Rozafa Castle legend

🇦🇱🏰 Rozafa Castle legend 👸🏻✍️

A thick fog lingered over Buna river for three days and three nights.

When three days and three nights had passed, a strong wind began to blow, dissipating the mist and making the mountain visible once again. Up on the mountain lived three brothers who were trying hard to build a castle. But it had become a never ending job because the foundations they would built during the daytime, would always collapse at night. That fine day, an old man came by and greeted the three brothers: “ I wish you success in your work!”

“We wish you success, too sir, even though we are not doing very well.

 Day after day, we work and build and, at night, all the foundations collapse. Do you know what we can do to make the walls stay put?”

“Yes, I do,” replied the old man,

 “but it would be a shame if I told you.” “Let the shame be ours, because we are the ones who want to build the castle.” The old man reflected for a while and then asked:

 “Are you married? Do you all have wives?”

 “Yes, we are married,” they replied, “Each of us has a wife. But tell us what to do to build the castle.”

 “If you really want to finish the castle, you must swear never to tell your wives what I am going to tell you now.

The wife who brings you your food tomorrow must be buried alive in the wall of the castle. Only then will the foundations stay put and last forever.” Thus, spoke the old man and departed. The eldest brother broke his promise and revealed to his wife at home everything that had happened and told her not to visit the place where the castle was being built.

The second brother broke his promise, also, and told his wife everything.

Only the youngest brother didn’t tell his wife anything.

The next morning, the brothers rose early and went to work as always.

Their axes resounded, rocks were crushed, the walls rose and their hearts beat faster and faster… At home the mother of the three brothers knew nothing of their plot. She said to the wife of the eldest brother, “The men need bread and water and their flask of wine, daughter in law.”

 She replied, “I’m sorry, dear mother, but I can’t go today because I am not feeling well.”

The mother then asked the second wife, who answered, “I am so sorry, dear mother but I can’t go either because I have to go to my parents today.”

The mother then turned to the youngest wife, saying, “My dear daughter in law, the men need bread and water and their flask of wine. Can you take it to them?”

She got up and said, “I would willingly go, mother, but I have my young son and am afraid he will need nursing and will cry.”

 “You go ahead,” continued her sister’s in law, “We will look after the boy. He will be ok!

So the youngest wife stood up, fetched the bread, water and the flask of wine, kissed her son good bye on both cheeks and set off. She climbed up the mountain and approached the place where the three brothers were busy working.

 “I wish you success in your work, gentlemen!”

The axes stopped sounding, their hearts beat faster and faster, and their faces turned pale. When the youngest brother saw his wife coming, he hurled his axe into the valley and cursed the rocks and walls.

 “What is the matter, my lord,” his wife asked, “ Why are you cursing the rocks and the walls?”

Her older brother in law smiled grimly and the oldest one declared, “You were born under an unlucky star, sister in law, for we have sworn to bury you alive in the wall of the castle.”

“Then may it be so, brothers in law,” replied the young woman. “I have but one request to make. When you wall me in, leave a hole for my right eye, one for my right hand, one for my right foot and one for my right breast.

My son is still a baby, and this way, when he starts to cry, I can cheer him up with my right eye, I can comfort him with my right hand, I can rock him with my right foot and I can wean him slowly with my right breast.

Let my breast turn to stone and may the castle flourish!  May my son become a great hero and the ruler of the this land!”

So they immured the young and brave mother and this time the walls did not collapse but rose high and strong!

Even today, at the foot of the castle, the stones where the young mother was buried, the stones are still damp and mildewed from the milk and her tears weeping for her son.