Florina

Erasmus +

France, Greece, Italy, Spain

Tales, Myths & Legends

A city without a name

I will tell you a myth that we learned as children and passes down from generation to generation... I heard it for the first time from my grandmother. A cold night in winter, in front of the fireplace the tangle was unraveled..

"Somewhere in the North there was a city without a name, a city submerged in snow..."

...It was so cold that even the river was frozen and you could walk on it! ...

... From November to March everything around was covered by an all-white and sparkling veil...

Until spring finally comes, my child! Our river, Sakulevas, had swelled again after the heavy downpour that had been falling for days.

As if the old people were right and young girls came out of the rapids, with magical properties!Maybe... the Nymphs?

We already knew that a rainbow would appear and color the whole area. But on that day seemed that something unusual would happen...

Everyone gathered around Sakuleva and waited.

If they were lucky, they were about to witness a new, unknown, "Nymph" emerging from the river right before their eyes!!They started wondering how she could look like..The bets were 'raining down' and the anxiety had reached its peak.

Suddenly, everyone fell silent... The time they've been waiting for has arrived. A gurgle was heard and a beautiful girl, with golden hair and deep blue eyes, emerged from Sakuleva’s foaming waters.She wore a pure white airy dress and a wreath of wild flowers adorned her head.

- Let's give her our city that has no name! Let's name her Florina so that she will always reminds us of Flora!

-“Let's give her a chariot, a carriage, so, she can travel and get to know our country”, the voice of a small child was heard.- “And so she will want to stay here forever!”

The Nymph smiled without speaking. They offered her many local products, such as strawberries, mushrooms, red peppers, beans, wine and sparkling water.

They were startled and looked at her as if they were spellbound without even uttering a word. They loved her... from the very first moment.

They didn't know what to do to please her; Proposals were pouring in.

They were startled and looked at her as if they were spellbound without even uttering a word. They loved her... from the very first moment.

-Are you hungry? Do you want something to eat?- Are you thirsty? Shall I get you some water? -Are you tired? Do you want to lie down?

- My name is Flora, she said and smiled. So nice to meet you!

-“Thank you all!”, she said, in her sweet voice. “I am incredibly honored that you want to name your beautiful city after me! But now, I would like to get to know your place, to feel it, to "smell" and "taste" it!

A murmur of agreement and a loud applause was heard from all. A very nice idea,indeed, to call their city Florina, thanks to this ethereal existence that Sakulevas gave them. What a lovely name! they thought.

As soon as it gets dark, she lies down in a hammock and immediately falls asleep.

...plays with the squirrels and turtles, and tastes berries and wild strawberries.

First, she went to the forest of tall oaks and firs, a forest that towered over the city as if to protect it. The Nymph is enchanted by the beauty of the landscape, smells the colorful flowers, happily listens to the birds chirping...

As dawn breaks, she gets up, admires the view from above and, slowly, descends towards the city. A small chapel emerges in front of her. She lights a candle and is tempted to ring its bell. Din, dun, din, dun!! Its sound can be heard throughout the city.

Wherever she looks, she sees beautiful things around her. Old mansions, trees with pink leaves and cobbled streets.

A covered market with colorful stalls full of goodies catches her eye: peppers, beans, greens, flowers, fruits and vegetables. Music from brass instruments is heard all around.

She heads to find her sisters, the rest of the nymphs and fairies, to sing and dance together. In front of the chariot they laugh, they play, they have fun.

Lygeas observed the girls one by one. He was looking for the one, who would look straight at him. And there she was... in her white airy dress, crowned with a colorful wreath of wildflowers…

And suddenly, as the legend says, a handsome boy, Lygeas, who was hunting with his bow in the forest, appears. As soon as the nymphs saw him, they started teasing him, taking his hat, making him dance with them!

It was Flora. He fell in love with her at first sight! He singled her out from the rest, held her handkerchief and invited her to dance. Once the dance was over... -“Do you want to be my wife?” Lygeas asked enchanted. - “I want nothing more in the whole world”, Flora responded.

Their match seemed to have been the will of Gods, for at that moment, a swallow flew over them and the whole sky was illuminated by a bright sun.

Flora and Lygeas get into the carriage and go to his tower-house in the center of the city. He wants to introduce her to his beloved grandmother, Lygistida. Flora would learn many things from this wise woman in the years to come.

- “And after all this happened, it's time for our heroes to get married, my child”, the grandmother continued her story. Their wedding lasted three days!

Lygistida, a noblewoman, the moment she saw the girl was stunned by her aura. She helped them to build a city with seven rows of circular walls on the hill of Agios Panteleimon. They also built towers at three strategic points. On the top of Mount Varnoundas, in Prespes Lake and in Nymphaeum.

All the inhabitants danced and sang to the sound of the brass band of the town, they ate traditional dishes and drank tsipouro and wine. The newly married couple received wishes and gifts from every resident. Homemade strawberry liqueurs, pomegranates to have abundance in their home, flowers, peppers, beans, apples, pears, oranges and all kinds of pies, but also embroidery, woven and pitchers and all the goods of the world, filled and refilled the carriage that was in the yard of their house.

At night they lit fires of wood and cedar, called "Chiriviri", from the sound cedars make when they burn, filling the dark night sky with big sparks… The Nymph was favored by Poseidon and Artemis. Poseidon offered to Florina water and fish, lakes and rivers, while Artemis filled the land with abundant hunting and forests.

And they lived happily ever after! grandmother said, hugging her grandchild with love.

the end