The mountains have been a source of inspiration, devotion, countless stories and legends for the people for more than a millennium. The Kingdom of Triglav is home to countless legends and Mythical beings and it is only right to start with the one every child in Slovenia knows about - The Legend of the Goldenhorn.
April 28, 2018
A long, long time ago the glacier glacier valleys, and the rocky mountains used to be home of the White women They were gentle and goodhearted beings. White women helped to the poor, especially women in childbirth. A child who came into the world in their presence was then all his life under their protection. They taught shepherds to recognize medicinal herbs and their power. People to this day still remember them with gratitude. In Soška Valley White women took care of the white goats. These goats wereled by the Goldenhorn, a wonderful big white he-goat with golden horns. White women made the Goldenhorn invulnerable. If a shooter wounded him, from his blood grew a magic herb, called the Triglav flower (Potentilla nitidus). If the Goldenhorn ate only one leaf of this herb, he was immediately better, even if the hunter shot him in his heart. His gold horns were the key to the great treasure in the mountain. The treasure was guarded by the hundred-headed dragon.
There used to be an inn on the road to the mountains. The daughter of the innkeeper had many suitors, but she loved only one man, the hunter from Trenta, son of the blind widow. This young man was the best hunter in the whole neighbourhood. He was very brave. People said that he was under protection of White women. He knew all the ways in the mountains, and he had no fear of rocky cliffs.
This young and brave hunter from the Trenta Valley fell in love with a beautiful girl and managed to win her heart by bringing her beautiful flowers. However, one day a rich merchant from Venice came by and tried to gain her attention by giving her golden jewellery and dancing with her. As the hunter approached the girl, she mocked him. The hunter was desperate and left. Persuaded by another hunter, called the Green hunter, who was said to have brought about the fate of several honest boys, he decided to go that very night to find the Goldhorn and claim his treasure. In the morning, they found the animal, shot it and pursued it. The dying animal dragged itself onto a narrow, rocky ledge. Suddenly the boy saw on a dangerous trail the most beautiful and healing flowers. The Green hunter forced him on to catch the Goldhorn before it ate the magic Triglav flowers that grew from its blood, but it was too late. The Goldhorn had already eaten one and the flower gave it tremendous life power. It ran towards the hunter, who being blinded by the bliss of its golden horns lost balance and fell from the mountain. Next spring the water brought his body past the inn. In his hand, the hunter held a bunch of Triglav flowers. And when in summer the shepherds returned to the Lake valley, they found a rocky place instead of the paradise; White women had left the place forever, with them went the white goats. Goldenhorn had in his rage completely destroyed and buried the meadows, and today you can still see traces of his horns on the rocks.