VSD Tales

Keskuskuoulu, Raahe
FINLAND
Istituto Comprensivo Statale, Cerisano,
ITALY
Gimnaszium 4, Slupsk,
POLAND
Escola B/S Domingos Capela, Espinho,
PORTUGAL
Colegio Puente III, El Astillero,
SPAIN
Cardinal Hume Catholic School, Gateshead,
UNITED KINGDOM
A Voyage of Sea Discovery
This E-book want to be a compendium of all the richness that human imagination created throughout
the millennia. We wanted to focus our attention not only on the myths and legends related to the
sea but also on historical figures who inspired local legends and so help us to better understand our
cultures.
No matter if myths have scriptural or historical origins or if they were inspired to symbolize a
moral thrust or simply by the need to explain natural phenomena , they are more than mere stories
and they serve a more profound purpose in ancient and modern cultures: they answer timeless
questions and they become as a compass to each generation.
Particularly fascinating is the fact that so many peoples, who have had no contact with each
other, created myths that are similar. The subjects of myths reflect the universal concerns of
mankind throughout history: birth, death, the afterlife, the origin of man and the world, good and
evil and the nature of man himself. A myth taps into a universal cultural narrative which is the
collective wisdom of man.
Like the sea, myths unite people apparently geographically and culturally distant: this is another
great discovery we made thanks to the project.
Cassitto Francesca & Muoio Giorgia III A
I.C. Cerisano
2
ALARICS GOLD
In 410 AD Alaric
and his Visigoths
sacked
Rome. Rome may
not have been in
its splendour in
410, but it was
still Rome, Caput
Mundi, the most famous city in the world. That
meant there was plenty of treasure up for grabs by
who decided to sack the city.
No one knows exactly what Alaric carried off from
Rome but the legend tells that there was also the
treasure of Salomon Temple brought in Rome by
the Templars among the sacked goods. He and his
Goths ( not just an army, but entire families )
satisfied, continued on the south, looking for a
place to settle.
It was not easy: the natives werent friendly, and

the Goths, probably found the southern of Italy
too hot for them who were accustomed to the
northern climates.
He moved down to Calabria, and was thinking about
heading for Africa, which provided grain when,
suddenly, he died probably for malaria.
According to the legend the Goths diverted the
Busento river from its course by a great work of
hydraulic engineering using hundreds of slaves who,
after having brought the river in its natural bed,
were killed by Alaric army for preserving the
secret of his buried place.
Neither Alaric's grave nor his treasure were ever
found, in spite of all the attempts that have been
done since then.
Its difficult to believe that the Goths, so practical

and absolutely not sentimental people, have
consigned a vast treasure to a grave.
On the other hand, not only rivers change their
course over the centuries but also Calabria is often
subject to earthquakes.
Maybe the gold is still there. Who knows?
We want to believe that: it's much more
fascinating!
Maybe some archeologists will find it, what is sure
is that every cosentino has his own theory about
the place where the gold could be buried and
dreams to become a new Indiana Jones.

The Legend of Alaric and his burial inspired the
poem of August Graf von Platen Das Grab im
Busento (The tomb in Busento) with a romantic
representation of the death and burial of Alaric.
The poem has been translated into Italian by
Carducci.
Dark night songs sound

from Cosenza on Busento,
the dark river murmur again
from his sleepy eddy.
Up and down through the river cross

and again slow shadows :
Alaric the Goths cry
the great dead of their people.
RITA PRESTA III E
and
now the fantastic sequel to a real story...
Alaric's son Theodoric wanted to find the treasure, convinced that he was the
rightful owner . Finally, he learned that among the slaves killed there was a
survivor . He began its search for land and sea and when he found him, he
forced him to speak . Everything was ready to dig up the treasure........ but the
frogs that had been the jealous guardians of the late King and of his gold for
ages hid them into a cave. Tirelessly, Theodoric went on looking for his
inheritance and at last he found it. He took the treasure and ran out of the
cave heedless of the frogs that were shouting :- Please, leave the treasure!He fell into the river and died. The river brought his body until Bisignano
where he was covered by the earth . On that place there is a round hill called "
Cozzo Rotondo " and it is said that on Christmas night on the top of this hill a
hen lays golden eggs .
We like to think that in this mass still live the frogs guardians of Alaric's treasure .
A.
Filippelli , A. Giardinelli , S. Montanari , S. Perri , E. Palmieri 1 C - 1 D
THE MYTH OF SCYLLA AND CHARYBDIS
I was the nymph Scylla,

daughter of the goddess
Crateide...
It is a long time that I live here
on these shores where I loved
swimming. Everything became
during a night: I was on the
beach when, suddenly, Glaucus,
Poseidons son, appared on the
weaves. He had been a human,
but now he is a strange
creature: a God
for half a man
and for half a
fish. I was so
scared, I found a
refuge on the
summit of a
mountain next to
the beach while
he was screaming his love for
me. Disappointed and angry, he
went to the enchantress Circe
asking for her help: a love potion
to make me fall in love with him.
Circe felt in love with him but
was rejected. Furious and
envious of my beauty, she took
her vengeance preparing a
malefic potion she poured along
the coast of Messina where I

used to swim. What a horror
when I saw growing around me
12 feet and 6 heads of baying
dogs on long, snaky necks, each
head having a triple row of
sharklike teeth. Frightened, I
ran away and, since then, I hid
myself living in the hollow of a
rock ... "
" ... I was the Naiade Charybdis,

daughter of Poseidon and Gea, I
was devoted to robbery and I
was famous for my voracity .
One day I stole the oxen of
Geryon , and I ate some of them
. To punish me, Jupiter made me
fall into the sea and I turned
into a giant monster like a
lamprey: with my huge mouth I
form a marine vortex that
swallows everything that passes
near me.
" ... This is our history: now we
are two immortal and
irresistible monsters who beset
the narrow waters of the strait

of Messina and we terrify all
the ships that venture in this
branch of sea. They are forced
to pass close to at least one of
us ... they had to choose how to
navigate the hazard. If they
sail too close to me, I would
snatch 6 people from the ship,
but the rest would survive. If
they went to close to Charybdis,
they risked the whole ship being
sucked down and destroyed.
The choice is a hard one for the
captains. Do they knowingly
cause the death of 6
crewmembers in order to save
the rest? Or do they risk all
their lives in the hopes of saving
all them?
Ulysses preferred to face me ,
Scylla, for fear of losing the
ship passing near the whirlpool
of Charybdis ... I ate six of his

companions , without pity ...
more perished in the whirlpool
of Charybdis but he managed to
escape and passed our fatal gap
... I have never gone out of my
cave , nor Charybdis from its
waters , now we are harmless ,
but only a few dare to challenge
our part of the sea ... only the
braves ... "
Caught between Scylla and
Charybdis was the ancient
equivalent to our stuck between
a rock and a hard place. . Scylla
provides us an opportunity to
avoid risks, Charybdis requires
more courage to risk everything.
Maria Francesca Giglio 3C
THE LAST CORSAR

They call me Uluc Pasha and I am a powerful Turkish admiral but I was born in
Calabria.
My real name is Giovan Dionigi Galeni. When I was seventeen and I was entering the
convent, I was captured by the pirate Khayr al-Din Barbarossa on my island of Le
Castella near Crotone .
I was immediately put to the oars as a slave, but I managed to survive thanks to my
strength and my understanding of the codes of the enemy. I married Ja 'Far Pasha's
daughter and I converted to Islam so I could kill a Turkish who had offended me
without consequences .
My audacity was enormous. I terrified all the Mediterranean coasts, I captured ships, I attacked towns and
cities from Sicily to Liguria, I won the Dalmatian town of Korcula and tried to catch the Duke Emanuele
Filiberto of Savoy. I have even attempted, thanks to strong local support, to transform the Calabria region
in a Muslim Turkish domain, tearing it to the Spaniards. I became the first commander of the fleet of
Alexandria, then pasha of Algiers, and finally governor of Tripoli and admiral of the Ottoman fleet. I also
9
fought at Lepanto where I rescued thirty ships and brought the banner of the Knights of Malta to Istambul
as a trophy.
In Italy, they call me

"the renegade" or,
simply Uccial
because it's difficult
to pronounce my
Saracen name.
Now, I'm living in my

palace on the hill of Top-Hana near Istanbul where I built a
great mosque, I have lots of slaves and servants but I'm
generous.
I concentrated all them in a village I wanted to found and call
"New Calabria".
I don't miss anything but my mother and my land.......
I do hope she will forgive my abjure one day and accept a little of all my treasure.
SERENA LAMBRE
10
IIIE
THE FAIRY MORGAN
How did a character from Celtic folklore come to

be associated with a mirage in the southern Italy?
Where do these strange names come from?
The name Morgan may connect this mythical
character with the sea, which is mr in Welsh,
mer in French, morye in Russian, mar in Spanish
etc.
She is sometimes presented as a sister or friend
of Arthur and enemy of Geneva, sometimes as a
goddess or as a student of Merlin, and then his
rival.
Apparently, the Breton legends about Arthur were

carried to Sicily in the 11th century by the Norman
invaders. Fertile Sicily, with its mild Mediterranean
climate and citrus fruits, might well have seemed an
earthly Paradise, the island of apples where it was
said that Morgan brought the dead Arthur.
But its also the name of the spectacular mirages
visible in clear and calm days of summer, in the
waters of the strait between Reggio Calabria and
Messina, characterized by multiple and changing
images, with vertical and horizontal features that
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suggest castles or give the impression you can

touch the other shore with your hands.
Legends related to the Fairy Morgan
Morgan and the Barbarian King
It was August, the sky

and the sea were without a
breath of wind, and a light
mist veiled the horizon,
during the Barbarian
invasions after crossing
the peninsula, a horde of
conquerors came to the
shores of the Ionian Sea
in the city of Reggio
Calabria.
A few kilometers away on
the other side of the sea
there was an island with a
large mountain smoking, Etna, and the King was
wondering how to get there, without boats and so
helpless in front of the sea.
Suddenly a wonderfully beautiful woman appeared,

who gave the island to the barbarian conqueror and
with a nod made appear the island very close to
him: looking into the water, it was as if he could
touch it with his hands, the mountains, the beaches,
the streets of the country and the ships in the
harbor.
Exulting the Barbarian King jumped from his horse
into the water, sure he can reach the island with
two strokes, but the spell was broken and the King
drowned miserably. Indeed, everything was a
mirage, a play of the beautiful unknown woman: the
Fairy Morgan .
Ludovica Reda IIIC
12
Morgan and Roger the Norman

Roger the Norman had been invited by some brave
desired to have him as lord and savior instead of
Sicilian knights in Calabria: the people of Sicily
the Arabs.
One day in 1060, Roger was walking along a beach
Roger greeted Morgan with respect and with gentle
in Calabria and studying the way how to win the
firmness he said that would go to war on his horse
numerous, highly specialized and well equipped
and with his ships.
enemies.
Then the fairy threw three white stones in the
Roger continued to walk in silence, always thinking
water and, at that point where they fell arose as to
of Sicily and its modest weapons of war, suddenly
charm buildings, roads, so that the Sicilian coast
saw a sea bubble and in a circle of foam, appear
seemed close enough to be reached with a pitch and
the head of a beautiful fairy, who gradually
the other side a strong army that awaited his
emerged with the body. She was on a white-blue
orders.
chariot, pulled by seven horses.
Roger still refused the offer, saying that he would
It was Morgan, who in the middle of the Strait,
free the island only with the help of the Lord
has its most beautiful and historic building.
Jesus Christ.
Noticing the presence of Roger on the beach, she
Morgan waved again her wand and the buildings,
asked him what he thought and he invited him to
the streets and all that had first appeared on the
get on his chariot and reach Sicily.
Strait disappeared.
We know from history that Roger the Norman landed in Messina in the spring of 1061, conquered Sicily,
freeing it from the Saracens and his descendants transformed it in one of the richest and most advanced
land in that time.
Azzurra Pulice and IC & ID
13
The legend of Nerina and her daughter Rosa.
Nerina had an only child whose name was Rosa. Her

daughter was very beautiful and she had long blond
hair. Nerina beloved her daughter and wanted the
best for her. Every morning she tried to comb her
hair, like a good mother. But it was always difficult
to do it because the child didnt let her mother to
brush her hair. Soon Rosa's hair was invaded by
lice, so that no one could get close to the girl,
without the risk of being invaded by lice. So the
fellow country people decided to take Rosa near the
sea. They did so and the country was freed from

the lice. Rosa fell into the sea water, she cried a lot
and she attracted a mermaid with her cries. The
mermaid went near the beautiful but desperate girl,
because she wanted to keep her forever. She tied
the girl to the abyss with a thick gold lace to her
right foot and dressed her as a queen. Nerina
didn't resign and every evening she called her
daughter near the sea. One evening the daughter
surfaced on the waves and told her mother her
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story. Nerina tried to free her daughter. Finally,

she thought that, a drunk mermaid would have
revealed how to break the chain. So, one evening
Rosa gave the mermaid some fine vines from Sila so
that she could get drunk and tell Rosa how to get
rid. It would be enough to hit the chain with a 100
quintal iron mace on Friday, but the mace should
have been made by a black smith who was also born
on Friday, too! Nerina learned the secret to free
her daughter. She looked for the iron mace and
when she found it, she was able to free her. From
that day onwards, Rosa always combed her hair!
Fabrizia Zecca, Chiara De Luca, Elena La Neve
15
16
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
At Christmas, a knight who is completely green
rides into King Arthur's hall. The
Green Knight proposes a game: Any knight
brave enough to strike off the Green
Knight's head may keep the Green Knight's ax,
but that man must accept a return
stroke in one year. Gawain accepts the
challenge and cuts off the Green
Knight's head. The knight picks up his severed
head and leaves, telling Gawain to
look for the Green Chapel.Near the end of the
allotted year, Gawain sets out in
search of the Green Chapel. He finds a castle
in the wilderness. The lord of the
castle asks Gawain to stay until New Year's
Day, because the Green Chapel is
nearby. The lord proposes an agreement: He will go out hunting while Gawain stays at the castle, and the two
men will exchange whatever they have gained at the end of the day.
The exchange of winnings takes place over three days. Each day, the lord goes out hunting, while the lady of
the castle tries to seduce Gawain in his bed. Gawain politely refuses her advances, although he does give her
some kisses. Finally, she offers him a magic belt that will protect the life of any man who wears it. Gawain
repays the lord his lady's kisses, but he does not mention the belt.
17
Gawain keeps his appointment at the Green Chapel. The Green Knight raises his axe to cut off Gawain's head,
but twice he draws back. The third time, the Green Knight barely cuts Gawain on the neck. The Green Knight
reveals that he was Gawain's host and that his appearance as the Knight was made possible by Morgan le Fay.
He tells Gawain that the first two blows were for the first two days of their agreement, when Gawain fairly
repaid him his wife's kisses. The small cut was for accepting the belt and concealing it. Overcome with
shame, Gawain acknowledges his fault and wears the belt to remind him of his fault. When he returns to
Camelot, the entire court wears green sashes in fellowship with Gawain.
18
Sir Percival A Knight In Shepherds Boots

In the dead of night a young
mother escapes from
her husbands murderers to the
safety of the high
moorland here she remains,
raising her infant son,
Percival.
Percival was a handsome boy
who grew up as a simple
shepherd,
nothing
about his familys past,
but knowing everything about
sheep! One day, three
knights-in-shining-armour rode
past. Percival watched
their war-horses, lances and
iron armour flashing in
the sun. Heres something Ive not seen the like of these
creatures. They must be
Angels!
The
that they were seeking three stolen maidens and the wicked
knights who had taken
them. Had the shepherd seen these knights?
terribly impressed with
knowing
Percival was
knights
explained
the three knights he admired their armour, their weapons, their mighty horses. He decided he wanted to be a knight, just
like them. He picked up his holly-branch hunting-javelin, jumped up on his donkey, and cut a bunch of mistletoe to place on his
head as a helmet, and then he set off for Camelot to offer his services to the king.
Percivals poor and rugged clothing prompted much hilarity among the knights of Camelot. But as he started to speak to the
court, a wicked Red Knight burst in, knocked all the plates and goblets off the table, insulted the Queen, and challenged any
knight to fight him outside! In an instant Percival was outside facing the Red Knight. He hurled his holly-lance. It plunged into
the red helmets visor, and the wicked Knight lay dead.
So Percival had his first victory, and his first set of armour the dead knights armour- but he kept some of his old country
clothes. And so he joined the Round Table - in red armour, and shepherds boots
19
The Christmas Cherry Tree

This charming medieval story shows that a true knight has more than just
courage. The hero, Sir Cleges, a knight, is generous, perhaps too generous.
He celebrates Christmas in such style every year and shares all he has with
everyone, so eventually he falls into poverty. When he is in great need, cherries
appear in his garden, even though it is snowy and out of season.
His wife sends him to the kings castle, where he shares many of his cherries with
the king. He is thanked and regains his wealth as a reward, even though he didnt
share them for the wealth. He shared them because he is a wonderful person with a big heart.
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The Legend of King Arthur

Arthur was the first born son of King Uther Pendragon and heir to the throne. However these were very
troubled times and Merlin, a wise magician, advised that the baby Arthur should be raised in a secret place
and that none should know his true identity.
As Merlin feared, when King Uther died there was great conflict over who should be the next king. Merlin
used his magic to set a sword in a stone. Written on the sword, in letters of gold, were these words: "Whoso
pulleth out this sword of this stone is the rightwise born king of all England."
21
Of course all the contenders for the throne took their turn at trying to draw the sword, but none could
succeed. Arthur, quite by chance, withdrew the sword for another to use in a tournament.
Arthur became King. He gathered Knights around him and fought back against the Saxons who, since the
Romans left Britain, were slowly but surely taking the country over. After many great battles and a huge
victory at Mount Badon the Saxons were beaten.
Arthur's base was at a place called Camelot. Here he built a strong castle. His knights met at a Round Table.
It was round so that everyone at the table was equal, including King Arthur. They carried out acts of chivalry
such as rescuing damsels in distress and fought against strange beasts. They also searched for a lost
treasure, which they believed would cure all ills - this was the 'Quest for the Holy Grail'.
22
The marriage of Erec and Enide

Courtship and
Marriage
In the first quarter
of Erec and Enide the
story talks about the tale
of Erec son of Lac, and
his marriage to Enide, an
impoverished noble girl
of Lalut. An unarmoured
Erec is keeping Guinevere company while the other
knights participate in a stag hunt
near Cardigan when a strange knight and his dwarf
approach the queen and treat her servant roughly.
At the Queen's orders, Erec follows the knight,
Yder, to a far off town where he meets and falls in
love with Enide. Erec defeats Yder, returns to
Arthur's court and marries his love.
Adventures
The middle half of the poem begins some time later
when rumours
spread that Erec
has come to
neglect his
knightly duties
due to his
overwhelming
love for Enide
and desire to be
with her. He
overhears Enide
crying over this
and orders her to
prepare for a
journey to parts
unknown. He
commands her to
be silent
23
throughout, but she disobeys several times to warn

him of danger. Erec defeats a string of knights and
captures a string of horses. He meets two counts
who in turn attempt to kill him and have Enide;
after defeating him in a duel he makes a friend of
Guivret the Small, an Irish lord with family
connections to Wales and Scotland.
Joy of the Court, Coronation

The last quarter of the poem adds another story,
referred to as the "Joy of the Court," in which
Erec and Enide set free prisoners and meet
relations, before in time they are crowned King and
Queen of Nantes in a lavishly-described ceremony.
By Jemima Matuki
24
25
The Ojncanos usually hold a wolf skin sling they
EL OJNCANO
The Ojncano
use to carry or throw heavy stones and on the

other hand theyve got a black wooden magic cane
with which they can turn other forest creatures
personifies evil for
into wolves, vipers and crows.
the highlanders in my
Its huge body is covered with rough and reddish
homeland. It is the
most mischievous and
unpleasant creature /
character you can
find in the mythology
of Cantabria.
It is an enormous
ogre, as tall as the highest tree and as robust /
strong as the hardest rock that mountains hold.
Its got gigantic limbs. Each of his feet ending
with ten sharped claws as well as its hands that
also show ten fingers with two claws.
hair. Its got a long thick and dark beard with only
one white hair in it - the weak point. If someone
manages to tear this white hair out, after blinding
the single eye on its forehead, then the Ojncano
can easily be killed.
The Ojncano munches on acorns, leaves of the
holly trees, stems of mulberry bushes and stolen
corn. It also eats bats and birds such as swallows
and it often takes trouts and eels from
fishermens baskets.
JORGE DE LA HOZ
26
LA SIRENUCA DE CASTRO
The little mermaid from Castro
This legend tells us about what happened to a blue-eyed, gentle

girl who went down to the beach everyday for shellfish. She
would climb down to the most dangerous spots on the cliffs where no one else dared to go - looking for the best pieces. As
she was going up and down the rocks she would sing lovely songs
keeping the rhythm of the waves and she sometimes cast her eye
at her small mirror made of pearls.
Meanwhile, her mother who knew how dangerous the fishing on this place could be, looked very worried to
see the girl havent come home at the usual time.She had repeatedly told her
27
daughter not to go fishing alone on the cliffs over
following day, while the girl was returning to the
the the beach, but she would put a deaf ear to her
beach and climbing up to the rocks she dropped her

mirror and it sank in the sea. She was trying to look
it through the water on its way to the bottom when
she lost her balance and fell into the sea.
Despite the bad weather, the young managed to
swim with easy up to the nearest rocks. Even
though she was making a big effort to climb up
safely she wasnt able to. Soon she learned why.
Her legs had been turned into a long flipper. In
fact, she had become a mermaid. This was the
curse for not have followed her mothers advice.
Since then, it is said that La Sirenuca helps
mothers wise words.

One day, this carefree behaviour got on her
mothers nerves who spelled a curse on the girl :
fishermen on thick fog days or in the darkest

nights not to get too close to those risky cliffs.
JORGE DE LA HOZ
May God allow you become a mermaid. On the very

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LOS VENTOLINES
They are small genies with large green wings. Their eyes are the colour of splashing waves and they live
over the sea and inside the reddish clouds from the West.
They help fishermen to pick up the fishing nets and keep them warm under their wings when it is cold, as
a gentle breeze is blowing on the sail of the boat.
Small flashing spots are seen over Mount Buciero in Santoa, Spain, flying up to the clouds in the
twilight. It is said, it is the right moment Los Ventolines come back home.
BY LUIS MIGUEL SOTO SNCHEZ

29
THE ANJANA
Maybe it is the best known of outstanding creatures of the rich mythology from my
homeland. The Anjana is the good fairy of Cantabria.
She is very short-nearly six hands or sixty centimetres tall-and it
is got a graceful and beaming beauty.
It wears a fine star-sparkling robe, crowned with irises and
roses. It holds a flowery rod that shines with a different light
each day of the week.
It lives on the sources and springs where it goes out from to bless the waters,
the trees and the cattle.
It also helps the poor, comfort suffering people and guide all those who
have get lost in the forest.
EVA MARA GONZLEZ OBREGN
30
FROM LIERGANES
Long time ago there was a couple with four children living in the village of Lirganes in Cantabria. The
youngest of the four was a boy called
Francisco. Francisco was an ordinary boy who
loved swimming. It was said that in the
year 1674, on the Eve of Saint Johns Day,
Francisco met his friends to go for a
swim in river Miera. The young went into the
river wearing no clothes and kept on
swimming down the current for some time. It
didnt take long that the other boys
realized Francisco was out of sight.
While Francisco was meant to be an
excellent
swimmers was sorry for him. Time went
by, hour after hour and sadly Francisco didnt
come up. So, eventually he was thought
to have been drown in the waters of the river.
swimmer,
no
one
of
the
other
Five years later, fishermen in the harbour of Cadiz (Andaluca), caught a strange creature. He had the shape
of a stout, red-haired young man with a pale complexion. All of his body was covered with scales. In fact he
was a half man-half fish kind of being.
He was questioned by different people and the only answer they heard coming out of his mouth was the word
lirganes.
However,
anyone
was
able
to
understand
the
31
meaning
of
it.
The
news
came up to a young man worker from Cantabria
and wine. He would eat a lot of food and then fast
emigrated to Cadiz who explained to them that it
for five or six days.
was the name of a village in Cantabria.
Nine
years
later
Franciscos
comeback,
he
Later the news spread and finally came to
disappeared into the sea and no one has seen him
Lirganes to verify if something strange had
again.
happened a few years ago. Since local authority

from Lirganes answered that there was only
registered the disappearance of a boy called
Francisco de la Vega five years ago, he was taken
Paula Polanco Ros
there.
Again at home, Francisco lived a quiet existence
showing no interest in anything. He would always go
barefoot and when anyone gave him some clothes,
he would throw them away. He didnt usually speak
much and the only words he said were snuff, bread
32
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MYTHS and LEGENDS

Many Portuguese sailed across the Atlantic with bravery, enthusiasm, courage and
embarked on the adventure of the Discoveries. But ... the
"Sea of Darkness was too scary! Monsters Fear ... Boiling
water ... Dragons ... Green Lakes ... Mermaids ... Enchanted
islands Superstition! The legends and myths never left the
sailors mind. Cabo Bojador was believed to be "the end of
the world" ... "many passed and did not return ...
Between myth and legend, our people overcame fears and
superstition. And we had the sea as an ally, even in the darkest storm.
"We have given worlds to the World..."
34
Azores Islands
Legend of the Island of the Seven Cities
It is told that seven Christian bishops from Porto discovered the Azores islands. There they founded
seven cities, each one with its own government. Their life was fantastic, with golden palaces and
everyone lived happily. But no one could find the island because one of the bishops cast a spell on the
island and it disappeared into the fog.
Land of Atlantis
Another legend related to Azores: the famous
thought to be the mountain tops of this
Atlantis
mysterious land.
One day the earth
shook and the water
Land of Gods
took everything. The
The Azores are also the land of ancient Gods:
nine
islands
are
there lived Euphemia, daughter of Atlas and

35
Jupiter's
granddaughter.
She
was
very
Here the sea swallowed men and boats ... the
beautiful, with a pure heart and refused to
"monster"
did
marry to a son of Neptune.
Terrifying aspect;
not
let
anyone
escape!
Neptune went to war with
Large and misshapen
Atlas and during the conflict
Black face;
the princess died. In the
Sunken eyes;
other
Black mouth and yellow dirty
world,
the
princess
converted to Christianity and
teeth;
returned to Earth to spread
Beard and curly hair;
the good.
Horrendous and deep voice;
Even today, many people from
Huge legs and arms
So Miguel, Azores, believe

that Euphemia lives in the
Adamastor was the name
"boiler" of the volcano that
given to one of the giants sons
gave birth to the "Valley of the Seven Cities."
of Gaia, who rebelled against Zeus. Defeated
The valley appears and disappears amidst the
by him, they got reduced to headlands and
clouds and fog ...
islands.
Based on greco-roman mithology Adamastor
Cape of Good Hope and the Giant
represents the forces of Nature that the
Adamastor
Portuguese ships faced in the passage from

the Atlantic to the Indian Ocean.
36
The Seven-Headed Beast

Legend
It is said that, on the riverbank in Silvalde
(Espinho), near a bridge, there was a field where a
woman used to work. One day, she saw a strange
animal with many heads coming towards her. That
night, people were woken up by a noise and went to
check what was happening: they found several dead
and dismembered animals. They went out to look
for the strange killer-beast and after many days
they eventually found it. During the fight, a
peasant died but he managed to kill the beast.
People found seven severed heads of the beast.
They buried them next to a pillar of the old bridge
and there they built a chapel to celebrate such a
strange occurrence. The river destroyed the
chapel, but today there is still a small tiled plate
where one can read legend.
37
The Legend of Espinho
In very ancient times, a small boat sailing

along the coast was caught in the bad, stormy,
furious sea and sank. Two men from Galicia
(Spain), survived the tragedy. The legend tells
they promised to build a chapel if God would
save them from death.
When they found a wooden plank on which God
had put them safe, one of the men said it was
oak and the other said: "No! Es Pio!. It is
one of the explanations for our citys name
and there was in fact the Galicians Chapel
which was destroyed by the sea.
38
Our country has many castles with fantastic

legends. Throughout our History we have been
invaded by many people ... the struggles between
Christians and Muslims have left legends in the
memory of our people.
The Almourol Castle Legend

Don Ramiro was the lord of the castle and one
day, when he was returning from a battle
feeling really thirsty, he found two beautiful
Muslim women, mother and daughter. They
had a pitcher of water, so Don Ramiro asked
the daughter to give him some to drink. The
girl was so afraid that she dropped the
pitcher. Don Ramiro was so enraged that he
killed them.
Just then, a boy appeared. He was the son and
the brother of the murdered women. The lord
of the castle made him captive and brought
him to the castle. When he arrived, the young
Muslim swore that he would take revenge on

Don Ramiros wife and daughter.
Later, the Muslim poisoned Don Ramiro's wife
to death, but he couldnt kill Beatriz, Don
Ramiros daughter, because they fell in love.
One day, Don Ramiro promised an important
lord his daughters hand in marriage. The
young lovers, unhappy with their fate, fled
without a trace. Don Ramiro died of grief
shortly after. The castle was abandoned and
fell into ruin.
People say that on the night of St. John, in
June, Beatriz and the Muslim appear,
embraced in the highest tower of the castle.
By his feet, Don Ramiro begs for forgiveness,
but the inflexible Muslim replies:
CURSE!
Beatriz Silva,
Pereira,
39
Leonor Gomes,
Maria
Murat Mutlu
40
About a knight who

besought sea.
At the entrance to the port of

Leba there is a powerful cross.
It stretches above the forest,
extending big iron shoulders
above the beach. From the
mainland it observes the raging,
predatory sea and points the
way to a peaceful harbor for the
of the Sea stay under the cross
Baltic sailors. This unusual cross!
thoughtfully, thanking Neptune
Its magic power combines all
for a happy returns. But when
those who were taken by the sea
they hear Neptunes cry for
and have never returned to
help, nothing can stop them on
landmass. A prayer, that has
the ground neither loving wife
been whispering here for years,
nor crying child or merry
keeps the memory of those who
companions. For centuries, the
sleep a perpetual sleep on the
sea chose people and casted
immeasurable depths. Their
spell on them.
families lit candles at the cross,
Old tale says that the most
waiting for the souls of lost in
famous, recorded by chroniclers
the Baltic, find their way to the
man whom was given and taken
land of eternal happiness. People

41
fortunate by the Baltic was me.
shapely young man but there
victories did not cause my
My castle was in the place
wasnt any enjoyment in my life.
heartbeat. I visited many
where the river Gownica was
The emptiness of our chambers
mansions meeting princesses,
flowing into the sea. In the days
led me to despair.
noblewomen but none of them
when I was a kid, a powerful

castle was buzzing. Fathers
ships were used to carry goods
to many ports of the Baltic Sea.
Many exotic languages were
often heard in the castle. But a
certain winter the powerful
storm took my father. A few
months later, my mother died of
grief, leaving me as a rich
orphan. I grew up among the
faithful servants, but I was very
lonely. I came on a shore and
defy the king of the Baltic Sea,
blaming him for the death of my
beloved father and mother. The
years passed and I turned into a
could wake my heart. I was
- What do ships, castles halls,
looking for a place in the Holy
riches me for when I do not
Land and the imperial court, on
have anyone to share with! I

complained. During one of the
sleepless night I decided to
leave the castle and go out into
the world in searching a woman
who would save me from
loneliness. I ordered to morning
service preparing a horse and
went to the coast for sending a
farewell to my father and then I
left my own family nest.
After a year I become a famous
the battlefield and at feasts
knight, that got a victory in the
magnates but everything was in
numerous tournaments. But the
vain! In the crowd I felt lonely.

42
I saw that loneliness had been
coast, with despair watching at
me that, given its power was
written for me and decided to
the destructions that were
powerless. What could I do? I
return to the familys castle. It
made by the powerful storms.
was paralyzed by worry. Only a
was a long journey. One day
There were scattered remnants
hungry horse forced me to
when I found myself on the road

leading from the mouth of
Gownica my heart started
beating like a hammer. Just one
forest, it's only one hill
...Suddenly I stopped dead in my
of broken beams, bricks, rags,
action.
planks everywhere . Emptiness
I had to feed the weary beast
seemed unbearable. My whole
and I left the beach by the sea.
world suddenly shrunk to my
When I walked through the sand
horse and me.
dunes, I suddenly saw the

smoke. I speeded up the pace
tracks. In the place of the
and pretty soon I found myself
father's castle, there were only
in front of a small fishing hut.
an empty rocky coast. I did not
Fire burned in the kitchen, but
recognize my native land. The
no one was nearby.
fishing huts, fields, meadows
- The host would not burn a fire,
disappeared from the surface. I
if he was not close! - I said and
guessed that the blame was
decided to wait. But no one was
unforgiving sea that the second

time took everything that I had.
While there was all-powerful
I dragged myself along the
triumphant sea, that reminded
coming. I tied the horse to the

fence and sat on the bench in
front of the house and fell
43
asleep. I was awaken by the
your peace of mind, but in this
no one except you!
rustling. Before the hut there
area there is no one who could
- The sea took everything! -
was a girl with an armful of
explain to me what misfortune
Replied the girl, and she got so
freshly cut grass.
has fallen to this earth and why
desperate sobs that almost
- Who are you, sir, and what
is it so devastated and
broke my heart.
brings you to my hut? Asked
deserted. When I left my
- It was so powerful storm, that
she.
castle, it was a rich
took everything on its way. I
- Excuse me, that I disturbed
neighborhood ... Today there is
survived because I was

collecting mushrooms in the
forest. When I came back I saw
an only huge cliff . The land and
people were taken by waves.
Brave girl, who also lost
everything in the storm, seemed
to me the dream, sought for
years companion.
- Will you let me to stay in your
cabin until I rebuild the castle?
- I asked.
Tomorrow I'll take builders and
44
build a new castle!
not stain her hands and was
- If fishing hut is enough for
not tired of any work. As the
your shelter , you can stay! -
months, years passed a lack of
replied embarassed girl. I lived
work started to trouble my
in the fishing hut, helped the
wife. In a beautiful castle
girl in a modest farm and one
where the service meets all
day I fell on my knees in front
her whims, like a beautiful
of her and confessed:
bird in a gilded cage she
- I was looking for happiness all
missed for an unlimited space
over the world but it was close!
and freedom. When I
You are my happiness, become
returned from hunting, a smile
my wife, please! You will no
appeared on the face of my
longer have to mow or flow boat
wife, and I did not think at all
to catch fish! Weeks passed. On
that my wife was suffering
the hill, far away from the
fisherwomen were hidden at the
despite of the wealth around
beach,a new castle was built.
bottom of the trunk. Knight's
her. One day the fishermen,
One day I brought there a young
wife did not seem right to catch
offering freshly caught fish
wife whose modesty and beauty
fish, and she was not allowed to
came to castle. My wife spotted
were praised by the growing
grow garden. Courtiers were
them from the tower and ran
number of arriving guests.
carefully watched that she did
down the steps to listen to their
Clothes of the great young
stories about the fight against

45
unfettered sea, with a network
joined the fishermen. Only in
ever, as I am cursed by you! My
full of fish, strenuous and joy
the evening service realized
words were sounding in the air,
that each working day was
that my wife had left the castle.
when a powerful wind sprang up
brought for them.
When I returned from the
and the tide reached higher and
hunting they reported to me
higher, until it reached the foot
that my wife ran away. I waited
of a cliff. The roar of the water
in vain for her return. In vain I
drowned out my words.
made a big fire to help a fishing
Whirlpools broke trees, flooded
boat finding a way home.
the ground , cliff broke down
The fishermens tales awoke her

memories about her busy days
her eyes sparkled. Fishermen
said that the sea had been their
joy and a curse. They were
and fell into the sea. The cruel
afraid and loved it at the same
The hapless wife lost without
very time. It gave freedom and
tidings. After many days of this
bread for them! My wife
terrible truth when I realized
ordered the service to have
that the jealous sea took her as
fishermen over , ran up to the
it had already done before and
attic and pulled the heavy chest
did not want to come back her I
old fishing outfit. She dressed
went to the edge of the cliff,
up it hastily that no one from
picked up my fist and shouted
the service couldnt prevent her
that the cruel sea for the third
I died, but the memory of my
intentions. In the guise she
time took the most expensive
fate survived in fishing stories.
slipped out of the castle and
object in my life! Be damned for
sea took revenge on me for

cursing. In the morning when the
waters subsided, there was not
land as well as me. Only ragged,
steep, craggy shore reminded
that land lost the battle with
water again.
46
Although the centuries passed,

the same drama always
experienced people whose
relatives were taken by the sea.
They cursed its cruelty but gave
up inconceivable power, ordering
the sailors, fishermen, sailors to
leave the family home and set
out in the way - to the immense
space and freedom.
47
The story of Mikoajek
husband and asked him to punish the joke-maker

severely.
This time Neptun didnt forgive
the boy. He changed him to a
beautiful plant which grows on
sand dunes. In English the
plant is called ,,sea holly but in
Polish its name is Mikoajek.
Once upon a time, on

the sea coast, used to live a playful boy called
Mikoajek. He liked making jokes to fishermen,
amber-hunters or even the nymphs from Neptuns
wifes retinue. Nobody was angry with him for a
long time because of these jokes. Once, Mikoajek
When someone picks leaves of

the plant, Mikoajek suffers because these are the
parts of his body.
Fortunately, the plant called Mikoajek is in Poland
protected by law so it cannot be picked by anyone.
decided to make a joke to Neptuns wife when she

came to the beach with her nymphs to sunbathe.
When the sea-ladies did not look in his direction,
Magdalena Dobrek
Mikoajek took all their clothes and hid in the

nearby bushes. After the ladies finished
sunbathing, they couldnt find their clothes.
Neptuns wife was very angry. She called her
48
Sometimes he came over the water, he hit shield by

the ironbound and the sky became in fire. The
Wars and Sawa
Witch through then the spell, which made the birds
In the depths of Wisla lived the scariest Witch.

His beard was
cover by weed,
his armour was
done by fish
scales. He had
an ironbound
shield and the
sword from
mail of
climbing irons.
His eyes were
cold like an ice
and heart hard
like a rock.
He hated good, beauty, little, weak, defenseless.
But the most he heated birds which sang on trees.
unable to sing:
Soon give me the flame,

To shake birds from the trees,
Play me my melody!
After he says that, the Which heard that
something is in the bushes. A moment later a girl
ran out of them. Her name was Sawa. She was
crying a lot, in her little hands she had a nest with
little birds inside.
-Mister! Dear Sir! Please, have a mercy on me!
-Do you prefer to live in the water? As a pike? Or
an eel? Er, you are too pretty. Your hair is like a
lightning bolt and your eyes are green like a water.
You will serve me as a mermaid. I will change your
legs in a tail and your body will be all in scale.
49
-No! Please, dont- shouted girl.

The Witch didnt show her his charity. She went to
the depths in serve of the evil Witch.
On the other side of a river there lived a trapper
with his three sons. The youngest already got a job
as a fisherman. For seven days and seven nights he
alternately hack the oar and link the web. Later he
said goodbye to his father and brothers and went
for his first own trip. He swam calm with the
resemble birds, which he has seen so far. The

creature, like reading in his minds said:
-I am a king of a birds. My appreciation for saving
me is enormous. And I will help you, when you need
this.
Before the fisherman wised up, the bird was gone.
Tired, after all day of work, he moored boat to the
bank and went sleep. Suddenly, something moved
the boat. And Wars saw a mermaid.
stream of the river. The water carried him under

the wicker island.
-Hello! Is someone there?- asked a boy.
-Can you see me?- responded a bird voice.
-Of course I can.
-Can you help me? I thing I stuck here.
Wars came closer and released the bird. He was in
shocked while looking on a creature, which didnt
50
Who wont by afraid about the evil,

In his webs will catch me,
Then he will teak away my tail.
The boy was looking very carefully. In the middle of
the river he saw the evil Witch. The Witch took
the shield and the sword to endanger Wars:
To come here, you have to swim by seven waves,

Then you meet seven whirlwinds,
And at the end my cruel lightings
Will fall down to your boat.
Some days ago I was a girl,
Pretty, slim an alluring,
The fisherman decided to try. When the Witch saw

that the boy has a chance to win,
I stand in defense of birds

And the Witch bedevil me.
But you can save me.
51
he started to break the waves.
whirlwinds, and he took away the lighting. Then he said to Wars and
And then Big Bird came to help
Sawa:
Wars. He transited a boat by

seven waves and seven
-Im going to take that malefactor after seven mountains and seventy
river. He will never come back here. You can be happy!
The ending is happy, as you may suppose. The mermaid became a girl
and she fell in love with Wars. They lived long and happily. The place
where they settled was named after them - Warszawa.
Mielczarek Julia, Klasa 2a
The Legend of The Queen Jurata

From time immemorial a trade route called the amber route led
across the Polish lands. In the first centuries of our era, Roman
traders arrived to buy the amber which in these times was called
Jantar and was even more precious than gold . Even long before the
reign of Mieszko the First and then his son King Bolesaw Chrobry,
traders from the Far West had begun to arrive.
52
For centuries jantar had been
beautiful Jurata and revenge of the god Perkun was created.
saving the fishermen from their

misery when they couldn't catch
any fish. They collected some
At the bottom of the Baltic Sea near the Hel peninsula, there lived
pieces and sold it to earn some
the queen of the sea called Nymph Jurata. She understood how
money and save themselves and
severely fishermen had to work. Once she showed her servant-maids
their families from starvation.
how hard they worked. When the servant-maids saw this they wanted
But people didnt know where
to help. So Jurata decided to bewitch the wind which had hindered
jantar had come from. They
their work. The fishermen were amazed that the wind had become so
believed it had emerged because
calm and waves softened.
of the
Once the youngest of the fishermen called To stated that

somebody had helped them. The oldest of them called Ksander
announced that they had to do something to thank the one. Ksander
decided they would kindle the fire during the full moon and
sacrifice the best fish every one of them caught, so then they would
wait for someone to show up. They did as he said and with hope in
their beating hearts they began to sing appealing songs. Suddenly the
waves of the sea opened and from between of them a beautiful woman
fight between good and bad

ghosts. And so the tale of
resurfaced. They became silent, a bit frightened, a bit in awe. The

woman smiled and introduced herself as the queen of the sea in which
53
they fish and that she was the

one who had helped them.
Suddenly from the crowd a
handsome fisherman To
stepped out and with his
bravery shining eyes he bowed
to her and asked for her name
because he would like to write a
song for her to thank her and
that they would sing it every
time they would go fishing. The
woman smiled gently and told
him that she is called Jurata or
Amber queen and it would be a
pleasure to listen to his song.
After this event life went on,
their catches were still plentiful
and fishermen sang to Jurata
the song created by To. Soon
they realized he had fallen in love with her.

But the fishermen didnt know that the song had been heard by Perkun
the god of the sea and the Earth. He decided he wanted to ascertain
if the queen Jurata indeed was so beautiful. When he arrived to her
underwater palace he fell in love with her at the first sight. He
immediately proposed to her. He announced that he was a god and had
great power over the whole
Earth. But Jurata declared
she didn't want someone
who was infatuated by lust
for power and that her
heart actually belonged to
the young fisherman and she
was going to marry him.
Enraged Perkun gave her
five days to think it over
and if she would still refuse
him, he would get revenge
on her and the fisherman.
54
One night, when the young
fast and his hands began to tremble. The Queen noticed this and told
fisherman was coming home
him that he didn't have to be
solitarily, he saw Jurata sitting
afraid of love, that this is a
at the dying fire on the
beautiful feeling. Then she
seashore. His heart began to bit
looked him in the eyes and

whispered her words of love to
him. She asked him if there
was someone he cared dearly
for. He stammered that there
was no one, he was completely
lonely but Jurata smiled
lovingly and said that he was no
more alone because she was
with him now. She then asked
him if he wanted to spend her
last five days together with
her but warned that when the
days would have passed they
would be killed. But To didnt
care, he loved her and if it was
55
the only way to be with her, so

let it be. After that the queen
put her arms around his neck
the truth. And when they realized that their beloved queen and clever
young fisherman had died to give them life - in gratitude named their
settlement Jurata and the golden stone - amber.
and kissed him for the first

time.
Natalia Adamkiewicz, kl IIa
Five days after Perkun had

learned the whole truth about
the queen and the young
fisherman he hit the underwater
palace of Jurata with a powerful
lightning. Jurata died as well as
the young fisherman and all the
goddesses of the sea. The whole
palace, built of a golden stone,
crumbled into ruins. The water
furiously threw its crumbs on
the sea shore.
Surprised and frightened the
fishermen not soon discovered
56
Why the Baltic Sea is salty?
helped everyone.
One day the man saw a boy
walking down the beach. He was
I think you always wanted to
really sad and emaciated. The
know why a see is salty. Now I
man invited him for dinner.

When the man was making a
will tell you a legend about it.
dinner the boy saw a magic mill.

He didn't ask about it but he
Somewhere in Poland a long time ago there was man. He lived in a house
on a beach and he had a magic item. This magic item was a mill which
thought how he can steal it. He

thought about stealing it at
night. When the man fell asleep,
produced
he woke up, stole mill and ran to
salt. Salt
a harbor and asked about the
was very
earliest ship. He must have
expensive,
waited 3 hours for the ship. He
but he
was really stressed that man will
didn't
catch him. When he enter the
want to be rich. He was a really good
ship no one could stop him.
person.
He was really happy because he
Everyone liked him and he always
thought he will be rich.

57
Now the mill is producing a lot

of salt all the time
ukasz Goojuch
Klasa 3D
After 5 hours of swimming he thought that he doesn't know how to

use the mill. He started touching it and unfortunately the mill started
producing salt. Salt was felling down to the sea and the mill fell to see
accidentally.
58
59
Lapaluodon kaunis
Gunilla
Beautifull Gunilla of
Lapaluoto
In Raahe, there is a place called Lapaluoto.In 1800, a

seacaptain lived there in a house with his beautiful daughter.
Her name was Gunilla. Gunillas mother had died.
Gunilla fell in love with a handsome fisherman.Gunilla wanted
to marry him.Her dad didnt accept that. Gunilla`s dad forced
him to leave.Gunilla had to stay in
Raahe.
One day nobody knew where Gunilla

was. Gunilla had disappeared.
Anyone didnt know where,how and
why. Her body was never found. Did
Gunilla jump down from the
balcony? Did she drown herself?.
60
Did her father shoot her? A

bullet hole was found in the
wall of the villa. These
issues have been open over a
hundred years without an
answer.
Gunilla became a ghost. She
threw things at night,she
also made scary noises.Her
dad was desperate and he
invited Gunillas lover, the
fisherman, to visit
Raahe.Her dad thought
that she would calm down if
Gunilla came at midnight as her dad had hoped. The old

fisherman got up from his chair and walked slowly towards
Gunilla. When the lovers meet each others again, the man
dropped dead on the floor.
What happened in that tragical night didnt calm Gunilla down,
even though she got her man back.
Would there be even more horrible
things to come? People didnt even dare
to think that.
Some people think that they have seen
Gunilla. You can see a lady wearing a
long dress moving on the waves.
she sees him one more time.
One summer evening a man from
The man accepted the
Lapaluoto walked across the yard and
invitation and came to visit
noticed, that in front of the door, there
Lapaluoto.
61
was a woman. Suddenly the
the lights off and light candles. They continued the meeting
woman disappeared. For a
with caution, everyone was holding on to the chairs they were
little while the woman stood
sitting on because they had heard that Gunilla might easily
inside the house by the
pull the chair from underneath the person sitting on it.
window and she was wearing
Animals are told to be scared of Gunilla, too. Once an
a black dress. Anybody lives
army`s dog trainer was spending a night in Gunillas house
in the house anymore...
with his dog. At midnight the dog had started to growl. It
The local tourist guides

were having a meeting in the
house of Gunilla. The
evening went fine drinking
coffee, and discussing. At
midnight, the guides heard
weird knocking from
upstairs. The lights started
blinking: They went off and
then back on, bright as ever.
The guides decided to turn
had run upstairs and the dog just sat there in silence. The
dog had been shaking, but there was nothing that could have
made him calm down. Scared people have run away from
Gunila. A boss of a garden company tried to stay over night in
the house of Gunilla. One night a beautiful woman come to her
room.Then woman come across the room and went through
closed door... the boss called a taxi and hurried to hotel for a
night.
Text: 6th grades

Pictures: 2nd grades
62
Taskun Saunan Haltija

The Holder of the Tasku Island
Tasku Island lies about 5km from the coast of Raahe.
There is an old wooden seamark called pooki and a little
cottage for fishermen.
Fishermen slept in the cottage.There were a sauna and
one room in the cottage. In the room there was a table
and places for resting. Public saunas were to be found all
along the beach. It was very important that there had to
be always dry wood, matches and salt, ready for the next
visitors in the sauna. Everyone took care before leaving
that it was clean everywhere.
63
There is The Holder living in this sauna. The Holder is

famous among
fishermen, who
all knows the
Tasku-Sauna
Holder. The
Holder lives in
the sauna at
Tasku Island
and he makes tricks for fishermen who stay there
overnight. It has been told that the Holder may wake
up by pulling toe when somebody is sleeping.
When I was a child I heard a little story :
It was late autumn. Two Fishermen from Raahe were going to stay overnight in the TaskuSauna. They went to sleep. In the middle of the night they woke up, when the door of the sauna
suddenly opened. Men closed the door. Storm went on. Fishing things had to be saved in a
64
hurry. Fishing things were in danger. The Holder had woken the men up. So they succeed to
save their fishing things.
Another story of the Holder:
A group of fishermen from south of Finland were going to stay overnight in The Sauna of
Tasku. They had to pull their boat up to the beach, because in autumn the weather can change a
lot in a short time. The men carried their food and bed clothes into the cottage. Then
granddad-Sakri lit a fire to the fireplace. Now everything was ready in the sauna. Men sat
down for a cup of coffee. Suddenly the door of the sauna opened wide. The men closed the
door. They just thought, that the wind opened
it.
Then the door opened again wide open. Ash
flew around and fire went down. The men were
scared: what was that? They knew the story
of the invisible Holder living in that sauna of
Tasku Island. Maybe the holder didnt want
them to stay in there? Perhaps the holder
wanted them to leave at once! So the men
65
took their food and clothes, closed the cottages door and left Tasku Island in a hurry.
After leaving the island they looked behind to see if the door of the cottage was still closed.
They saw a big black sea bird - a cormorant- sitting on the top of the roof of the sauna.
Oh, it turned like that, thought granddad
Sakri, when he saw the bird on top of the

roof. Then the men sailed safely to Raahe
citys harbour for the night. Hopefully those
fishermen finally got their rest that night.
Text: 6th grades

Pictures: 2nd grades
66
The lovestory of Johan and Catharina
The house of Sovelius is the oldest house in

Raahe. There is
also a lovely
love story to
tell.
The story
begins, when Johan Sovelius and
Catharina Freitag fell in love. They wanted to get
married, but they were cousins. At that time
cousins needed The Kings permission for
67
marriage. Youngers had to ask a permission from king Kustaa

III, but The King said no. Johan tried again. He
even sailed to Stockholm to ask a permission in
person. But the King still said no.
Johan tried again. He even sailed to Stockholm to ask a
permission in person. But the King still said no.
Nobody could make the king to change his mind.
Nobody knows why.
Even the King said no, Catharina and Johan were
deeply in love. They promised eternal loyalty to each
others.
Both Catharina and Johan were from very rich
families, so they got many other marriage proposals.
68
But they both said no. They didnt want to marry anyone else but each others.
They burned candles everytime when

they missed
each others. Usually they lit candles at
the same
time. People learned very soon to know
the meaning of the candles. Johan lived
in the house of Sovelius and Catharina
in a house opposite it. The market place
between them kept them apart.
The local blacksmith made special
candlesticks for
Catherina and Johan. The candlesticks were a
symbol of their love.
69
In 1802 The New King Kustaa IV Adolf came to visit

Finland. He was staying at the house of Sovelius.
Johan had a chance of a lifetime to ask the
permission again. But even The New King said no.
Nobody knows why.
At that time Finland was a part of Sweden. There was a war between Sweden and Russia and
after the war Finland wasnt a part of Sweden anymore.
Now Finland was a part of Russia. So Finns had a new King: Russian emperior Aleksanteri I.
People said that Aleksanteri I was nice and understanding man. So, Johan and Catherine
decided to try again. This was the last time they asked for a permission for the marriage.
70
The answer was still no. Aleksanteri I didnt give any reason why not.
Years went on. The lovers kept going on their lonely lives,
loyal to each others. Johan did his business and tried to live
his life. Year after another went by and he become
more lonely and also very angry. But memories still came back
to his mind. In many evenings he lit up his candles in the
window.
When the light of the candles were seen in the other side of the market place,
Catharina lit her candles too. Then she sat by her window, reading or doing her needlework.
In 1840 Catherine didnt lit up her candles anymore.
She was dead.
Johan lived twelve more years. He was loyal to her till the end. He never got married.
Even today, The Candles are not in the same house.
Johans candle is in Sovelius house and Catharinas candle is in The Museum of
71
Pakkahuone. The market place lies still between them.

Interesting part of the history is, that at the same time Johans sister Katarina Sovelius got
The Kings permission to marry her cousin Johan Nilsson Sovelius.
It is a mystery, why Johan and Catherine were kept apart.
Even today, The
The story is not over
Johans house is still standing in the middle of Raahe. It is said, that Johan Sovelius never left
his house. He is still wondering in his house. Today it is called The Ship Owners home and it is
an exhibit area of the museum. Here we have some ghost-stories about Johan Sovelius.
Even it is said that The House of Sovelius is haunted, people working in the museum have never
really seen Johan - not even little marks of him.
The weirdest thing happened to Eija Turunen in summer 1996. In a beautiful morning Eija came
to work as usual and sat by her desk. She heard noises and thought they were coming from
street. Noises went on and on, so Eija looked from window if someone was cleaning the streets.
There was nobody outside. Eija
understood, that the noise must come from inside the house.
72
She went upstairs. The Ship owners home -museum wasnt open for public yet. A builder with
his men have been fixing the fireplace in the dining room the day before. In the dining room
there were a huge vacuum cleaner on, all alone in front of a fireplace. Nobody was there. Eija
turned the vacuum-cleaner off.
Later she asked from the builders, why the vacuum cleaner was left on alone. The builder
answered, that it is definitely not possible. He said he had vacuumed all the mess. Then he
went downstairs to wash his tools and he had brought them back upstairs ready for the next
day.
Tomi told, that a vacuum cleaner makes so awful noise that you cant listen to it any more than
you really have to.
So they thought that Johan has been there at night and he has turned it on just a little test.
After Johans death, some of his relatives moved in. They told that every time there were
young ladies in
the house (daughter in candidate etc.) Johan the ghost was secretly watching at the door if
there were any girls who could have become a member of his and Catherinas extended family.
73
In one night the lady of

the house was reading in
her bed. Suddenly a
stranger knocked on her
door: It was an old man
with long grey hair and he
had very old clothes. He
said to her: Come with
me! But she was so
scared and she didnt go.
So The old man just
disappeared. Later she
was told that maybe The
Man was Johan himself .
Anni-Marikki, Jiri, Juuso, Jennina, Emilia, Anni

74
Dont you forget The Love Story, or

In one summer a summer guide of the museum forgot to tell The Love Story to the visitors. All
the visitors were his friends, visiting Raahe. A summer worker told stories about the house,
but not everything.
He forgot to tell The Love Story!
When visitors came into the room, there was an open book lying in middle of the room (book
cant drop and fly so far). Afterwards they understood, that Johan the ghost reminded: You
forgot something important!
It was late that night, when our summer worker finally remembered what
he had forgotten: To tell The love story of Johan and Catharina.
Sometimes when
75
Miss Aino
Aino was young and beautiful lady.
And Vinminen was an old and
ugly man.
Vinminen wanted marry Aino,
but Aino didnt want that ugly and
old Vinminen
- and Aino jumped in the sea.
Aino tried to shout something
- Eero-Pekka, Juuso, Esko and Roosa (5th)
76
Aino was young and beautiful lady.
Aino was a sister of Joukahainen,
She was a sister of Joukahainen.
a very beautiful girl.
Vinminen was ugly and old man.
She was young and kind.
He wanted to get married with Aino.
But Vinminen was an ugly old man.
Aino said "I don't want to marry you!"
Ilmarinen wanted Aino to be his wife.
and she jumped in the sea
Aino wanted to marry Ilmarinen.
- and drowned.
But Vinminen said:- I love you Aino!

Aino didnt love Vinminen.
Matias V, Silja, Tiia and Niko (5th)
So, she jumped in the sea and died.
Noora, Siiri, Iida and Veeti Hai. (5th)
77
Ahti the King of the Sea

His wife's name is Vellamo, and he is a king!
If you don't get any fish you can give Ahti a gift.
Ahti lives in the sea!
Ahti the king of the sea!
Ahti is the ruler of the sea!
Ahti is the king of the European seaside.
But he do not eat any algae, only pure mud.
He has a beard of grass and He smells like trash.
He helps every sea animals,
and he looks like a seal.
- Ulpu, Anne, Sylvia and Johanna (5th)-
78
Ahti is the king of the sea.

His face is like grass,
and he smells like trash.
If you don't get fish you can give him a gift.
Ahti owns the sea
and he looks like seal!
He is really ugly
- Tomas, Emilia, Reetta-Sofia, Sami and Aino (5th)
79
Ahti owns the sea - but he looks like a seal.

He is so smelly,
He is so slimy,
He has a beard of grass,
but still he is the king of the sea
He is The ruler of all the sea all around the universe
He is nice, but he can be bad too!
You wont have any lucky in fishing, without giving a gift to Ahti,
His wife is the queen of the sea , but HE is the KING of the sea!
-Toni, Otso and Veeti Hau. (5th)

80
81

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