THE SHEPHERD AND THE STAR BELLA LUI
THE SHEPHERD AND THE STAR BELLA LUI
A LEGEND FROM CRANS-MONTANA , VAL AIS, SWITZERL AND
Illustrations and layout: Denis Kormann www.deniskormann.com ©Crans-Montana Tourism and Congress, 2019
L
LÊon was a handsome, courageous, solitary young man, and the youngest shepherd in Crans-Montana. He lived modestly, with his animals and the stars as his only company. One star in particular caught his eye. It seemed to hang there above the mountain, shining brighter than the others. It never left him, and he loved to spend long hours gazing at it from the window of his mountain hut after a day’s work. Sometimes he even surprised himself by confiding in the star, telling it about the adventures with his animals, and events in his farming life. He knew that the stars looked after his flock when the mountain pastures were plunged into darkness.
One December evening, Leon was getting ready to go to bed when a loud slam shattered the peaceful silence. It was the old wooden door, dancing to the frantic rhythm of the winter wind. «Blanche!» he cried. There was no doubt about it, the ewe that was so dear to him had escaped into the dark, freezing night. There was no way he could sleep now! The shepherd knew the mountains well, he had no doubt about Blanche’s fate: without his help, she wouldn’t survive. Without a moment of hesitation, the shepherd put on his long coat, pulled on his boots, grabbed his lantern and set off to look for his ewe.
Braving the terrible ravages of the wind, he could hardly move forward in the thick snow. The wind picked up – he could hear it howl through the tall larch trees above, their branches ready to snap. Bent double as he faced the gusts, shoulders hunched to his ears, he tried to make himself smaller, moving forward with great difficulty, using all his strength. He raised his left arm like a shield, trying to protect himself from the gusts of wind. Ice had already covered his thick beard. He stopped and turned his back to the wind, and cupped the weak flame from his lantern in the palms of his hands, knowing that he would be lost if the flame went out.
After struggling for hours, the flame was suddenly extinguished by a violent gust, abandoning the shepherd to his fate. He looked up to find the stars, which were his only hope of finding his way back. But that night, the skies were deaf to his call. Exhausted and stranded, his strength dwindled. He tried to call for help but the words remained frozen on his icy lips, the night was so harsh.
All of a sudden, a mysterious light dazzled the shepherd. He slowly lifted his head, and couldn’t believe his eyes as he saw above him a long chain of stars which looked as if they had fallen from the sky, and which were settling on the snowy ground to form a path. The shepherd was intrigued and decided to follow the light, guided by newfound hope... and at the end of the path he found his wooden hut, nestled below the tall trees. He stood still and looked around, struck by an overwhelming sense of calm around him, as if he were being protected from the storm.
To his immense surprise, he found his ewe lying next to the fire, the wood crackling beneath the flames; she was sleeping peacefully. Astonished, he moved closer to her, and through the flames, he saw a strange silhouette. He walked around the fire, and speechless, his eyes met a powerful yet gentle stare. The light being was looking at him calmly. Her eyes looked like two stars, illuminating the dark night. The young man, staring in wonder at her radiant dress, was hypnotised by this magical presence.
“Don’t worry,” she said calmly. “I am Bella Lui, the star that you confide in every evening. I have been watching over you for many years. When I saw you were lost, I rushed to help you find your way home.” Before he could say a word, the star flew up into the sky, her beautiful sparkling dress flowing behind her. And there she is once again, twinkling in the sky over the mountains.
From this day onwards, those who lived in the village knew that the fairies were watching over them. And this is why, in the month of December, they tread the lantern path to share their hopes and dreams with the Bella Lui star, and all of her sisters twinkling in the night sky. END
For a very long time, a mysterious story has been passed down from generation to generation over the decades, inspiring young and old alike. It is said that one night in December, on the mountainside above Crans-Montana, a shepherd who had nothing except his animals and the stars for company, set out to look for his precious ewe, Blanche. After many hours of struggle, braving the snow, the freezing wind and the dark night, he was dazzled by a bright light. He follows it, and comes across a strange presence‌