Legends of castles
Brekov castle
Long time ago, there used to live a simple man called Mišo Maťuka. Just like it used to be in
those times, he served at castle’s lord – Barkóci. He did whatever they asked him to do, but
the most he liked work in animal house. He talked to horses like to people and he trusted them
more. Long years he honestly served to his lord and spared every coin of his low payment.
One day his lord sent him to a market. Mišo bought what he was supposed to buy and slowly
was leaving the marked. As he was leaving he saw a man trying to sell a skinny black horse.
He took a pity about the horse and bought him. Every day he fed him and thoroughly took
care of him. The horse was growing and getting stronger every day.
Mišo used to leave the feeding horse on the meadow. Once lord was taking a walk around that
meadow and saw a horse. He really liked him. And when lord wanted something, he had to
get it. Everything that lord had to do to get the horse, was to lie. And so he lied. Mišo was
indicted in case of steeling the horse from lord’s animal house. He couldn’t do anything to
proof his innocence, because those were times, when lord was always right.
So lord took the horse. No matter that Mišo put all his Money in to that horse.
Injustice of this situation iritated people of the village, but they couldn’t punish the lord.
Legend says, that they laid lord under the curse, and after his death he’ll never find peace for
his soul. Allegedly, his soul is appearing in looks of that black horse.
Castle in Kežmarok
Black Lady
Lord of the castle – Thököly- last man of Thököly lineage, had a lot of conflicts with an
imperator. All conflicts culminated in war. Before lord went fighting, he hid the values
somewhere in the castle. He lost the war and because of imperator’s army that was after him,
had to escape to his protector, a Turkey soldan, But before he left, he wanted to visit the castle
once more, to take his values with.
In time he was coming back, people that used to serve at the castle left, they were afraid of
imperator’s army, that might come in any moment, to take what he won. There was only one
old woman left.
She was a locksmith. She was wearing a long black dress – it was a tradition of those times.
She didn’t stay because of loyality to her lord. She knew that there must be a hidden treasure,
she just didn’t know, where it might be. She expected, that the values will be hidden in a
treasuryhouse in the tower. And that’s where she started to seek. After a long time spent by
knocking on the walls, she finally found the air hole in the wall, behind beautiful, great
painting.
There were a lot of gold and silver. She knew, that she can’t take it all at once, so she has to
hide it somewhere. But where?
She had a key from a castle chapel. In chapel, there was a crypt of lord’s mother, and from the
crypt, there leads s tunnel to the dark forests. That was the place, where she wanted to hide it.
Just a moment after she hid the last piece of gold, a noisy knocking on the doors spoke –
young lord appeared.
Quickly he went to the tower to take his gold. But, surprised, he found only empty hole in the
wall. He searched the whole entire castle, but he didn’t find anything. He was searching his
mothers crypt, but door to tunnel was protected by a grillage. After that he realized, who stole
the his treasure but he had no time to search the forest, because of imperator’s army behind
his back. So all he did was, that in anger he laid locksmith under the curse. And today, she’s
still roaming around the castle.
Lasky without love
Berco Lasky is coming home from a trip. His father welcomes him, he let the best wine and
meal be served. At first Berco is talking about experiences he got, but than he wants to know,
what’s new. Sad father says that his (Berco’s) beloved is engaged and is going to marry
somebody else. Berco wants to see her, and tell her about how she betrayed him and their
love. He takes few varlets and vent to neighbouring castle – Richnava. In the middle of
journey they take a break. They eat and drink something and Berco falls asleep. A feminine
voice wakes him up. It’s her, Anna, his beloved. He spurns her. She’s trying to explain him,
that her parents are making her, to marry that baron, but he’s not listening to her. He doesn’t
trust her.
In her sorrow she swoops down to a river which is flushing her body away. Although Berco is
dives into water, he has never found her.
Lovecrossed Berco comes home to Kežmarok, but soon he leaves away to forget his corpse
love.
Zborov castle
At this castle used to live lord named Serédy . He was quite arrogant and very proud of his
bautiful castle and it’s amazing surroundings.
One day a visitor – earl Rákoczi – came here. Lord Serédy exhibited him whole castle. Earl
really liked it, and wanted to buy it immediately. But lord refused his offer saying , : ,,
Never!!“.
After that they drunk and ate something and earl asks lord to sell him his castle again. Lord
regreted, that before he denied him that rudly and tried to find a diplomatic solution. Earl
offers him 20 000 golden coins, but lord smiled, and said, that 20 000 is too little, that he
wants 80 000 coins with earl’s emblem, coined in one year. He hadn’t planed to sell him the
castle, he just didn’t want to be rude, so he gave him an offer impossible to carry. They said
good bye friendly, without any anger.
After a year and a day, Rakoczi brought 80 000 golden coins, just like lord Serédy wanted.
When lord Serédy realized, that he must keep a promise, and that he will lose his castle, he
got heart attack and died.
But we know, that it’s just a legend, because it’s prooved, that the castle was sold 35 years
after lord Serédy died.