Legends of the Dolomites

 

Thanks to the contribution of the Istitut Ladin Micurá de Rü ,

we are bringing you the fifth legend:

Aurona – L paesc dl or y dla lumes

 

TThis legend is set in the heart of the Dolomites, deep in the Pale Mountains with their white, pink peaks, below the black volcanic summits of Padòn, in front of the pristine snow of the Marmolada. This story tells of mines and mysterious places which hide immense treasures and can only be opened by magic. The legend of Aurona is brought to us today by the Istitut Ladin Micurá de Rü which organises events aimed at preserving and promoting the language and culture of the Ladin people. The headquarters of the Istitut Ladin Micurá de Rü in Val Badia are in San Martino in Badia and in Selva in Val Gardena.

 

Ladin

Aurona – L paesc dl or y dla lumes  (traduzione Leander Moroder)

Nscì dijoven de Aurona, dl rëni sota tiera dl sëurora: l paesc dl or y dla lumes. Grant assé o monce deplù per merité l inuem de paesc. N paesc ulache l or y la lumes, che l scicova sciche n tabernacul, ova la sëuravënta. Lumes de valor che, dal’autra pert, ne fajova dutes deberieda nia na drëta lum, ma n cër linëus sëura dlonch tl chëul dl crëp. Sciche l gran uet che la scundova, ie la ciadëina de crëps dl Padon, ulache nasc l ruf che à l medem inuem de Aurona, scura sciche l vënter de n fëur, semienta a mudli de resć dlongia na gran giaveda. La richëzes ne univa iló a lum nia mé per n urt, ma tres l lëur dur di abitanc y fova l frut de na marciadeda danter l rë y l Infiern. Aldo dla marciadeda, ne fosseles mei finedes, pur che l popul restëssa per for sota tiera. Per stlù l’ ntreda oven murà su na porta duta d’or.

Povester fova chël rëni n dut un cun l Delà o fova n ducat mpurtant de chësc, ulache mé l reniant savova velch dl mond dedora, de si lum che stlaiova ino y de coche l fossa, ala fin dla finedes, ch’l se baraté ju danter di y nuet, de vita y mort a seguré si richëza, ch’l deplù zënza fin. Perdrët ne luna l or nia, ma l lascia ora n linëus lesier che dura, nsci che ch’i ëi y ch’la ëiles cialova ora per duta si vita sciche larves. Vëira iel che deguni, ora dl rë de Aurona, ne n’ova mei udù la lum dl surëdl. Pona, n di, fatalità drëta de uni cunteda, fovel tumà ju na lampa y l se ova giaurì n busc tl revëut, delibran n rai taient de lum, tan linëus da giaté ueia de se blandé laite.

La ciavernes de Aurona fova spartides dal rest dl mond mé da n parëi sutil. Un di vedli gevadëures fova jit de viers de chël uedl adurbënt y l ova tlecà na scela longia per cialé delà dla funtana de linëus.

Dut l ova tucà, la formes, i culëures y la lum termënta, de gra a chëla che l gran spetacul suzedova. Canche l ova trat zeruch l cë, ovel scumencià a splighé, a cialé de cunfrunté. Tla marueia de duc, i uedli mplenii dla cosses ududes, ne se ovel sul mumënt nia ntendù de vester deventà vierc. La sfënta fova debota unida stluta. Purempò, nce zënza les nunzië, ova la paroles dl vedl giaurì na streda tl cuer di abitanc de Aurona, dantaldut te chël dla prinzëssa Somavida.

L trangujamënt che la piova, n sentimënt mei pruà dant, dajova do mé sce la stajova dlongia la porta stluta dl rëni. Iló, muciovel ca n rundenì de chël vel’ de auter forest y da nchersciadum. L ti univa dant de audì sonns, datrai n bieberné o vel’ ujes nsëuralauter. Y povester ovela, ëila nstëssa, purvà de suserné velch oravier. N ne sà nia avisa a ce maniera che Odolghes, l rë de Contrin, fova unit al savëi de si susté do la porta y che l ova mpermetù de delibré la prinzëssa.

Per set dis ndolauter ovel tamarà si speda contra la porta y fova stat bon, ala fin, de storjer un di polesc y de la giaurì de tant, che do a Somavida, ie dut l popul de Aurona sbunfà tl mond, sen jan per for dal scur. Dal gran bater sula porta, se ova la piza dla speda dl rë mbalà d’or. Per na spana almanco, ova l or tëut l post dl fier, senian nia na njonta, ma na fujion, n sëni de forza, n seniel.

La piza lunova tan da bestia ntan la batalia, che ala speda y a chiche la purtova fovel unì dat l inuem Sabia de Fech. Odolghes ova maridà Somavida, ma refudan si richëzes. L fova stat nce per chël che n ova lascià de pensé a Aurona, desmincian bel plan l post ulache fova la porta. Ala fin ova na smueia inò stlut l‘ ntreda.

L resta n valguna dumandes. Pra chi tucova pa Sabia de Fech, pra l rë saudé o pra l lecord de Aurona, pra si striunët? Y chi fova pa perdët si abitanc? Zënza desmincë Somavida, cun si inuem da preve che ne pudova nia mé ulëi dì danora na ulentá de mucé. Povester, a dubité da nuef, ne fova l rë de Aurona nia auter che Ade, pere de na richëza y de na tirania zënza lims. La marciadeda de tenì liedes strëntes l’anes di morc, propi per no trangujë de massa i vives, fova unì rota da n eroe che ti tol na fia y na nevicia al rë dl dessot. La ti garata, o almanco perel nscì, ajache l rest dla storia, nce sce la auza ora si valor, ne l selva nia, dut auter.

 

English

Aurona – The land of gold and lights

Aurona, the underground kingdom of plenty, was known as “el pais de l’or e de la lùmes” (the land of gold and lights). It was large enough, or perhaps too large, to be called a land. Here, life revolved around the gold and the lights which adorned it like a shrine. The lights were beautiful but not even all of them could produce a real light, only a dim light that spread through that space deep in the mountain. Just like the hell it concealed, the Padòn mountain chain, home to a spring called Aurona, is as dark as the inside of an oven and looks like waste piled up at the sides of a huge pit. The treasures did not see the light of day by mere chance, but thanks to the hard work of the inhabitants and a pact made between the King and the Underworld. The agreement said that the treasures would never run out, as long as the people stayed underground. The entrance to this land was blocked by a golden door. Maybe this kingdom really was the afterlife, or maybe it was one of its important dukedoms, where only the king knew about the outside world, about the sun that rose then set, and how it was day which gave way to night, and life to death, that guaranteed that boundless wealth. After all, gold does not glitter but gives off a faint, lasting light, and for the whole of their lives those men and women were little more than ghosts. The fact of the matter was that nobody, except the King of Aurona, had ever seen the light of the sun. One day, as fate would have it, a lamp fell from the roof, opening up a hole in the vault through which shone a bright ray of light, it was so bright you just wanted to bathe in it. A small gap was all that separated the caves of Aurona from the rest of the world. One of the old miners fetched a long ladder and lent it against the sides of the cave, climbing up towards the blinding eye to see what was beyond the light. He could scarcely believe his eyes when he saw the shapes, the colours and the enormous light which illuminated this unexpected spectacle. He climbed back down and began explaining, trying to compare it with what he knew. So taken was he by the wonders he had seen, at first he did not realise that he had become blind. The hole was immediately closed up. Even though the people of Aurona did not speak of what the old man had seen, his words had a huge impression on the people of Aurona, especially Princess Sommavida. The misery that this discovery generated in her, a feeling she had never experienced before, was only placated if she stayed close to the blocked entrance to the kingdom. There, an echo of that land that was so foreign but which she longed for, would filter through. She thought she could hear sounds, at times bleating, at times confused voices. And maybe even she whispered something to the outside world. Nobody really knows how it happened, but Odòlghes, the King of Contrìn, learnt about her vigil behind the door and made up his mind to free the princess. For seven long days he banged his sword against the door, finally managing to make a crack in it, opening it just wide enough for Sommavida and all the people of Aurona to escape, finally turning their backs on the darkness. The king had hit his sword so long and hard against the door, the tip of it was covered in gold. At least a hand’s width of precious metal had replaced the iron, it was not an addition but a fusion, a symbol of power and recognition. The tip of the sword shone so brightly in battle that it and its owner were known as Sàbja da Fek, sword of fire. Odòlghes married Sommavida, renouncing her wealth. Gradually people stopped mentioning Aurona and, over the years, the exact location of the door was forgotten. Until a landslide once again closed the entrance off. There are, however, still some questions. Who did Sàbja da Fek really belong to, the warrior king or the memory of Aurona and its evil spell? And who were its inhabitants? And let’s not forget Sommavida, whose priestly name was not merely a prophesy of her desire to escape. Perhaps, as people have already said, the king of Aurona was no other than Hades himself, the author of such wealth and tyranny. The pact to keep the souls of the dead all together, so as not to torment the living, was broken by a hero who rescued a daughter and spouse from the ruler of the Underworld. He manages, or at least so it seems, because the rest of the story honours his importance but does not save him, quite the opposite.

Ph. Da Rin Puppel