The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1910-04-28
A ROUMAN|AN LEGEND
The Tragedy From Which Sprang
ManoIli'S Well.
A WEIRD TALE OF OLDEN DAYS
Neither Fate Nor Flood Nor Hurricane
Could Keep the Faithful Anniker
From the Man She Loved and From
Her Horrible Doom.

Could Keep the Faithful Anniker
From the Man She Loved and From |
Her Horrible Doom.
Tradition is not history. but it serves |
to fill in the gaps left by the chroni-
clers of olden time and throws light |
sometimes a lurid one-upon the |
manners and customs of bygone ages. |
A dark deed cruel enough to be re
membered even in a cruel age is re-
peated from father to son. each gener-
alton adding its touch of superstitious
marvel to the story till it grows into
the fairy tale of today. mythical, yet
not without a kernel of truth.
Among the picturesque peasantry |
of Roumania, fingers many a weird |
tale of olden days. One such legend is
related concerning an ancient monas-
terry, the remains of which are still to
be seen on Il wooded hillside Beneath
the weird walls lie nine great humps
of granite. and among these rocks
rises a spring of clear water. called by
the peasants "Manolli's well" and be-
heved by them to have strange and
wonderful origin.
Once upon a time. we are told. a
Roumanian noble named Negen was
captive in the hands of Selim. the sui
tan Of Turkey. During his exile Ne
gen employed his time in studying
architecture. and. possessing consider
able talent, he undertook to superin-
tend the building of a celebrated
mosque. Charmed by the beauty of
the building, the sultan granted Prince
Negen his liberty and permission to
carry back to his native land certain
costly materials similar to those used
In identifying the mosque.
Accompanied by nine skilled masons.
Negen returned to Roumania, resolved
to immortalize his name by building
there a religious house such as had
never before been seen.
| The site chosen. the builders set to
work under his orders, but their labor
was in vain, for every night evil spir-
| its pulled down what had been erect
ed during the day
One night Manolli. the chief of the
builders. had a strange dream.
mysterious voice warned him that the
building they had undertaken would
never be reared unless they built into
the walls the living form of the first
woman who appeared at break of day.
On awaking from sleep Manolli
told his comrades of this vision. and
together they made a solemn VOW TO
sacrifice thus the first woman. maid or
matron, who appeared the next morn
ing.
With the first streak of dawn Ma
nolli mounted the scaffolding and scan
ned the surrounding hills with pallid
anxious face. Alas, who is it he sees
in the distance? His own fair young
wife, bringing food and wine for her
lord.
Then Manolli threw himself upon
his knees and besought heaven &c
send flood to prevent her from com
ing, and at once the rain poured down
and the river rose so that waste OF
water covered the valley. But the
young wife waded through the water
and Manolli, In despair. beheld hel
still approaching.
Again he prayed, and fierce hurri
cane swept over the mountains, level
ing trees and hurting rocks in the
way. Yet on she came. Anniker hat
brave spirit. and neither flood mo-
tempest would keep her from the maj
she loved.
Joyfully the masons received her
but Manolli's face was pale and strick
en- with anguish.
They led the young wife to niche
in the newly built wall and told her t.
stand there for a joke while they pre-
tended to build her in. At first sh'
laughed merrily and entered into thu
Jest, but her smiles vanished as quick
ly the wall rose from ankle to knee
and from knee to waist. Poor Ami
ker's entreaties and cries did not NOV
the hearts of the stern builders, ant
! soon her voice was heard no more.
The prophetic vision proved true
The building suffered no more from
invisible foes and when complete sat
isfied the pride of Negen's heart. Ma
nolli alone took no pleasure in the edi
fee which had cost him so dear.
1t was finished, and the masons pre-
pared to return to their own country
Negen, however, determined that the,
should never return. The desigl
which they had worked out so ADM
rably was the creature of his brain, tn
darling of his heart; it should never b
reproduced. So he invited them all t
the roof for the last time. Then
treacherously removing the ladders. b
left them there to die.
The masons devised various mean
for reaching the earth. but they wer
all killed in the attempt to escape an
were changed by fairies into the grea
!. blocks of stone which remain to thi
Il day in proof of the tragic event,
Manolli alone made no effort to say
! himself and Joined in none of the cor