Here's a short collection of our old posts:
It’s told, for example, according to Greek mythology, that Cronos was convinced by his mother Gaea to evirate his father Uranus. He evirated him through a scythe, so the name of Messina was Zancle at that time (whose meaning is “scythe” in Greek language). Besides, Aphrodite, another important Greek divinity, was born from water foam.
Another myth regards Cariddi, who was a woman before her transformation, made by the main Greek god, Zeus, into a terrible underwater monster. She created whirlpools in the strait of Messina which could swallow the ships that were there and had to pass near one of the two monsters. Cariddi was on the opposite side of the strait where another terrible monster’s cave, whose name was Scilla, was. These whirlpools were originated by the meeting of two water foams.
Finally, another legend speaks about a person called Nicola, whose nickname was Colapesce for the fact that he could swim easily. He always narrated the discoveries made underwater after his crossings and once upon a time he found also a treasure and became so famous that
Frederick II, Emperor of the ancient Kingdom of Sicily, wanted to put him to the test: first of all, he threw a cup into the strait of Messina, but Colapesce took it immediately, he threw a crown in a deeper place for a second time, but Colapesce returned again, so he threw a ring in a place deeper than the second time and, this time, Colapesce didn’t come back.
According to this story, Colapesce had seen underwater that Sicily was put on three columns and, between these, one was damaged, so he decided to remain underwater forever and support this column to avoid Sicily sank.
(Italy)
Besides the temple, there was a huge castle where lived a proud Lady with very tall servants – giants. She probably devastated the army of Aleksander Wielki and afterwards she wanted people to pay tribute to her as a goddess of Diana. For her impudence and bad things that happened in the castle a clap of thunder smashed the magnificent building into a pile of stones. They can be seen to this day. Inhabitants of the land found huge bones of prehistoric animals so it was easy for them to believe that in the castle lived giants.
Bones were hung on the walls of churches and later on in a glass cupboard. Nowadays the only evidence of pagan ritual on Lysa Gora peak is a two kilometers long stone wall around the mountain. It was made in VIII or IX century.
From Christianity time the mountain was a place of setting a June fire – Sobotka. However, the custom was over in 1869 by Benedictine monks because it was connected with a fair which finished with vandalism and debauchery. The Sobotka rituals were moved on Witoslawska mountain where Zielone Swiatki was celebratedand a few thousand of people came here to a church fair. Lysa Gora mountain and Holy Cross monastery were visited by many pilgrims for years. In 1861 patriotic protests were organised there by about thousand of people.
Part I
In the 13th century a young Polish prince,called Bolesław, of the Piast Dynasty, decided to get married and forhis wife chose a beautiful Hungarian princess of the Arpad Dynasty, Kinga. When Bolesław’s proposal was accepted, the loving father asked Kinga what she would like to get from him as a wedding present. Kinga replied that she wanted no gold and jewels, since they only brought unhappiness and tears. She wanted something that could serve the people she was going to live with. Her request surprised the king greatly – she asked for salt. The king was determined to keep his promise. He offered Kinga the biggest and most prosperous salt deposits in Hungary – the Marmaros salt mine. However, nobody knew what Kinga could do with the treasure. On her way to Poland the princess visited the mine. She threw her engagement ring inside.
When the party arrived in Poland and was approaching Kraków, Kinga stopped and asked the miners to look for salt. They started digging and suddenly hit something very hard. It was a lump of salt. When they broke it, everyone saw what was hidden inside – Kinga’s engagement ring! That is how the Hungarian princess brought salt to our country.
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ST KINGA - patron of salt miners
To commemorate princess Kinga, 101 metres under the ground, down in the mine there is the world’s biggest underground chapel, dedicated to Saint Kinga. Right now in Wieliczka there is the most famous salt mine museum. Wieliczka Salt Mine was established in medieval times. It is a World Heritage Site, located 101 meters below the surface, it is over 50 meters long, 15 meters wide, 12 meters high. It receives up to a million visitors yearly. Here is the link to the mine’s homepage: http://www.kopalnia-wieliczka.pl/english/
She founded many churches and hospitals, she ransomed Christians captured by the Turks, and served the poor and ill. Her cult was confirmed in 1690 The feast day devoted to Kinga is celebrated on July 24. She attainted officially the sainthood in 1999 by John Paul II, Polish pope.
(Poland)
OUR SCHOOL HABIT
This Friday our school is going to celebrate our Patron's Day. It is Saint Nicolas' Day.
Every year the whole school go to a mess to church in the morning. Then, we come back to school and pupils from each class give presents to each other. In this day pupils are wearing red caps on their heads. There is also an artistic program which some talented pupils take part in to give some performance and joy to others. It involves singing songs, giving some funny speeches and dances. Finally, there are some competitions with rewards. Our Patron's Day is celebrated from a few years and the tradition is pass on from one generation to another.
We are proud of such a special patron.
(Poland dec.04.2008)
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TRADITIONS NEAR MESSINA ABOUT SAINT NICHOLAS’S DAY
On the first day, Villafranca returns to the past: the fishermen of the town carry a ship on traditional slipway boards from the seaside to the main square, while the princely court, composed of dancing women of the people, knights, halberdiers, harquebusiers, flag-wavers, acrobats, jugglers and fire-eating men, moves from the Castle of Bauso (this is the ancient name of Villafranca Tirrena) to catch up the fishermen. There, the prince of Bauso gives the keys of the city to fishermen, after recognizing this popular festivity. Afterwards, the fishermen continue to carry the ship near the ancient castle, where they make a bonfire of it in honour of Saint Nicholas.
On the 6th December, instead, there is the Saint Mass in the morning and later a procession along the streets of the town with Saint Nicholas’s simulacrum. 
NOVEMBER 2008
MESSINA AND ITS LEGENDS
Messina is rich of myths because this city situated in Sicily was an important Greek colony in the past. Many legends and stories have as place the strait which separates it from Italian peninsula.
It’s told, for example, according to Greek mythology, that Cronos was convinced by his mother Gaea to evirate his father Uranus. He evirated him through a scythe, so the name of Messina was Zancle at that time (whose meaning is “scythe” in Greek language). Besides, Aphrodite, another important Greek divinity, was born from water foam.
Another myth regards Cariddi, who was a woman before her transformation, made by the main Greek god, Zeus, into a terrible underwater monster. She created whirlpools in the strait of Messina which could swallow the ships that were there and had to pass near one of the two monsters. Cariddi was on the opposite side of the strait where another terrible monster’s cave, whose name was Scilla, was. These whirlpools were originated by the meeting of two water foams.
Finally, another legend speaks about a person called Nicola, whose nickname was Colapesce for the fact that he could swim easily. He always narrated the discoveries made underwater after his crossings and once upon a time he found also a treasure and became so famous that
Frederick II, Emperor of the ancient Kingdom of Sicily, wanted to put him to the test: first of all, he threw a cup into the strait of Messina, but Colapesce took it immediately, he threw a crown in a deeper place for a second time, but Colapesce returned again, so he threw a ring in a place deeper than the second time and, this time, Colapesce didn’t come back.
According to this story, Colapesce had seen underwater that Sicily was put on three columns and, between these, one was damaged, so he decided to remain underwater forever and support this column to avoid Sicily sank.
(Italy)
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HISTORICAL LEGEND ABOUT LYSA GORA MOUNTAIN
It is the second, highest peak of our local mountains. In the past, in pagan time (according to Jan Dlugosz cronicles) there was a temple of three gods there. People who lived nearby gathered there to pray, to pay tribute to old gods and to make sacrifices to the gods so that they would ensure a good harvest. In 1806 earthin urns were found there.
Besides the temple, there was a huge castle where lived a proud Lady with very tall servants – giants. She probably devastated the army of Aleksander Wielki and afterwards she wanted people to pay tribute to her as a goddess of Diana. For her impudence and bad things that happened in the castle a clap of thunder smashed the magnificent building into a pile of stones. They can be seen to this day. Inhabitants of the land found huge bones of prehistoric animals so it was easy for them to believe that in the castle lived giants.
Bones were hung on the walls of churches and later on in a glass cupboard. Nowadays the only evidence of pagan ritual on Lysa Gora peak is a two kilometers long stone wall around the mountain. It was made in VIII or IX century.
From Christianity time the mountain was a place of setting a June fire – Sobotka. However, the custom was over in 1869 by Benedictine monks because it was connected with a fair which finished with vandalism and debauchery. The Sobotka rituals were moved on Witoslawska mountain where Zielone Swiatki was celebratedand a few thousand of people came here to a church fair. Lysa Gora mountain and Holy Cross monastery were visited by many pilgrims for years. In 1861 patriotic protests were organised there by about thousand of people.
(Poland)
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THE LEGEND OF ST KINGA, PATRON OF SALT MINERS
Part I
In the 13th century a young Polish prince,called Bolesław, of the Piast Dynasty, decided to get married and forhis wife chose a beautiful Hungarian princess of the Arpad Dynasty, Kinga. When Bolesław’s proposal was accepted, the loving father asked Kinga what she would like to get from him as a wedding present. Kinga replied that she wanted no gold and jewels, since they only brought unhappiness and tears. She wanted something that could serve the people she was going to live with. Her request surprised the king greatly – she asked for salt. The king was determined to keep his promise. He offered Kinga the biggest and most prosperous salt deposits in Hungary – the Marmaros salt mine. However, nobody knew what Kinga could do with the treasure. On her way to Poland the princess visited the mine. She threw her engagement ring inside.
When the party arrived in Poland and was approaching Kraków, Kinga stopped and asked the miners to look for salt. They started digging and suddenly hit something very hard. It was a lump of salt. When they broke it, everyone saw what was hidden inside – Kinga’s engagement ring! That is how the Hungarian princess brought salt to our country.
(Poland)
§§§§§§§§§§§§§§
ST KINGA - patron of salt miners
To commemorate princess Kinga, 101 metres under the ground, down in the mine there is the world’s biggest underground chapel, dedicated to Saint Kinga. Right now in Wieliczka there is the most famous salt mine museum. Wieliczka Salt Mine was established in medieval times. It is a World Heritage Site, located 101 meters below the surface, it is over 50 meters long, 15 meters wide, 12 meters high. It receives up to a million visitors yearly. Here is the link to the mine’s homepage: http://www.kopalnia-wieliczka.pl/english/She founded many churches and hospitals, she ransomed Christians captured by the Turks, and served the poor and ill. Her cult was confirmed in 1690 The feast day devoted to Kinga is celebrated on July 24. She attainted officially the sainthood in 1999 by John Paul II, Polish pope.
(Poland)
§§§§§§§§§§§§§§
OUR SCHOOL HABIT
This Friday our school is going to celebrate our Patron's Day. It is Saint Nicolas' Day.Every year the whole school go to a mess to church in the morning. Then, we come back to school and pupils from each class give presents to each other. In this day pupils are wearing red caps on their heads. There is also an artistic program which some talented pupils take part in to give some performance and joy to others. It involves singing songs, giving some funny speeches and dances. Finally, there are some competitions with rewards. Our Patron's Day is celebrated from a few years and the tradition is pass on from one generation to another.
We are proud of such a special patron.
(Poland dec.04.2008)
§§§§§§§§§§§§§
TRADITIONS NEAR MESSINA ABOUT SAINT NICHOLAS’S DAY
In a town of about ten thousands of inhabitants near Messina, called Villafranca Tirrena, Saint Nicholas is the patron saint and is celebrated every year on the 5th and 6th December.
On the first day, Villafranca returns to the past: the fishermen of the town carry a ship on traditional slipway boards from the seaside to the main square, while the princely court, composed of dancing women of the people, knights, halberdiers, harquebusiers, flag-wavers, acrobats, jugglers and fire-eating men, moves from the Castle of Bauso (this is the ancient name of Villafranca Tirrena) to catch up the fishermen. There, the prince of Bauso gives the keys of the city to fishermen, after recognizing this popular festivity. Afterwards, the fishermen continue to carry the ship near the ancient castle, where they make a bonfire of it in honour of Saint Nicholas.
On the 6th December, instead, there is the Saint Mass in the morning and later a procession along the streets of the town with Saint Nicholas’s simulacrum. The snaps in this article were taken the first day.
text and photos by Antonino Stramandino
