October 17, 2012

Pagan Girl / Ajdovska deklica


Ajdovska deklica is a picturesque rock face of a woman that found its own special place in folk fable. The antropomorph rock formation was created by erosion of grained dolomite and is 12 metres tall (7 metres on the gradual side) and up to 2 metres wide. The legend says that the Pagan Girl (Ajdovska deklica) is an image of a petrified pagan giantess. She was a kind and warm-hearted woman who would help mountaineers and people transporting goods find their way through snow blizzards to Trenta. She was also a fate deity (Sojenica) who was able to foretell the destiny of the newborn. She foretold a newborn baby boy from Trenta that he would become a brave hunter, unrivalled by other at the foot of Prisank. He would shoot a white chamois with golden horns, sell the horns and become incredibly rich. When the other Fates heard of her prophesy, they cursed her. As soon as she returned to her home in Prisank, she turned to stone.


(Source: Tuši's blog)



July 7, 2012

The Legend Says ...

The beginnings of Ptujska Gora are wrapped in a mystery, since the church isn't directly mentioned in any of the historical documents. The indirect written sources, however, are consistent with the legend of its origin, which has been preserved in oral tradition to the present day. The legend says that a Lord at the Wurenberg (Vurberk) castle had an only child, a blind daughter. One day, when praying to the Mary, the blind girl saw a light in the distance – on a hill near Ptuj – and she miraculously healed. She asked her parents to take her to the place where she saw the light. The grateful father took her there and decided to build a church in honour of the Virgin Mary. One of the sources, confirming that the church was built by the order of the Lord of Ptuj, is a travel diary of Paolo Santonino (1487). 

In 2010, Ptujska Gora celebrated 600 years of the founding of the church. As a memory of the legend, Marta Mikolič designed a statue of the blind girl looking toward the hill.






The most important data on the founding of the church have been obtained from inventory registers of the archive of the Lords of Stubenberg at the Vurberk castle dating from the years 1467, 1498 and 1543 in which the documents are registered merely in the form of short regests (registers). The inventory includes the regest of the document by which pope Boniface granted Ulrik Walsee permission to build a church on Ptujska Gora. Considering the pontificate of pope Boniface IX (1389-1404) and the time of death of Ulrik IV Walsee in 1400 it can be dated between the years 1389 and 1400. Between 1390 and 1397/98, Ulrik IV Walsee was a guardian to his under-age cousin Bernard, Lord of Ptuj, who was considered the founder of the church on Ptujska Gora. The most significant for the dating of the completion of the church and the founding of the main benefice proved to be the regest of the deed with which Otto, priest at St. Laurence, permitted Bernard, Lord of Ptuj, to post his own curate at Ptujska Gora.





I still haven't bought a tripod, but it's about time I do. :/

June 25, 2012

The Birth House of Simon Gregorčič

Mogočna nisi ne prostorna,
in stavil te umetnik ni,
bolj kot bogata si uborna,
preprosta selska hiša ti!

In vendar ne palač ogromnih
in njih blesku ne bom slavil;
a tebi, dom seljakov skromnih,
nesmrten venec rad bi zvil.
                                                                                                                       (Simon Gregorčič)




June 24, 2012

Tolmin Gorges

Tolmin Gorges, the most visited attraction in the region of Tolmin, are  the lowest entrance into the Troglav National Park. Confluence of two Alpine rivers, Tolminka and Zadlaščica, into a gorge is a unique phenomenon in Slovenia. The chute on the Tolminka River is the lowest point (180m) in Triglav National Park and the longest chute in Slovenia (about 200m). It is also among the deepest (60m under the Devil's bridge).




June 23, 2012

Bright Daugther of the Mountains

River Isonzo rises in the heart of Julian Alps and holds, due to her natural beauty and historical significance, a special place in the hearts of many Slovenians. The poet Simon Gregorčič dedicated one of his most beautiful poems to the 'Emerald Beauty'.




River Soča 

River Soča 

River of Tolmin 

River of Tolmin 


I couldn't find an English translation of the poem 'To Soča' (I believe we're still waiting for it), but for those of you who speak Spanish, there is a Spanish version at the end of the post.



SOČI

Krasná si, bistra hči planin, 
brdka v prirodni si lepoti, 
ko ti prozornih globočin 
nevihte temne srd ne moti, 
krasná si, hči planin! 
Tvoj tek je živ in je legak, 
ko hod deklet s planine; 
in jasna si ko gorski zrak, 
in glasna si, kot spev krepak 
planinske je mladine – 
krasna si, hči planin. 
Rad gledam ti v valove bodre, 
valove te zeleno-modre;
temna zelen planinskih trav 
in vedra višnjevost višav 
lepo se v njih je zlila; 
na rosah sinjega neba, 
na rosah zelenih gora 
lepoto to si pila – 
krasna si, hči planin! 
Ti meni si predraga znanka!
Ko z gorskih prišumiš dobrav, 
od doma se mi zdiš poslanka, 
nesoča mnog mi ljub pozdrav –
Bog sprimi te tu sred planjav!… 
Kako glasno ljubo šumljaš, 
kako čvrsto, krepko skakljaš, 
ko sred gora še pot imaš! 
A ko prideš na ravnine, 
zakaj te živa radost mine? 
Kaj trudno lezeš in počasi,
zakaj so tožni tvoji glasi? 
Težko se ločiš od hribov, 
zibelke tvojega valovja? 
Mar veš, da tečeš tik grobov,
grobov slovenskega domovja? 
Obojno bol pač tu trpiš! 
V tej boli tožna in počasna,
ogromna solza se mi zdiš, 
a še kot solza – krasna! 
Krasna si, bistra hči planin, 
brdka v prirodni si lepoti, 
ko ti prozornih globočin 
nevihte divje srd ne moti! 
Pa oh, sirota tebi žuga 
vihar grozan, vihar strašan; 
prihrumel iz gorkega bo juga, 
divjal čez plodno bo ravan, 
ki tvoja jo napaja struga- 
gorje, da daleč ni ta dan! 
Nad tabo jasen bo oblok, 
krog tebe pa svinčena toča 
in dež krvav in solz potok 
in blisk in grom – oh, bitva vroča!
Tod sekla bridka bodo jekla, 
in ti mi boš krvava tekla: 
kri naša te pojila bo, 
sovražna te kalila bo! 
Takrat se spomni, bistra Soča, 
kar gorko ti srce naroča: 
Kar bode shranjenih voda 
v oblakih tvojega neba, 
kar vode v tvojih bo planinah,
kar bode v cvetnih je ravninah, 
tačas pridrvi vse na dan, 
narasti, vzkipi v tok strašan! 
Ne stiskaj v meje se bregov, 
srdita čez branove stopi, 
ter tujce, zemlje lačne, utopi 
na dno razpenjenih valov! 

(Simon Gregorčič)


AL RÍO SOCHA

Hermosa eres, hija clara de las montañas,
en tu belleza natural eres encantadora,
al no turbarte con su ira, de honduras
trasparentes, la tempestad oscura,
hermosa eres, hija de las montañas!
Tu fluir es liviano y vivaz,
como el paso de doncellas de los montes,
y eres límpida como el aire serrano,
y eres sonora como el vigoroso canto
de la juventud montana!
¡Hermosa eres, hija de las montañas!
Me gusta mirar tus excitantes olas,
a tus olas esmeraldinas:
El verde oscuro de hierbas serranas
y el morado sereno de las alturas
en ellas bellamente confluyeron;
Sobre el rocío del celeste cielo,
sobre el rocío de quebradas verdes
tú has bebido esta hermosura —
hermosa eres, hija de las montañas!
Tú eres mi muy querida conocida!
Al bajar de los prados montañosos,
de mi hogar pareces mensajera,
trayéndome saludos cariñosos —
Dios te reciba en medio de este llano!...
Con qué fuerza murmuras dulcemente,
con qué soltura saltas tan segura,
cuando corres aun entre las montañas.
Mas, al llegar tus rápidos a las llanuras
¿por qué de pronto se te van las ganas?
¿por qué te arrastras lenta y cansada?
¿Por qué tus voces se vuelven tristes?
¿Separarte es difícil de tus montañas,
de la cuna de tus oleajes?
¿Acaso sabes que bordeas los sepulcros,
sepulcros de hogares eslovenos?
¡El dolor de ambas penas aquí sufres!
En tu pena lenta y tan triste
una lágrima enorme me pareces,
y aún como lágrima — hermosa!
¡Hermosa eres, hija clara de las montañas!
En tu belleza natural eres encantadora,
al no turbarte con su ira, de honduras
trasparentes, la tempestad oscura!
Mas, oh, pobre, a ti te amenaza
un temporal de horror, temporal terrible;
irrumpirá desde el sur caliente,
correrá salvaje por la llanura fértil
que tu estás bañando con tu cauce —
guay, que no está lejos ese día!
Sobre ti brillará límpido el cielo
mas, alrededor tuyo habrá granizo de plomo,
un aluvión de lágrimas y lluvia de sangre,
relámpagos y truenos, - oh, lucha enardecida!
Por aquí aceros cortarán dolientes
y tu correrás toda ensangrentada:
nuestra sangre será para abrevarte,
y la enemiga para enturbiarte!
Recuerde entonces, clara Socha,
lo que el corazón ardiente te encarga:
Con todas las aguas guardadas
en las nubes de tus cielos,
y que aún habrá en tus montañas
y en florecientes tus llanuras,
¡entonces irrumpe con todas ellas
en terrible correntada embravecida!
Y no te limites a las riberas,
furiosa sobrepasa las defensas
y a los extranjeros, hambrientos de nuestra tierra,
ahoga en el fondo de tus olas encrespadas!

(Translation/traducción: Branko Rebozov)