of this event, Mehmet Bey blamed Paul for the misfortune, imprisoned him in the Tower of Sighs in which he spent years alone sighing, which is why it was named the Tower of Sighs. One day, Mehmet’s wife showed mercy and set all prisoners free. Paul married Stana and Mehmet Bey died in anger and despair.
Legend of a secret (Martha’s Pit)
Martha, a mother of a boy, had a lover whom no one was to know about. Unfortunately, her son found out. Martha wanted at all costs to prevent her son from sharing her love secret with others. So one day she lured him to a pit and pushed him. While he was falling, he grabbed her by her hair and dragged her down the abyss with him.
Legend of a sad father and a cruel dragon (Bogočin town)
At that time, the scarps leaning over Krka were adorned with two towers (which are still there to this day) – Nečven and Trošenj – preserving a sad secret. The legend says that the ruler of the town of Bogočin, knyaz Bogoje, lost his son and his ill-fated daughter-in-law on their wedding day, as a terrible dragon flew from the scarps, grabbed bride Miljeva and dived into a lake with her. Trying to rescue her, the son drowned in the lake. The unfortunate father, driven by his sadness, imprisoned two village girls in the two towers and they wept in memory of the lost son. He also had a bridge erected on the Roški waterfall which the travellers could only cross if they paid an unusual price – two tears.
Since that time, the town of Bogočin has been known as the Town of Fairies, the area between the river of Krka and the river of Čikola as Miljevci – named after the girl, Miljeva – and the river of Poljšica has been known as Čikola – named after the mother of MIljeva, Čika.
Skradin, June 18
Itinerary
08:00-09:00 Marta’s pit cave, filming the Legend
09:30- 11:00 Filming the “Nakić wedding” legend, story about haiduks
11:00-11:55 From Vinovo Gornje (Nakić wedding) to Drniš, then from Drniš to Oklaja – 10 minutes and then to Nečven town, 15 minutes by foot to Bogočin
11:55-12:55 Filming the Legend about Bogočin town
12:55-13:45 Little bit walking to Nečven and then filming the towers and short story about Nečven
14:30- 17:30 Lunch at stari Mlin
17:30- 18:30 Old village at Roški slap, filming neanderthals and the Legend about Breathness tower
18:30- 19:30 Visovac Monastery, filming a wedding from the Legend about The Tower of SighsAs – Asociation ŠUM, actors
20:00 Dinner at Solaris
Legends of Skradin
A true love story (The Tower of Sighs)
The Tower of Sighs was occupied by the Turks (15th century) and was ruled by Mehmet Bey. Paul and Stana were a young couple but Mehmet Bey was spellbound by Stana. One day, he sent spie to eavesdrop on Paul and Stana, but unfortunately he was killed. Having learnt of this event, Mehmet Bey blamed Paul for the misfortune, imprisoned him in the Tower of Sighs in which he spent years alone sighing, which is why it was named the Tower of Sighs. One day, Mehmet’s wife showed mercy and set all prisoners free. Paul married Stana and Mehmet Bey died in anger and despair.
Legend of a secret (Martha’s Pit)
Martha, a mother of a boy, had a lover whom no one was to know about. Unfortunately, her son found out. Martha wanted at all costs to prevent her son from sharing her love secret with others. So one day she lured him to a pit and pushed him. While he was falling, he grabbed her by her hair and dragged her down the abyss with him.
Legend of the ruthless haiducs (The wedding procession of the Nakić family)
In a village near Drniš there was a girl in love with a village boy whom she wanted to marry. However, one of the haiducs, Maleta, set his eyes on this girl. As the girl did not wish to marry a haiduc, he forged a devious plan with his fellow haiducs. They attacked the wedding procession and planned to abduct the bride, hence getting his revenge for her refusal to marry him. The wedding procession was slain, and the bride boldly decided to ask the best man to decapitate her to save her from misery.
Jezera, June 17
Itinerary
14:00 Lunch at Konoba “Kod ribara”
16:00-16:20 Viewpoint Sv. Costantine
16:20-17:00 Filming the Legend about Malaria
17:00-18:00 Legends about fairies
18:00- 19:00 Filming Cultural Arts Society on the Murtaric cliff, and legend about mermaids
20:30 Check-in to Solaris
Legends of Jezera
The story of malaria
On the mount of Kružak there is a church of St. Constance. Its erection was assisted by the young diseased inhabitants of the town of Lakes; they climbed the mount carrying heavy stones for the construction of the church and the surrounding wall. And so at high summer temperatures, wearing winter clothes and carrying heavy stones, as they would reach the top, they would get well. The temperature created at such efforts would make it impossible for the malaria virus to survive. Ever since, the legend says that St. Constance helped the diseased suffering from malaria to get well.
Murter, June 17
Itinerary
8:00-9:00 On the boat to Murter
9:00-12:00 Kornati by boat and Filming the Legend about love
12:30 Filming Colentum manifestation – Romans
Legends of Murter
Another story of the Romans, the Roman town of Colentum
The remains of the Roman settlement Colentum, the ruins of mansions, mosaics and frescoes, which can still be seen on land and under the sea. The remains of the antique town of Colentum are nowadays largely covered by the sea; they can be found at the bottom of the mount of Gradina, on the northern side of the cove of Hramina. It is believed that Colentum was savaged and looted by the pirates in the beginning of the 2nd century but there are indications that it was struck by an earthquake.
Kornati – The islands of love
On the island of Murter, when asking for a girl’s hand in marriage it was a tradition to plant 50 olive trees. All young men who truly wanted to show their love would do this with no difficulty. However, not every father was ready to give his daughter’s hand in marriage, so one young man was compelled to make substantial efforts to prove his love. The task he received involved planting 365 olive trees on one of the islands of Kornati.
His pertinacity paid well; olive trees were planted and although it took him an entire year, the maid became his wife.
Island of Žirje, June 16
In the archipelago of Šibenik, there are some ten shipwrecks of which two were discovered near the island of Žirje.
Itinerary
09:00-10:00 On the boat around Žirje, with Mediterraneo Sub, filming
10:00-11:00 Story about Amphoras – Filming
11:00-12:00 Big Game Fishing – Filming
13:30- 15:30 Lunch at Tratinska Restaurant
16:00 Story about Tower Gradina
00:00 Walking through Žirje island with the tourist guide
21:00 Tratinska apartments
Legends of Žirje
Shipwrecks and amphorae
In the archipelago of Šibenik, there are some ten shipwrecks of which two were discovered near the island of Žirje. The second shipwreck site dates back to the 1st or the 2nd century B.C. but no research was conducted on its remnants; instead, nets were placed under the sea to protect them from looters. According to the shape of the amphorae, it is assumed their origins are Mediterranean.
The tower of Gradina
It was built at the time of the byzantine emperor Justinian, above the cove of Velika stupica. After the end of his reign, the fortress was pillaged and burnt and only some parts have been preserved to this day.
Dubrovnik, June 26
Itinerary
07:00 Elite Travel boat, Touristar flag and bags
08:30-10:30 From Orebic to Dubrovnik by
10:30- 11:30 Dubrovnik city walls from the boat
11:30-12:30 Legend about St. Vlaho and Richard the Lion Heart
12:30-14:00 * SURPRISE – Acting, since we’re looking at it, we can do it by ourselves, Cursed Island – Lokrum – We will act
Legends of Dubrovnik
Legend of St. Vlaho
According to the legend, Dubrovnik selected St. Vlaho for its patron saint after the event of 971 when the Venetian fleet sailed into the waters of Dubrovnik. Before coming to Dubrovnik, the Venetians defeated the people of Neretva and intended to use trickery to defeat Dubrovnik: they told them they were sailing towards Greece. The people of Dubrovnik were unaware of their intentions and they welcomed them with open arms. In the cathedral of St. Stephen, which was later demolished after an earthquake, the pious Don Stojko prayed long into the night. Suddenly, as he was praying, he saw the church fill with armed men and among them was a grey-bearded old man with a stick in his hand. He said he was a bishop, a martyr called St. Vlaho, who was sent from above to safeguard Dubrovnik. The heavenly soldiers fought with him the whole night to defend the city walls from the Venetians. The next day, the Venetian fleet set their sails in haste and the caring hand of St. Vlaho has been protecting Dubrovnik for more than a thousand years now.
Legend of Lokrum / The curse
A general of the French army decided to close the Benedictine monastery on the island of Lokrum and he banished all Benedictines from there. Astonished by his decision, the monks did everything they could to remain there where their order lived for centuries. When nothing seemed to help anymore, one night they went to the Church of St. Mary, they held their last church service on the island, put their monk cowls on and went, one by one, at a slow pace to patrol the island. As a sign of curse they turned the lit candles towards the earth so that the flame burnt from below and the wax dripped along the pathway they treaded on. They crossed the entire island three times and the whole time they solemnly pronounced the ominous words of the curse: “Let every person who reaches for Lokrum for their own pleasure and enjoyment be cursed!“ At dawn, they left the island and never set foot on it again. Lokrum was thereafter cursed and the curse began to come true. All owners after that time died either tragically or under unexplained circumstances.
Richard the Lionheart
The chronicles from Dubrovnik and England noted down that Anglo-Norman king Richard the Lionheart came to Dubrovnik in autumn of 1192 after returning from the Crusades. He ended up in a storm and then vowed to build a church on the location where he found rescue. He was stranded on the island of Lokrum but the authorities of Dubrovnik persuaded him to build the Cathedral of the Assumption within the walls of the Town for which, according to the stories of the folks, he gave 100 000 ducats. This cathedral was demolished by the earthquake of 1667.
Metković, June 25
Itinerary
13:30 Lunch at Konoba
15:30-16:30 Legend about King Norin
18:00-19:00 Museum Vid
20:00 Dinner at Villa Antonio
Legends of Metković
Legend of king Norin
King Norin was so ugly that he hid his appearance from the world and let no one see him. Being a freak with an odd face and hairy body, he ordered a barber to come once a week and take the hair off his body after which he would decapitate the barber. Great sadness engrossed the town which was robbed of young men. The last man was summoned by the king and his mother thought of making a loaf of bread and blessed it with her milk.
When the young man finished shaving the king, he wished to eat his last meal. Watching him eat with such enjoyment, Norin asked to be given a slice of bread to taste and having done so, he was thrilled. The young man said the bread had been made of mother’s milk and the king made a decision not to kill him as they were brothers now. He let him go provided he told nothing and if he desired to do so, he could only tell it to the dark earth and the hole he dug in it. As the hole was sited near water, sedge sprouted from it. A shepherd made a flute using this sedge and it poured out a melody of the song of the ugly King.
Ston, June 25
Itinerary
07:00 Filming the hotel
09:00 About the Wall of Ston, Story about Salt
Legends of Ston
The wall of Stone
In the first thirty years of its existence, a defence wall was built, the longest in Europe, extending from one side of the peninsula to the other, and then as per the single project design, two fortified towns were erected: Ston on the southern side and Mali Ston on the northern side, with the aim of assembling people to protect borders and to work in salterns which were the source of high revenue for the state.
According to the tradition of the people from Dubrovnik, when fortification of the walls was carried out in Ston, no old walls were torn down but only new ones were added, so Ston today boasts some preserved parts of the walls from the first half of the 14th century. And yet, everything was so well developed and adapted that, if these fortresses were entirely preserved to this day, as they were in 1874, they could very much rival the famous Carcassone in France.
Mljet, June 24
Itinerary
07:00 Filming the hotel before breakfast, sunrise
08:00-8:30 On the boat to Odissey’s cave
08:30-9:30 Filming from the sea and inside
9:30-10:30 Legend about St. Paul
13:00-14:30 Lunch
14:30-15:30 Big Lake, Rt Coral
16:55- 18:35 Fairy Polače – Dubrovnik
18:35- 20:35 Going to Villa Antonio, Orebić
21:00 Dinner – room with the balcony and sea view
Legends of Mljet
The cave of Odyssey
After the shipwreck, Odyssey was washed on the sea shore of the island of Ogygia where nymph Calypso lived. Dazzled by her beauty and spellbound, he spent seven years on the island.
After seven years, gods decided it was time Calypso let him go. Urged by Athena, Zeus sent Hermes to tell this to the nymph. Odyssey then left on a raft, with supplies of food, water and wine.
The island where Odyssey was washed by the sea reminds in many things of Mljet: the island has a cave, it is located in the Southern Adriatic, it has four springs and the rock named Ogiran, which all resembles the island of Ogygia where Odyssey was shipwrecked. Locals nurture a legend according to which the owner of the island used to be a woman who lived like a queen, which also recalls Calypso.
Legend of St. Paul
According to various sources which mention the travels of St. Paul, during his sail across the Adriatic he was shipwrecked and stranded on a deserted, wooded and unknown island full of snakes – Melita.
The ship was marooned on a small sea rock, which the natives of Mljet call the Rock of St. Paul. Fishermen still believe that they must pass through the strait of St. Paul before going fishing in order to have a good catch.
In the area of Crkvine, there are excavations of unknown stone wall for which people believe it is the foundation of the Church of St. Paul. (See Discover Croatia video on the island of Mljet.)
Korčula, June 23
Itinerary
8:00- 9:00 Filming Korkyra Hotel and checking out
09:00-10:00 Filming Korčula from boat
10:00-11:00 Legends about Crnomir Brothers, Čari village
11:00- 12:00 Argonaut legend in the magical wood with fairies
12:30-14:30 Lunch at Kanavelića dvori and story about it
14:30-17:00 Filming hotels and checking out
19:00 Fairy Korčula – Orebić
19:20-20:20 On the road to Prapratno
20:30 Fairy Prapratno – Sobra (Mljet)
Legends of Korčula
Legend of the Argonauts
After a storm at sea threw them into the channels of Pelješac and Korčula, making them delay their quest for Golden Fleece and destroying their ship Argosy, the Argonauts found their way through the valleys of Boguša to Kočje.
It was a moonlit night and they were off to find some water. Suddenly, at a lea near the rocks they spotted fairies dancing in circle and they remained dazzled by the sight. They approached them and asked for some water, or even better, for some drops of dew. However, this was not possible, as fairies were born in dew, they lived in dew and could not renounce on dew even though they wished to give the thirsty castaways some to drink. Then, one of the fairies took her magic wand made of sorb tree, scraped it against the rock and a spring opened up. (The sorb tree has always been deemed having wondrous powers by the locals). Then some of the Argonauts fell hopelessly in love with the fairies and decided to terminate their journey (Jason, Heracles, Hylas, Orpheus); they remained in Kočje to wait for the dew and their fairies.
Legend of brothers Cronomiris
Headed by the brothers and their sister Crnomiri in the 11st century, Čarani fought the knyaz of Venice for they did not wish to hand him over fertile land with vineyards where today the largest production of pošip (wine) is located. The story, which has been carried across generations, begins when the Venetian knyaz summoned local heads on the island of Korčula to take their land as a levy.
Čara was represented by Petar Crnomira, one of nine brothers who belonged to a mighty family of this village. Upon the knyaz’s request to hand him over fertile vineyards, Petar refused under the excuse that the village was poor. Being put under enormous pressure, Petar caved in and offered the peak of a gradient and a tiny part of the field where land was pervious to storm water cursing him that not a single vine would bear fruit on this gradient.
The knyaz was unhappy with the offer and the head of Čara was very angry; he turned his back on the knyaz, farted loudly and said: “If you think little was offered to you, take this as well!” He ran immediately but was soon captured and killed. When they found out about this, his brothers decided to avenge him. One day, from an ambush, they attacked the knyaz while he was visiting his vineyards. They murdered him and buried on a location known today as Knesev greb (The tomb of the knyaz).
The Venetians gathered their army and entered Čara, slaying many villagers and two Cronomiris and taking the rest of the brothers to the galleys.
The archives contain no documents to confirm this legend but it shows how people of Korčula have appreciated and defended their fertile land with vineyards since ancient times.
Blato, June 22
Itinerary
15:00- 17:00 Lunch at Konoba Zaratak
17:30- 18:30 Making a traditional cake and filming the Legend about it
18:30- 19:30 Legend about Battle on Giča
19:30 On the road to hotel Korkyra, Filming in the two hotels, filming sunset
Legends of Blato
Legend of Lumblia
The story that accompanies the ritual of making lumblia tells the tale of love between two young people who were compelled to be apart – the love between a French soldier-baker and young Blajka. When the French army left, the soldier-baker had to leave too. At leave-taking he gave his beloved one a cake saying ”n’oublie pas” (do not forget me).
The soldier left, the French ruling ended and young Blajka and her name drowned in numerous love stories. However, the cake “lumblia” remained as a memory to this tale. The words pronounced “n’oublie pas” sounded to the girl like “lumblia”, but the message was clear.
Since that time, lumblia has been made of special ingredients which are first prepared and collected in the summer…
The Battle of Giča
The Turks entered Blato and enslaved women and children. The men of Blato formed Kumpanija, a national army; they defeated the Turks on Giča and set their people free. It is this army’s tradition that developed a knight’s dance called Kumpanjija, which is preserved today by the Knight’s Association Kumpanija.
Vela Luka, June 22
Itinerary
11:30-12:00 On the road to Vela Luka
12:00- 14:30 Vela spila, filming Neanderthals, Tourist guide talking about Vela spila
Legends of Vela Luka
Vela spila
Many thousands of years ago, at a time before the great flood, when our world was still young and shackled by snow and ice, there was a group of huntsmen who lived in a cave on a hillside called Pinski rat. They survived by hunting animals. That year, hunting luck was not on their side; it had been weeks since their last prey, children were starving and the elderly were losing strength. The group was threatened by death and extinction. There was no place to run; great frozen mountains were waiting on the north, a dry waterless valley lurked on the south, and somewhere in the distance was a large salt lake which the elderly called the sea. Their leader was a young handsome huntsman whose name vanished in the fickle layers of time; he had the biggest responsibility – to find solution and procure food.
In a grove at the bottom of the valley there lived a longhaired nymph; the protector of animals, nature and harmony. A fair-coloured roe with tender round eyes was particularly attached to her. Some said that the roe was the nymph herself who could change her form if she wished. Her father was the very Creator, the one who breathes life into all living beings, the one who looks after all beings being born again in an unbroken circle of life.
The huntsman, although skilled and daring, was ill-tempered, with no humbleness, modesty or respect. One cold and windy day (at that time, almost all days were cold and windy), he was chasing after the swift roe. Although it seemed as if he would catch her, all of a sudden, out of nowhere, a beautiful girl appeared in front of him. The bewildered huntsman stopped, wandering if this was reality or magic. “Please do not hunt the roe, she is mine, she asked me to protect her, to save her life”, the girl told him. The huntsman, thinking of his hungry parents, friends, children…ignored her plea and continued his chase. He reached and pierced the roe with his spear. Just as the roe was falling down, she turned into a girl – the blond nymph, protector of animals.
Her father, desperate and sad, restored the image of the roe to the girl and placed her among the stars in the sky. He did the same to the huntsman who has been hunting his nymph in the welkin ever since. Angry and sad, the Creator decided to punish all men, to elevate the sea level and flood the entire valley where his beloved daughter detached from life, erasing hence the place of sadness. The sea entered deep into the bay and formed what is today known as Vela Luka. The stars in the sky are the only reminder of the times when the bay was a peaceful valley.
This is the story I heard from my grandfather and he heard it from his; now I have told it to you so that you can tell it to your children.
Smokvica, June 22
Itinerary
08:00-9:00 Story about beautiful sea girl Nera and Antonio
9:00-11:00 Legend about Vilin Dol
Legends of Smokvica
Old Jakov and the gift of the fairy
One morning old Jakov went to the field, a little valley where he was cleaning the pathway towards the grape vine. His wife prepared him a meal, he loaded the donkey and left. As he was reaching the valley, he spotted a girl, an astounding beauty, and he thought this could not be a human being. The girl was sleeping in the sun and he decided to make her some shade. Afterwards, he continued to work in the field until noon and, then, thinking of the maid who had surely woken up by that time, he got weary and fell asleep. He dreamt of her and her lovely companion fairies dancing around the water. He woke up in the late afternoon and went home. On his way, the same beauty appeared in front of him and thanked him by saying: “I shall give you a gift as a token of gratitude for having saved me from the sun, my skin would have burnt in the sun. Just make sure you do not open it until you get home.”
But the old man, curious as a child, opened the bags which were now full, not giving a second thought to what the fairy had said. He was deeply disappointed and grew angry as he realized the misfortune had befallen him, as there were no more gifts in the bags.
He arrived home and told his wife what had happened. She began to empty the bags. Only several gold coins fell out, along with lop and grass. This was the only fortune they were left with.
The story of Gradina
Ominous news spread. In a while, the Turkish pirates, the Catalans, landed on the shore nearby, fierce enemies sowing death, looting, enslaving and burning. The village and the islanders were terrified. Men were preparing for defence and women with children and the elderly were getting ready to flee to the mountain refuges.
A Prophet came to the village, all dressed in black. Slowly and sluggishly she approached the stone altar, first from one side, then from the other. She bowed and raised her hands high in prayer. After the ritual of bowing, she spoke to the assembled crowd. Her voice roared like a thunder while she pronounced the prophecy on the battle with the Turks. The battle was ferocious but in the end the Turks were defeated.
The man of earth and forests and the sea-maid
In Smokvica, there lived a young man called Antonio, who was so handsome that all girls had their eyes on him. However, he cared little for this; he had his mind set only on work, and every day, on his way back from Ledine, he walked down to the cove to enjoy the sea.
On the seashore, Antonio met Nera, the sea-maid, the daughter of the king of the seas. The young man and the girl fell desperately in love with one another and they met whenever she emerged to the surface. But one day, her mother and her sisters followed and ordered her to go back to her old life, as her hand had been promised in marriage to the king of the Greek seas.
Despite her mother’s order, Nera decided to become a woman of Earth and renounce her life to be with Antonio. When the king of the seas heard of this, he emerged from the water and threatened to turn them into stone if they insisted on their love. Nera, who was immensely in love with Antonio, obeyed her father’s order, plunged into the water and never surfaced again in order to save Antonio’s life.
Mlini, June 26
Itinerary
14:30-16:20 Lunch in Lanterna Restaurant
16:20-16:50 Boat to Mlini-Cavtat
16:50-17:10 On the way to Cavtat cave, Legend about St. Ilar
17:10-18:10 Filming the cave
18:10-18:30 On the way to the boat
18:30-19:30 Filming the burning dragon on the beach in Mlini
19:30 Back to Karaka and filming Pirates attack, Goodbye party and dinner
Legends of Mlini
Legend of St. Ilar
According to the legend, there was a dragon named Voaz, who dwelled in this area, in the cave of Cavtat called Šipun. The dragon was evil and the local people prayed to St. Ilar to free them from this misery. St. Ilar went to the cave Šipun and by the power of God’s will he ordered the dragon to leave with him. He raised his hand and a path opened up through the sea so he took the dragon across dry land towards Mlini. He ordered to the people of the town of Mlini to make a large bonfire on the coast on which he burnt the dragon. To thank him, the people erected a church on the location where St. Ilar burnt the dragon, making him thus the patron saint of Mlini. The large church tower bell dedicated to him bears an inscription saying: “I tell to the people that you, St. Ilar, destroyed the dragon of paganism. MCMXXV”.
