Tales of water ii

TALES OF WATER Czech Republic

Cyprus

Germany

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ISSUE 2

Greece

Origins of Karlovy Vary Karlovy Vary = Carlsbad

• In the presence of his doctors, a clever emperor said, that hot water like this can ward off severe diseases and that the water is useful and corroborant. Then he tried some water (his leg was unwell) and he felt better. He rejoiced and then he ordered, the whole place to be inhabitated and houses to be established around the stream of water .

The place, where the emperor drunk water, years ago were apparently baths and now there is the town-hall. Today the water is cold and the stream is small. • Emperor Charlie established there a castle and a big town.

CZECH REPUBLIC

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Legendary lake

The Dümmer is a legendary lake.

There is for example a history about a stone which is lying deep under the water. It has a form of a pyramid and when the water level goes down and people see the stone there will be a big disaster on the land.

Another story says that on every John’s day the Dümmer wants a human life. Every person who dares to sail with the boat on the Dümmer, will lose his life.

A third legend says that on the west bank of the Dümmer there is a swamp which is called swamp-Calla. Those beautiful flowers tempt people to the swamp. But when a human picks one of the beautiful white flowers they will drown in the swamp. To warn people the mermaids of the Dümmer are singing a song which says if you pick a flower you will drown.

GERMANY

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The fountain of Lesti

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We find it on the way from Agios Theodoros Agrou to Limassol, three km south ... in a beautiful pine forest.

• The story of the fountain is unique !! It is at an altitude of more than 1200 meters, and passers-by had some rest and some cold water during their long journeys. It was a blessing for every traveler.

• It is noted that despite droughts in the island, in that fountain there was always water for visitors to drink.

• In the old times a terrible robber used to hide there. As passers - by stopped to get some water, the thief attacked them and stole all their belongings.

• One night, a peasant stopped there to get some rest and drink some cold water As soon as he realized that there was a thief ready to attack him, he shot at him and killed him. So the people were free to go there without any fear. Since then the fountain has got the name FOUNTAIN OF LESTI (thief).

Nikolas Livadiotis, Agios Ioannis Lyceum CYPRUS

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The myth of lake kourna Kourna's lake is the only natural freshwater lake in Crete. It was mentioned in antiquity by Stephen the Byzantine by the name of Koresia, due to a nearby ancient temple that was attributed to Koresia Athena. An old name also given to place was Ippokorona , later paraphrased as Apokoronas. The renaming of Korisia Lake is placed during the period of Arab rule in Crete, originating from the Arabic word meaning "lake" or "sink”. In any case, lake Kourna is the ultimate naturalistic destination.

A legend has it that in place of the lake there was a village where a beautiful girl lived with her father, who was enchanted by her beauty. One day in their way to the field, they sat down to relax. The daughter began to comb her hair and her father was attracted to her. So the girl wished for the region to sink and bekome a lake , saying the following : “Voula and Voulilimna I haunt the lake” . Residents say that many have seen several times a fairy combing her hair in the moonlight, sitting on a rock in the middle of the lake. They say that a fairy protects lake’s animals. Also a myth says that God got angry of the sinnful behavior of local residents and caused flooding as punishment .Then all drowned except the daughter of the priest, who became the fairy that many see combing her hair.

Collected and translated by Anthi Kalokyri, Danae Kladou GREECE

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Dümmer Lake myth 1: How a pancake made the Dümmer A long time ago six thrasher worked since 4am. So that all the people be full, she made a lot of pancakes and began at 8am. At the fire in the hearth she baked the pancakes. Soon the whole house was smelling very delicious and the thrasher looked to the fire in the hearth.

For the pancake it was too hot at the pan so he run away and screamed: “I ran away from the woman with the pan and I will run away from you thrasher” The woman and the thrasher followed him, but after a few minutes they can’t see the pancake anymore.

After that the pancake met a rabbit and screamed: “I ran away from the woman with the pan, the six thrashers and I will run away from you rabbit with short tail.” The rabbit followed the pancake in vain. Then the pancake followed a fox and shouted:” I ran away from the woman with the pan, the six thrashes, the rabbit with the short tail and I will run faster than you fox with a long tail.” The fox can’t ran so fast as the pancake.

At last the pancake overtook a pig with eleven children (little pigs) and shouted:” I ran away from the woman with the pan, the six thrashes, the rabbit with the short tail, the fox with the long tail and I will run away from you old, stupid pig” Then the pig asked:” What did you say?” The pancake wanted to answer:” I ran away from the woman with the pan, the six thrasher…” So the pig bit the pancake, so as to the half from the pancake was in the stomach from the pig. And the other half from the pancake is hidden in a little hole. After that the mother pig and her children looked for the pancake and called some other pigs to help them. When the mother found the pancake, she ate it and the others were angry.

Now the hole, which was made by the pigs is the Dümmer.

GERMANY

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The Fountain of Peyeia

The fountain of Peyeia is a remarkable sight related to the tradition of Peyeia village in Paphos.

This fountain, which is a real jewel for the village, was built in 1907, apparently in the place of an older tap. The value of the tap is greater when one thinks that by 1956 it was the only source of drinking water in the entire Peyeia Community. This event was the cause of the widening and growing of the settlement around this living source.

As was the case in every village fountain, the young females were gathered there to tell their news or meet their loved ones.

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The Fountain of Peyeia was a reference point for young people and the cause of a great love which later became a poem and a song. The poem was first published in Paphos newspaper in 1938 by Stavros Stavrou from Cloraka.

Legend has it that by drinking water from the spring enhanced the girl's beauty.

Lyrics: "The fountain of Peyeia is decorated with arches.

Whoever has a pain in his heart, can go and drink and will be healed! " Although the problem of water scarcity with the large water works that have been done in the province of Paphos has been resolved in the area of Peyeia, that specific fountain has been preserved as a monument and attraction for the locals and foreigners because this is an important part of the village’s tradition.

Amalia Hadjugeorgiou , Α21 ,Agios Ioannis Lyceum CYPRUS

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Vrontisi Monastery- The water myth Vrontisi Monastery is one of the most renowned monasteries of Crete. It was a remarkable academic centre during the Cretan Revival. It is situated on the south mountainside of Psiloritis, north-west of the Zaros village. Although there is no accurate date of the founding of the Monastery, it was most probably founded during the Second Byzantine Era. Outside the building, under the perennial plane-trees, there is one of the most remarkable Cretan sculptures reminding us of the Monastery’s peak period. This work of art is an embossed spring with water running out of four lions’ mouths while there is also a bas-relief of Adam and Eve. Over the years, the people of the surrounding area have managed to keep the tradition of the Monastery Water alive. It is said that the water coming out of the lions’ mouth is God’s Word since the four lions stand for the four Evangelists. A great number of people visit the Monastery in order to drink this water even nowadays. They believe that it will bring them close to God and they will be blessed. However, it is still unknown if this is merely a local tradition based on a myth! [1]

Collected and translated by Blemenou Anna GREECE

[1] Sources of information: http://cemantronanastasia.blogspot.gr/ and by the Abbot Christopher OF MONASTERY.

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Dümmer Lake myth 2: How the Dümmer was built Scientists were not sure how it happened but people from the village know it: It was during the time when Karl der Große was a king in the Franconian Empire. Once there was a forest when there was not the sea where people were hiding from trespassers during the war.

The Franconians and their king fought against the Saxonies with their duke Widukind. That is the man who told the women and the children to hide inside the forest. When the Saxonies thought they would lose the fight, they also tried to hide in the forest. The Franconians did not want to go into the forest so first they wanted to surround them. It was too big and that is the reason why Karl put the forest on fire.

Everything burned at all and there was only the river called “Hunte” which widened. From time to time rain came and filled the hole where the forest was. The sea was built.

Deep under the water you can still see the glimmer of the fire and every year on the St. John`s day a flame comes out of the sea while a dangerous swirl is made. Then the fishermen know that they have to wait for fishing until one special day because when they get into the swirl there will be no rescue.

GERMANY

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Voulismeno Aloni Τilisos Towards Damasta, 5 km away from Tylissos, beside the road is Voulismeno Aloni. The Voulismeno Aloni is an impressive natural monument: a huge, submerged crater in the rocky landscape. According to the official version, it is a dolinis, which emerged after the collapse of an underground cavern . 95 m long ,90 m.wide and 15-20 meters deep. In academic writings is referred to consist of Mesozoic limestone and is one of the most spectacular places of Greece. The area around the Voulismeno Aloni is formatted for visitors. Access to the Centre of Aloni is easy and from there one can "experience� the excellent acoustics of the place. According to legend, there was a threshingfloor where someone worked all year long ,even on grace day of Prophet Elias.

The prophet was raged and punished the man by sinking the thrashing floor

Collected and translated by Mamatzaki Maria GREECE

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Dümmer Lake myth 3: How the giant of Marl made the Dümmer A long time ago a giant wandered in the region of Marl. His feet hurt, so he searched a place for sleeping and he layed himself on the sand. After a short time he was sleeping and his loud snoring broke the silence. Snoopy dwarfs came out of their hole because they asked themselves who can make such a loud noise.

When they saw the giant they wanted to behave mischievously with him, so they took a long bar, which was for shoring their hole and tickled the giant in the ear with it. He woke up frightened, jumped up angrily and wanted to pick up the dwarfs, but they ran back into their homes.

The giant raked up the sand like a dog to search for the dwarfs.

They had to be anywhere in the ground! Sand and stones flew through the air and they mounted up, so the Dammer Berge were formed, while on their primary place was formed a trough-shaped deepening, so the Dümmer was formed. But the giant found no dwarf.

The giant began to sleep again. On the next morning he beat his wooden shoes before he wanted to continue walking. The Marler Höhe was formed by the sand falling down from the shoes. While he did that he found a stone, big like a fat ox, which was in his shoe.

Relieved and confident he continued walking.

GERMANY

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Sfentoni The cavern is located in a mountainuous village called “Zoniana”. It is in Mylopotamos. The cavern was named after a partisan (Sfentonis) who had been hiding in it for a very long time. There are a number of fables about “Sfentoni”.

Fables: 1) One day Sfentonis (the partisan) was roasting some meat outside the cave when a little boy walked by. He saw the meat and asked for a piece.

Sfentonis gave the boy some meat but then thought that the little boy might betray his secret (the fact that he lived in a cave). He was afraid that he would be caught so he decided to kill the boy with a kick. About a decade ago, the skeleton of a young boy was found inside the cave.

2) Another fable says that there was a young thief roasting some offal he had stolen from village men. A little boy appeared out of nowhere.

Sfentonis couldn’t make out the boy’s face as it was too dark. The child sat next to the thief and asked for some food. Sfentonis then looked at the boy and managed to discern a little scar on his forehead. He didn’t pay any attention to it though and offered the child a piece of the offal.

The boy ate it and asked for more. In the light of the burning fire

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Sfentonis noticed that the boy had three eyes (this was based on a local belief that near the cave, deep in the ground, lived some strange people with three eyes). «What’s your name?» he asked the boy.

«Sfentonis.Yours?» the boy asked in return. «Myself» said the thief fiercely and nailed the boy in the middle eye with the hot spit. Then he started running towards the village leaving the boy yelling. By the time the other three-eyed people came to the boy’s rescue, the thief had already reached a church called “The Cross” just outside the village.

When they asked the boy who had hurt him, the boy answered “Myself”, since the thief had used that word to introduce himself. As it was getting dark the three-eyed people couldn’t stay any longer so they told the boy “The rooster has crowed, we have to go!” and hurried back to the depths of the earth.

Collected and translated by KOKOBAKI BASO, MAYRAKI ZOI, ZARGIANNAKI KONSTANTINA, GERGIANNAKI MARIA- ANTONIA GREECE

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Dümmer Lake myth 4: The tailor and the wild geese In the past the farmers in Hüde wanted to celebrate New Year, but the problem was that there wasn´t any alcohol. They discussed this and the solution was that somebody should walk over the frozen Dümmer, because people in Damme have lots of alcohol. So Hüde´s farmers picked up the less heavy person in village. A tailor was the one.

The tailor arrived to Damme and bought a bottle of wine. On his way back the tailor fell down on the slippery ice and the bottle got broken. At the same moment a group of wild geese appeared and they smelled the wine so they went after it. They did not know what it is, so they drunk till they were totally drunk. The wild geese were devastated and they just laid down with their feet in the air and they fell asleep.

The tailor woke up from fainting and looked around. He saw a hope, because he thought that he can sell all of them and from these money he would be able to buy another bottle of precious wine. So he counted the geese and used his thread to catch them and tie their feet together. But suddenly the geese woke up and tried to fly up. And since the tailor was on the ice in winter, his hands were frozen and cold so he could not let go the thread. The geese were strong and the tailor flew away with them . After this accident nobody has seen him again and that´s how this legend was made.

GERMANY

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The Fairy It is said that in the cavern lived a beautiful fairy and every morning went to a nearby spring, ‘Skafidia’, to get some water.

1) On her way to the spring, she was seen by a little boy who fell in love with her. The beautiful fairy took the boy to the cavern. That is how the second fable goes justifying the skeleton found inside the cave.

2) On her way to the spring, the beautiful fairy was seen by a shepherd who followed her there. The shepherd came up to her but the fairy was afraid of him, so she told him that if he didn’t hurt her she would give him a special rod. This rod would give the shepherd silk so that he and his family could live a wealthy life. The shepherd was dazzled by the fairy’s beauty and could not control his desire for her so he kissed her. The fairy started crying out of her anger for what the shepherd had just done to her and even cursed the man. The curse was that his hands would tremble as well as his children’s hands eternally! [2] Collected and translated by KOKOBAKI BASO, MAYRAKI ZOI, ZARGIANNAKI KONSTANTINA, GERGIANNAKI MARIA- ANTONIA GREECE [2] Descriptions Mr. Dimitri Parasyri retired teacher from Zoniana.

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Dümmer Lake myth 5: Three white ducks Once upon a time, there was a little shepherd boy without parents, who lived in a house of a farmer. He fed his cows every day.

One day he saw three beautiful white ducks swimming in a lake. He wanted to get closer to them, but he didn’t have a boat. So he took a plank and paddled towards to them on it. He sailed a long time until he was really far away from the coast. When he realized this, he was terrified and fell of the plank. He drowned and his body went to the bottom of the lake.

But then he opened his eyes and saw a gorgeous room with three beautiful mermaids with white clothes and green hair.

He asked them if he’s dead, because he thought he was in heaven. They told him he is alive, but if he stays in the palace for more than three days, he will have to stay there forever. He decided to stay. The girls showed him the palace. He was impressed by the amount of crystals he saw there.

So he lived there like he was a king and every day was like a celebration for him. He lived there for 7 years with the mermaids. But he started to miss his home and his foster parents.

One day he woke up on the shore and went to meet his family, but they didn’t recognize him. Each day since that day, he went to the lake to see the ducks, but they have never appeared again. And then, one day, he fell asleep and died.

Then the girls came with a boat and they put his dead body in it. They paddled to the middle of the lake and drowned with the boat. Everything was gone and only three white ducks were left there. They swam around the middle of the lake three times. Since then, nobody has ever seen them again.

GERMANY

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Myth about The “Baths of Adoni”  The high priest of the temple of Aphrodite, Kinyras, was in love with goddess Aphrodite. Aris, the god of war who was his rival, transformed his daughter into Aphrodite, and made her pregnant without himself knowing it. When he realized it later and found out all about it, he chased her in order to punish her.  Aphrodite was transformed into a Myrtia tree. From the cornucopia of the Myrtia , Adonis was born ten months later. The ten months was the time needed to prepare him to take the wisdom and become half God.  So the goddess Aphrodite took him, put him in a basket, and gave him to the goddess of agriculture, Persephone to raise him and when he was ready for love to give him back to her.

 Eighteen years later, Persephone did not give him to her because she wanted him too. They had a fight and went to Zeus to solve the difference. And Zeus decided that he should stay for four months with Aphrodite to protect him and four months with Persephone. During the remaining four months of his life he would be left alone. The myth says that Adonis stayed with Persephone for four months and with Aphrodite for 8 months because Aphrodite was more beautiful.

Michale Georgiou A21, Agios Ioannis Lyceum CYPRUS

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For this issue worked:  Gymnázium, SOŠ a SOU,Mikulov, Komenského 7, Mikulov (Czech Republic)

 Lyceum Agios Ioannis Lemesos, Cyprus

 Graf Friedrich Schule Diepholz , Germany

 Secondary School Domenikos Theotokopoulos, Gazi,Heraklio Crete(Greece)

Contents: Origins of Karlovy Vary pp2 Legendary Lake pp3 The fountain of Lesti pp4 The myth of lake Kourna pp5 Dümmer Lake, myth 1 pp6 The fountain of Peyeia pp7,8 Vrontisi Monastery pp9 Dümmer Lake, myth 2 pp10 Voulismeno Aloni Tilisos, pp11 Dümmer Lake, myth 3 pp12 Sfentoni pp13,14 Dümmer Lake, myth 4 pp15 The Fairy pp16 Dümmer Lake, myth 5 pp17 Myth about The "Baths of Adoni" pp18 Contents pp19

Improved version by E. Korakaki, M. Makrydaki of Secondary School Domenikos Theotokopoulos

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