Macedonia Land of Myths and Legends

 

 

Reception for the Artists on Thursday, April 2nd from 6 to 9pm

 Exhibition of works created at RZ Institute. The event will feature wine from Stobi Winery, sponsor of the exhibition.

Teto – Tetovo

 

The old people from Tetovo still tell the story of a man called Teto. Once upon a time Teto had some very important errand that he needed to do in some village. He was aware of the poverty in the country, because of that he armed himself with many kinds of weapons and set off on a journey to the place where today the town of Tetovo is located. He was walking and walking and he reached to the two hills, where a snake jumped in front of him. Teto was firing arrows towards the snake, but the snake got angry. Teto struggling and fighting with the snake, in the end he managed to stab it with a sword straight in the snake’s heart.

After he got rid of the snake and cleared his way, he went to the place where today the town of Tetovo is. Teto was the first inhabitant of this place, thus the people named the place after his name.

 

Antigone – Negotino

 

The name itself ‘Antigone’ refers to a brave and determined person. Antigone confronted the death and the darkness of the netherworld; she was not even hindered by the earthly laws and commandments. Although she was aware that they will condemn her as guilty, she found the strength and decided to respect God’s decree and let to be led by the love she had for her brother. The city of Negotino got its name after Antigone.

Dojrina – Dojran

 

The legend about the formation of Dojran Lake says that in the old times on the place of Dojran Lake, there was a well from which the people pumped water. Whenever people filled their buckets with water, they always locked the well with 9 padlocks after they are finished.

One day the most beautiful girl called Dojrana headed to the well to pump water. The boy that she loved was waiting for her near the well. After she filled her buckets with water, Dojrana forgot to lock the last padlock, infatuated by the boy’s caressing. The water overflowed the well and the whole district as well, thereby a lake was formed and people named it after the beautiful girl Dojrana.

 

The Bull from Stobi

Ancient people living on these lands believed that the bull is a protector of the fertility, welfare and prosperity. In every household they kept a bull figure in order to protect their families and bring prosperity in their homes.

The Brown Bear

The folks tell a legend of a girl living with her step-mother. A long time ago there was a girl that lived with her mean step-mother that had always made the young girl do the hardest errands in the housework. But one day the step-mother excessed her cruelty and gave he girl black wool and made her to go to the river and wash the wool until it goes white. The girl couldn’t put up with her step-mother anymore; she wrapped the wool around her and left to the mountain. That is the legend of how the brown bear originated, today the brown bear can be still seen on the Macedonian mountains. Today there is a sculpture of a brown bear in the National Park ‘Pelister’ in Bitola, which if one strokes the bear, their wish will be fulfilled.