Witches, forbidden love, hedonist countesses are all part of the stories engraved into the names of some Croatian towns and villages.
Interesting stories and legends of brave heroes and sad love affairs have been passed down from generation to generation, and now anyone can get familiar with them thanks to the Facebook initiative “The places of my heart”, reports agrobiz.hr on June 19, 2016.
Here is one about the forbidden love. Long, long time ago, Desinić Municipality was ruled by the mighty Count Herman II Celjski. His young son Fridrik fell in love with the golden-haired, beautiful girl Veronica and they got married secretly despite Herman’s opposition. After the old Count found out about this, he sent an army to find them. Fridrik managed somehow to send Veronica out of the town. The soldiers captured and imprisoned him in the Tower of Celje, a very narrow and about 23 meters high structure. They kept him there for over four years. The soldiers found Veronica as well and kept her at Veliki Tabor. The Count had accused Veronica of being a witch who seduced his son, and he organized a trial against her.
However, after the judges freed Veronica, the Count issued an order to kill the girl. In the courtyard of Veliki Tabor a huge wooden bowl full of water was placed and they drowned Veronica in it. Her dead body was walled into the structure that connects the pentagonal tower with the entrance to the castle. Even today, especially in the long winter nights, the sobbing of an unhappy girl can be heard together with the howling wind.
Another entertaining local story involves Pisarovina Municipality and its origins. At the site of the present day Pisarovina there was an estate ruled by the Countess Sara. Since the property was surrounded by numerous vineyards, the Countess’ servants would offer her wine every day telling her, “Pi’ Saro vina! (Sara, drink the wine!)”. That is how Pisarovina got its name.
There is also one about Kuga (Plague) House. As the legend goes, it was located in the Vrbnik Municipality. Jela, a poor woman, lived there with her son. She agreed to take Kuga into the town on her back because Kuga had promised to spare her family. But that evening, Jela’s little boy went to the neighbours, as he did not want to be home alone. The illness has swept all the houses that night, sparing Jela’s as promised, but not the neighbour’s home.
And finally – the Witches from Bednja. Once upon a time, in Bednja, near Trakošćan, there lived witches who were very anxious to marry. A wedding party was ongoing in the village, and the two witches offered, as a gift to the newlyweds, to bring fresh grapes to the table in half an hour. Nobody believed them because it was winter time, so they made a deal: if they really bring fresh grapes, the groom will stop the wedding and marry one of the witches. But, if one of the guests does it before them, the wedding will continue. The groomsman heard witches talking about flying to America on a barrel to pick grapes. He slipped into the barrel secretly and travelled with them. When they returned and while witches rejoiced over the mission accomplished, the groomsman took the grapes and put them on the table first, so the wedding continued.
