Legend of the Seven Hills
/based on “Mother’s Curse” by A. Karaliychev/

Many years ago, the then turbulent waters of Hebros, today’s Maritsa, were flowing by the most wonderful city in Thrace and hushed, as if fascinated by it, before the white-stone fortress. The people here lived happily – they bred wonderful horses, golden wheat and sweet grape, they sung their marvelous songs and glorified the Thracian Gods, the men were glorious warriors known from afar, and there were legends of their women’s marvelous beauty. The city grew wealthier and its glory spread to faraway lands…

One day, by the city gates a white-haired woman embraced her son good-bye. The fortress walls were too narrow for the young man. His heart was longing for unknown lands and his mind for new knowledge and he headed towards the unknown. He rode his best horse and took with him his mother’s last embrace and the wheat bread with the spell never to forget his homeland.

The lad joined the victorious army of Alexander the Great and headed far East. He visited many lands, knew many people and learned many things. He became famous as a courageous warrior and when the Macedonian army was conquering Babylon – the city with untold riches, he was the first to climb the fortress walls. For this heroic act, Alexander himself presented the young Thracian with the King’s Sword of the conquered city and made him its ruler. For nine years the once Thracian youth and courageous warrior ruled wisely Babylon, built new fortresses and increased the wealth of his new kingdom. The splendor and the power slowly began to erase the memories of his homeland.

Meanwhile his homeland was attacked by cruel enemies, who were destroying everything on their way. The wild hordes surrounded the fortress by the river and it grew harder and harder for its defenders to withstand their attacks.
The glory of the Babylon king had long ago reached his home lands and in these days of supreme danger, his mother sent her younger son to ask for help. The young man sneaked out through a secret passage from the fortress and overcoming thousands of dangers arrived in Babylon with a last hope to receive help for the surrounded city.

The ruler, however, did not wish to help his countrymen. He was having a feast after another glorious victory and the sounds of the joyous melodies closed his heart for the sufferings of his brothers. The messenger returned to the besieged fortress with empty hands and crushed hopes and with heavy heart told his mother about the refusal of his brother. She was already so old, that nobody remembered her age, everybody, however, remembered her words. Although quietly whispered, they were echoing with great force over the devastated fortress:

“Oh, my son! There will come a day when you will want to come back. Let, when that day comes, your land refuses you. Your heart remained closed for our pain, let your city remain closed for you forever! Your soul has turned into a stone – let you become one! Let my curse reach you, for there is nothing worse than treason and oblivion!”

These words gave strength to the old woman; she grabbed the sword of a dead warrior and rushed towards the enemies.
The cruel invaders stepped aside stunned by the fierce look of the supposedly weak old woman, and after her, with their last strength, wounded men swung theirs swords, enraged women and children threw spears, oblivious of the whole world. Defeated, the enemy hordes retreated, and the surviving defenders of the fortress returned to put down its fires. Life went on.

The city returned to its previous life, the people slowly shook off from the horrible experience and started to build anew their homes, to sow their fields, to breed their horses.

The years went on one after another in an endless string. The once handsome youth, who had left the plains of Thrace to see the world, had become a feeble old man. He was no longer happy with his wealth, the songs and dances of the strange land could no longer cheer him up. He often dreamt of the endless sky above his homeland, the songs of the river and longed for the warm rays of the Thracian sun. One day he realized that he will find peace only there, in the land which he thought he had forgotten. He loaded part of his enormous wealth on 7 camels as a gift for his home city, and headed northeast. The closer he was getting to his land, the faster his heart was beating and his impatience grew. And there, somewhere ahead in the distance appeared the white pinnacles of the fortress and the river could be heard…Little more, just a little more and he would reach the longed land…But suddenly the old man felt how his feet were turning into stone, how the icy coldness was gripping his hands and body, and slowly crowed towards his heart… He never reached his city. The curse of his mother came true – his native land refused to accept even the remains of those, who had betrayed and forsook it. The camels carrying his treasures also turned into stone.

May be this is why the City on the seven hills remained forever beautiful and rich, and the stone heaps even today remind of the mother’s curse, that there is no forgiveness for the betrayal, that there is no land prettier and holier than the Motherland. 

Legend of Maritsa River
/based on “On the Rivers” by Pseudoplotarchus/

Through the fertile plains of Thrace winds up the silver strip of Maritsa River. Born up in the mountain of Rila, where several little springs leave the Marichini lakes and slowly become big and glorious river. Once it was called Rombus because of the numerous whirlpools. Its shores were the favorite place of a handsome and proud youth called Hebar – son of the local ruler Xander and the beautiful Krotonike.

One day Xander decided to leave his wife and married the young daughter of Atrax -Damasipe, who became Hebar’s stepmother. She instantly felt in love with her stepson and before long proposed to him that they run away. Hebar was sincerely outraged; he loved his father very much and could no allow his happiness to be ruined by his lecherous stepmother. For days he wondered the forest hunting, trying to avoid the encounters with Damasipe. The young woman went frantic with her failure and told Xander that his son tried to rape her. The king maddened, grabbed his sword and rushed after his innocent heir who had desecrated his marriage and nothing could stop his anger. Hebar run through the forest for a long time, but no matter how vast it was, there was nowhere he could hide. When he reached the steep shore he jumped in the wild water of the river Rombus which was then called Hebros in his honor. And the gods turned the young man into immortal deity – patron of the river, which in the name of dignity and honor became his last have.