Legends of the Adriatic

Finally you have come to your boat, set sail, maybe made a cocktail and are now looking into the horizon thinking about where to moor for the first night, or in which bay you would like to wake up in the next morning. Little did you know you may have to be on the lookout for giants, vampires and cursed monks. Yes, Croatia is not just sea and sun, but it was once a home to many mythical creatures, some of which you may still be able to see if you look closely..

Lokrum island curse

Just outside Dubrovnik walls, a mere 15 minute ferry ride away lies a little island which you just need to visit if you find yourself in the pearl of Adriatic. But beware, the island is said to be cursed by the Benedictine monks  who were banished from the island. The night before they were supposed to leave the island for good , they gathered wearing their hoods, lit their candles, turned them upside down, and with their heads bowed, whispering prayers and murmuring songs, slowly walked around the entire island, mourning their loss and saying goodbye to their beautiful home. As the wax dripped, they issued curses for anyone who would claim the island for their own in the future, with the curse being lifted only if you are able to collect all the wax from their candles.

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The legend, to which certain deaths and accidents that happened to local sellers and owners were associated, would have faded away if not for the tragedies which befell the family of the Austrian emperor and the Croatian king Francis Joseph I, whose family members owned Lokrum.

First European vampire

Istra was the home of the first European vampire, and this was the first recorded mention of vampires long before Bram Stoker’s Dracula was written.
In the small village near town of Pazin called Kringa, local Jure Grando kept creeping on his fellow citizens after his death. Villagers were so terrified that it took the years to open up his grave, but they finally did, in 1672. Body was lying intact, and with a vicious smile on his face. After they beheaded him, years of terror in Kringa came to an end.

Famous castaways

Island Mljet with its national park is a popular destination for charterers, but long before sailboats and catamarans came to its shore, another boat that was caught in a storm shipwrecked on this island. The boat was carrying Odysseus on one of his legendary voyages 3000 years ago. Even though Penelope was the love of his life, nymph Calypso who ruled Mljet caught his eye and heart. She kept him for seven years promising him immortality if he married her. Had it not been for Zeus, she might have had her way. But he ordered her to release Odysseus, after which she died of a broken heart. Thanks to this legend, the picturesque cave on the south side of the island was named Odysseus Cave, and today it is also known for the fact that it was inhabited by the Mediterranean monk seal.

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Over 2000 years later, also in the south of Croatian Adriatic, another boat had the same destiny as the Odysseus’. This time Richard I. Lionheart was returning from the Third Crusade, when storm hit and left him shipwrecked on Lokrum island (cursed island indeed..).  During his hours of torment in the storm, he vowed to build a church wherever he touched land. In the agreement with Dubrovnik folk, he did build a church but inside Dubrovnik walls. Unfortunately the beautiful Romanesque basilica was completely destroyed in the 1667 earthquake. Dubrovnik cathedral was subsequently built in its place.

Mirror mirror on the wall, which island is the fairest of them all?

Korčula, Mljet and Lastovo once made quite a mess among Greek gods, as they could decide which one is the most beautiful. To this day mystery has not been resolved, but then they tried to come to an answer by sending an emissary to inspect all three and come up with a decision. The gods’ emissary drove out to sea, 9 nautical miles from Lastovo, 12 from Korčula and 9 from Mljet. There he sat and made lists od advantages and disadvantages of each island for hours and hours, and still he could not say which is the most beautiful. The gods did not like his indecisiveness so to punish him, they turned him into a small island today known as Glavat. Poor emissary was punished for something that even gods could not decide and answer..

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Croatian Romeo and Juliet

If you have chartered a boat from Marina Kaštela, maybe you can take some time and go over to Kaštel Lukšić and visit the Church of St. John near castle Rusinac, where Miljenko and Dobrila, Croatian Romeo and Juliet are buried. Their tragic fate was the result of a longlasting conflict between their fathers, who were both noblemen. Miljenko and Dobrila kept their love a secret for this reason, but soon enough – their familes found out. Dobrila was put under strict supervision, and Miljenko was sent to Venice to work for the Doge. After many twists and turns (Dobrila was almost married off to an older man, Miljenko was put in prison at some pint), they were able to get married. Little did they know this was just a ruse to get them back home, only to have Dobrila’s father shoot the groom one day after the wedding.

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Dobrila died from grief only a few months later. Her last wish was that she be buried next to Miljenko, a wish that was granted and together they lie in the Church of St. John, where the inscription on the tombstone writes “May God Rest the Lovers’ Soul”.

Dragon without a dungeon, but in a lake

The small town of Rogoznica is a slice of heaven for everyone looking for some peace and quiet, where they can take in all the sounds, scents and flavours of the Mediterranean. It also offers a unique opportunity to swim in the saltwater lake right next to the sea, on the Gradina Peninsula.

The Rogoznica Lake is known colloquially as “Dragon’s Eye” because of its elliptical shape, and according to legend, it was created after a meteor crashed there.  But the other version s the one which is more interesting: there was a dragon called Murin the terrible dragon Murin, as the son of the goddess Hera and the god of the sea Poseidon, protected the local population from bandits – but for that he demanded tribute – every year he looked for the most beautiful girl to become his wife. As you can already guess, the unfortunate girls unfortunately did not survive the dragon wedding night.

So the ceremony took place every year, until one year the chosen girl was liked by the ancient Greek hero Aristoles, who appeared on the winged horse Pegasus, and challenged the terrible dragon, in order to save the girl. Legend has it that young Aristoles mortally wounded the dragon Murin, so he dug his own eyes out with his claws, threw one far behind the island of Mljet, but the other fell at his feet. The dragon’s eye melted the stone, and a pit was formed, the sea water filled the pit and today’s lake was created.
True or not, swimming in the lake is beneficial for your skin due to its chemical content. It is salty as it is connected to the sea by underwater channels. Another reason for a swim but with your significant other is that is supposed to bring eternal love and healthy children.

A tale of fairies

One of the most recognizable monuments in Croatia is of course Arena in Pula. You can visit it when chartering from our Pomer base. You will be amazed that the construction was solely done by… fairies! Legend has it that they would come out at night, sometimes appearing to a bewildered local, but one night they decided to build their own town. They started diligently bringing down rocks from Učka mountain and placing them row by row. But the roosters crowed to early and scared the fairies before they could finish, so the Arena is today without a roof , with scattered rocks not only around it, but all through Istria.