The legend about the Rose of Turaida
It was the year 1601, when the Swedish army invaded the Turaida Castle during the Polish- Swedish wars. One of the bravest fighters of the Swedish army, known as Greif, was walking around the castle between the killed in battle shortly after the occupation, when he realized there was a little baby among the dead bodies.
She was a girl, just a few weeks old. Greif decided to adopt her and rise her as his own daughter. As the battle had happened in the month of May, he decided to name the little girl Maija (May).
Years went by and little Maija grew up to be a beautiful and admired lady known as the Rose of Turaida. She was promised to a gardener called Victor Hail, who lived at the opposite side of the Gauja River in Sigulda Castle. Both lovers used to meet halfway, in a secret cave- the Gutmanis Cave.
A Polish deserter named Jakubovsky also fell in love with Maija, and asked her to marry him but the young lady declined his offer. Angry Jakubovsky sent his friend named Skudritis with a fake message to meet Maija: he said to bring a message from Victor changing the time of their evening meeting to an earlier time than usual. When Maija arrived to the cave, she found the angered Jakubovsky and she realized she had been fooled. Jakubovsky’s plan was to take her by force, but Maija preferred to die before that could happen so she decided to deceive him into killing her.
She offered Jakubovsky the red scarf she was wearing, and she told him that it was a magical scarf that protected anyone who wore it from death.
She promised she would give it to him if he let her go, and, to prove its magical powers, he could try to kill her with his sword. Jakubovsky hesitated, but it was a time when society believed strongly in superstition and magic, he ended up charging his sword against Maija, and ending the girl’s life.
Once Jakubovsky realized what he had done, he feared the punishment for killing Maija, so he ran off and hanged himself in the woods. Later that night, Victor arrived to the cave to meet with Maija as usual, only to find her murdered.
The Rose of Turaida was buried in the cemetery by Turaida Church and at her tomb there was planted a linden tree. For Latvians linden trees simbolize the beauty and purity of young girls.
Even today, when visiting the Turaida castle, we can see this old tree near the Maija’s tomb. And nowadays there is a tradition for just young married couples to go to the tomb of Turaida Rose on their wedding day to show each other that love is stronger than death.
The love story of Maija and Victor has also inspired the nickname of Turaida, which is sometimes referred to as “The City of Love”.
La leggenda della Rosa di Turaida
Era l’anno 1601 quando l’armata svedese invase il Castello di Turaida durante le guerre polacco-svedesi.Uno dei più coraggiosi combattenti dell’armata svedese conosciuto come Greif,stava camminando attorno al castello tra i caduti in battaglia poco dopo l’occupazione,quando realizzò che c’era un neonato tra i cadaveri. Era una bambina , di appena poche settimane. Greif decise di adottarla e crescerla come se fosse sua figlia. Visto che la battaglia era avvennuta nel mese di maggio , decise di chiamare la bambina Maija.
Trascorsero gli anni e la piccola Maija crebbe, affascinante e ammirata e da tutti conosciuta come la Rosa di Turaida. Fu promessa in sposa ad un giardiniere chiamato Victor Hail che viveva al lato apposto del fiume Gauja nel castello di Sigulda. Entrambi gli amanti erano soliti incontrarsi a metà strada , in una grotta segreta – la grotta di Gutmains.
Un disertore polacco chiamato Jakubovsky si innamorò anche lui di Maija, e le propose di sposarlo ma la giovane donna rifiutò la sua offerta. Arrabbiato Jakubovsky mandò un suo amico ,chiamato Skudritis, da Maija con un falso messaggio relativo al loro appuntamento: nel messaggio a nome di Victor, l’orario del loro incontro serale era anticipato rispetto al solito. Quando Maija arrivò alla grotta ad attenderla c'era un irato Jakubovsky e realizzò di essere stata ingannata , il piano di Jakubovsky era quello di prenderla con la forza, ma Maija preferì morire prima che questo potesse accadere e decise di ingannarlo per farsi uccidere.
Lei gli offrì la sciarpa rossa che indossava e gli disse che era magica e che avrebbe protetto chiunque dalla morte . Gli promise di dargliela se l’ avesse lasciata andare e per testare i suoi poteri , poteva provare ad ucciderla con la sua spada. Jakubovsky esitò ma a quel tempo la società credeva fortemente nella superstizione e nella magia , e finì per puntare la spada contro Maija, e la uccise.
Non appena Jakubovsky realizzò cosa aveva fatto, temendo la punizione per l’uccisione di Maija, scappò e si impiccò nel bosco. Passata quella notte , Victor giunse nella grotta per incontrare Maija come al solito e scoprì che era stata uccisa.
La Rosa di Turaida fu seppellita nel cimitero dalla chiesa di Turaida e sulla sua tomba fu piantato un tiglio. Per i Lettoni il tiglio simboleggia la bellezza e la purezza delle fanciulle.
Anche oggi,quando si visita il castello di Turaida, è possibile osservare l’albero vicino la tomba di Maija. E oggigiorno c’è l’usanza per cui le coppie appena sposate durante il giorno del loro matrimonio si recano sulla tomba di Turaida per mostrare quanto il loro amore sia più forte della morte.
La storia d’amore di Maija e Victor ha anche ispirato il nome di Turaida, che è identificata come ‘la città dell’amore’.
Leģenda par Turaidas rozi
1601. gada pavasarī zviedru karapulki ieņēma Turaidas pili. Pēc kaujas pils rakstvedis Greifs starp nogalinātajiem atrada dažus mēnešus vecu meitenīti. Greifs aiznesa meitenīti mājās un apņēmās viņu izaudzināt. Tas notika maijā, tāpēc meitenīti nosauca par Maiju.
Gāja gadi, un Maija izauga par daiļu jaunavu. Viņas skaistuma dēļ ļaudis Maiju dēvēja par Turaidas Rozi. Gaujas pretējā krastā – Siguldas pilī dzīvoja viņas līgavainis – dārznieks Viktors Heils. Vakaros viņi satikās pie Gūtmaņa alas.
Tajā laikā pilī dienēja divi poļu armijas dezertieri – Jakubovskis un Skudrītis. Jakubovskis iemīlēja Maiju un vēlējās viņu precēt, taču meitene bildinājumu noraidīja. Tas Jakubovski saniknoja, un viņš nolēma meiteni iegūt ar varu.
Jakubovskis uzrakstīja zīmīti (it kā no Viktora) un aizvilināja Maiju uz ierasto tikšanās vietu Gūtmaņa alā. Maija atnāca un saprata, ka ir piekrāpta. Meitenei ap kaklu bija sarkans zīda lakatiņš, un viņa teica Jakubovskim, ka šim lakatiņam piemīt burvju spēks – tā nēsātājs tiek pasargāts no zobena cirtieniem, un aicināja to pārbaudīt. Tas bija laiks, kad cilvēki ticēja burvestībām. Jakubovskis sākumā vilcinājās, bet tad cirta no visa spēka, un meitene saļima pie viņa kājām. Maija nolēma labāk mirt, nekā tikt pazemota. Pēc notikušā Jakubovskis nobijās, ieskrēja mežā un pakārās.
Maiju apglabāja kapsētā blakus Turaidas baznīcai un pie viņas kapa iestādīja liepu, kas latviešiem simbolizē meitenes daiļumu un tikumību. Vēl šodien, apmeklējot Turaidas pili, mēs varam redzēt šo veco koku pie Maijas kapa. Un mūsdienās jaunlaulātiem ir tradīcija savā kāzu dienā doties pie Turaidas Rozes kapa, lai apliecinātu viens otram, ka mīla ir stiprāka par nāvi
Nr.2. The legend of Lacplesis.( That who can tear the bears)
Lacplesis was born from Bear's mother. From his mother he inherited the bear's ears and strength.
In the first years of the young man, he cleaned up the father's house around the carnivores: bears, wolves and wild pigs, gripping them behind the jaws and tearing them apart. So he got the name Lacplesis.
Later, when there was no work in the house where to use his force, he traveled to the Baltics in search of employment. So he once relocated to the River Daudava, and then started to work for a master. The master gave him to do all sorts of hard work, promising his beautiful daughter as a wife.
Lacplesis did all the work and freed the earth from all kinds of monsters. The Lord had no where to appear, and Lacplesis received his beautiful daughter as his wife and lived for some time happily.
Behind the seven seas there was a terrible witch. She had a three-headed son. The son asked her mother every morning: "Mother, am I the strongest in the whole country?" She said, "Yes." But once she said: "You would be the strongest in the whole country if Lacplesis, which is stronger than you, would not live after seven seas prayed and threatened to win the secret of learning The witch from the devils learned that Lacplesis's force was hiding in his bear's ears. If they were cut off, then he would be like all other people.
They met at the Daugava River. Lāčplēsis first with his heavy sword cut one head off . The monster cut off the right ear of Lacplesis. Now the right arm lost its power and could not hold a heavy sword. So he put the sword in his left hand and cut off the other head of the witch's son. It cut off Lacplesis's left ear and the sword fell to the ground. They both began to fight, but when the evening came, they both fall into the river Daugava.
The legend tells that Lāčplēsis rests in the Daugava river bed near Lielvarde, but he will return if Latvia is in dangerous.
Nr.3. The legend about Nitaure.
A long time ago in ancient Latvia there was a castle. One dark night the watcher was on his usual routine – sitting in a fir tree and looking for intruders. But as the night progressed he fell asleep and his horn fell out of his hands. At one point he woke up and saw the crusaders aproaching. He noticed his horn was gone but he had to alert the others somehow. He yelled out: „Niht taur! Niht taur! Niht taur!”. His screams alerted everyone in the castle and they got ready just in time to face the intruders. That night they fought off the crusaders ferociosly. And after this fight the castle and the little place surrounding the castle was called Nitaure.