Școala Gimnazială ”Aron Densusianu” Hațeg ROMANIA ROLLING STONE Traveler in the environment with geomythology viewing sustainability Erasmus+ strategic partnership No. 2016-1-EL01-KA219-023557 - C5 –

The aesthetic myth in the ballad The Monastery of Arges

A little bit of history… The Monastery from the city Curtea de Arges is a masterpiece of the Romanian religious architecture in the southern part of Romania, not far from Bucharest. Its construction began in the time of Neagoe Basarab (1512-1521), the king of Wallachia (a historical and geographical region of Romania). The King’s tomb can be seen inside the monastery next to his wife, his daughter and his successor (Radu from Afumati). The Monastery hosts the necropolis of the first kings of Romania: King Ferdinand I (1914-1927) and his wife Queen Maria, King Carol I (1866-1914) and his wife Queen Elisabeth.

King Neagoe Basarab (1512-1521), the founder of the Monastery, and his wife Despina

Facts about the ballad The ballad The Monastery of Arges, born of mason Manole’s legend, is a founding literary text of the Romanian people. This legend derives from the myths of South-Eastern Europe, based on archaic construction rites linked to the supreme sacrifice myth. This motif is widespread in South-East Europe, most notably in Russia like the blinding of the Masons of Saint Basil's Cathedral by Ivan the Terrible.

The ballad was published in the first collection of Romanian folk creations in 1852 by Vasile Alecsandri, one of the most important Romanian writers. Although the popular text has several variants, because it was transmitted orally from generation to generation, the one published by Alecsandri is consecrated in literary form.

The legend behind the ballad The legend from the Romanian mythology says that master builder Manole (one of the greatest master builders of all times) and his workers were employed by King Neagoe Basarab of Wallachia to build an extraordinary monastery. The ruler wanted his name to be remembered forever so he requested that his future monastery should be more beautiful than everything built before.

Down the Arges lea,/Beautiful to see,/Prince Negru he wended/By ten mates attended:/Nine worthy craftsmen,/Masons, journeymen,/With Manole ten,/The highest in fame.

The curse The King chose the place for the new construction. It was near Arges river, where an old wall was standing in ruins. The place was considered cursed because no one ever succeeded to build something there. The men started working, but everything they built by day collapsed by night. The King threatened Manole and his assistants with death.

The prophetic vision Tormented by the fact that he couldn’t finish his construction, master Manole, like a prophet, had a dream-vision one night that the only way that he could complete his masterpiece was by sacrificing somebody very loved by him or his masons. Manole shared his dream with the others and they agreed that the first wife who would come there with lunch for her husband the following day should be the one to be built into the walls of the monastery.

What a dream I dreamed:/In my sleep meseemed /A whisper from high,/A voice from the sky,/Told me verily/That whatever we/In daytime have wrought/Shall nights come to naught, Crumble down like rot;

The prayers The next day, Manole looked over the hills and tears of pain fell on his cheeks when he saw his pregnant wife, Ana, on the horizon. He prayed to God to start a powerful storm in order to chase her away. But Ana’ s love was stronger than the storm, and she kept going. Manole prayed again, but nothing could discourage her.

The field he looked over,/The path through wild clover The field he looked over,/The path through wild clover./And what did he see?/Alas! Woe is me!/Who came up the lea?/His young bride so sweet,/Flower of the mead!

The sacrifice When she arrived, Manole and the workers told her that they wanted to play a little game, which involved building walls around her body. She accepted happily, but she soon realized that this was no game and begged Manole to let her go. But he had to keep his promise and he walled his wife and his unborn child brick by brick.

"Manole, Manole,/Good master Manole "Manole, Manole,/Good master Manole!/The wall squeezes hard,/Crushed is now my heart,/With my life I part!"

It was only after this sacrifice that the monastery’s construction could be finished into the masterpiece that can be seen today.

A red stamp on the southern wall of the monastery marks the place where it is supposed that Ana was sacrificed

Manole’s death The legend speaks of Manole’s own death. It is said that King Neagoe Basarab liked the monastery so much that he mercilessly sentenced all the masons to death by abandoning them on the roof of the Monastery. The masons and Manole tried to escape the punishment by building wooden wings and trying to fly off the roof (an idea inspired by the myth of Icarus). None of them could and they all fell on the ground and died.

And jumped far ahead, And dropped down like lead And jumped far ahead, And dropped down like lead. Where the ground they hit, There their bodies split.

The place where master Manole died is now marked by a fountain with clear water, facing the eternity in the Romanian mythology.

Modern versions of Master Manole The writer Lucian Blaga (1895-1961) created a modern version of the sacrifice myth in his play Manole the Craftsman (1927). The modern Manole considers his wife’s sacrifice irrational and against the Christian law. He revolts against his destiny and in the end he commits suicide. In the play Ana is called Mira and she is the embodiment of innocence and purity in opposition to the demonic Manole. Blaga created two more characters: Găvan, a strange, primitive man, and the abbot Bogumil.

Master Manole on stage On June 4th 2016 the play Master Manole was put on stage at Bucharest (Odeon Theatre) by the Polish director Darek Blaszczyk and the Polish musician Jacek Halas. The performance of the talented Polish actors and musicians was amazing! The public could hear traditional Polish instruments. The representation was awarded a prize for the best directing and the best music at the drama festival Two Theatres in Sopot, Poland. The play also participated to international theatre festivals in Croatia and Italy.

Polish actors playing in Master Manole at Bucharest

Scene from the film Meșterul Manole (Chișinău, 1995)

Mesterul Manole Rock Opera – World Premiere at the Opera House in Timisoara (2013) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_548sr9Fbus

An eternal lesson of Romanian mythology Nothing durable and unique can be built without the creator's self-sacrifice.

Pupils from Simona Saroni`s class (I A) colouring pictures with the Monastery of Argeș

Students from 4-th class (teacher Teodora Costa) drawing pictures inspired by the ballad

A painting and a drawing of the Monastery of Arges made by students from 7th grade (teacher Iuliana Muntean)

Thank you!