Colegiul Agricol „Nicolae Cornăţeanu“ TULCEA

Romanian Legends

The legend of "Curtea de Arges" Monastery

 

In the tranquil town of Curtea de Arges, near the Carpathian Range , lay one of the most famous monasteries in Romania. This beautiful monastery was ordered to be erected by King Basarab I, also known as Basarab Black Heart due to his well known cruelty. But the church is not only known for its wonderful masonry work and frescoes, but rather for the legend of Manole. King Basarab ordered the construction of the church to the architect Manole. It is said that the King wanted to build the most beautiful church ever. Manole set down to work, but everything that was constructed during the day fell down at night. Work was never finished. Fearing the King's rage, Manole and his co-workers consulted an oracle who told them that in order for the church to stand it needed a soul, a human soul. For that reason, if they ever wanted to finish up their work they would have to wall alive the first person that would approach the church with the first rays of sunrise.

Although they thought this was rather cruel, they agreed, thinking of the King's mandate and reputation. Manole's heart froze when the first person that showed up next day, with the first rays of sunshine was his wife, pregnant with his own child. She had decided to give him a surprise by bringing him breakfast since he had not gone back home to sleep that night. The legend sings the bitter tears that Manole wept having to see his wife sacrificed for the church he was constructing. He asked the winds and the rain to help him, but to no avail. No one could deliver Manole's wife from such cruel death. But the legend does not end there. When the church was finally ended, the King ordered Manole and his companions to be locked in one of the towers of the monastery.

King Basarab was so obviously satisfied with the outcome of their work that he did not want them to reveal to any other prince their secrets. The church would remain unique in its beauty. However, Manole, built himself a pair of wings and tried to escape jumping from the tower where he was condemned to die. His flight was short. He just managed to fly a few meters, but precipitated himself to the ground killing himself. The legend has it that in he spot where he fell a fountain rose.

If anybody visits the monastery in Curtea de Arges he will be shown where Manole's wife was walled in and the fountain that sprang in the spot where the unfortunate architect died.”

Ionut Stalenoi

The fountain

The monastery inside

• Once upon a time in this country lived two brothers, Vlad and Toma who were enemies. One of them, Vlad, the leader of the fortress on the top of Pucioasa mountain, other was the leader of a fortress situated on the place were the lakes lies today. Vlad won gambling a beautiful carriage and that's way Toma , made a bet. He promised that he will came with a more beautiful carriage.

• In order win the bet, Toma order for eight girls to be harnessed to his carriage. Because the carriage was too heavy, the girls could not moved, so the leader began to lash them. One of the girls ,called Ana, cursed the bad waster. The girls curst was become reality. In that moment the storm started: the sky became dark, thundered, raged and the ground started moving. The lover of the fortress crashed and after it the all fortress. After the nature pull down, on the place where was the fortress appeared a blue lake where floating twelve swans. Far away of them a dragon straggled trying to catch all twelve swans. The swans floating beautiful ,in quite; then them crossing on the land; them shake and transformed in girls. Them quickened o arrived quick in their village, just Ana remained there. She built a chapel on bottom the lake and here she spent her live in prayer.

• That's why the people called “Saint Ana” and the lake “Saint Ana's lake”.

Chiricuta Alexandru

A very rich king of the country had a daughter called Neagra (The Black girl). All the teenagers fell in love with her , but she didn't want to get married. One of the young men who fell in love with her decided to go to war against her father to get her. Her father had to answer by sending an army. Neagra was very angry because a stranger dared to propose to her and he went in the front of the army.

In the middle of the battle, she saw her suitor and she cut off his head. The pagans conquered the country .But the girl and her father gathered some soldiers and they sent away the enemy. The girl was watched by the suitor's father and wounded in the chest. Neagra was carried to the brook called after her name. The women washed her in running water. Suddenly the water became Blake. Since then that brook is called “Neagra” and the meadow where she was buried is called the “Neagra's meadow” until today.

Dobre Cristina

Girl's Pool Legend Long time ago, when the many regions of the country were invaded by Turks, in Nufaru village lived a beautiful and delicate girl who was the Prince's daughter. One day, the Turks reached in the village. The Turk's leader saw the girl and he wanted her as his slave. The girl didn't want to lose her honor and to leave her family, so she started to run. The Turk's leader, on his white horse, tried to catch her. The girl ran till she was tired and she fell down on a mountain path. But when she saw that the Turk was very close to her, she continued to run on that path which ended into a precipice. When she saw the Turk drawing near, she threw herself into the precipice. When she was falling down, she transformed in a treasure, which was covered by water. The precipice was transformed in a doomed pool. One day, a villager wanted to take the treasure but he never saw it because he died. Since then nobody has ever had the courage to dig up the treasure.

Dinu Georgian

Mondialogo team:

Chiricuta Alexandru

Dinu Georgian

Stalenoi Ionut

Dobre Cristina

Coordinator teacher: Monica Fodor