Legends are popular
stories which mix real and imaginary elements.
El
pont del diable de martorell
The legend tells that
an old woman crossed the Martorell’s bridge every afternoon to fetch water in a
fountain. One day the river destroyed the bridge and in order to fix this the
old woman made a pact with the devil. The devil said that he would do it but
with a cost, he would take the first person’s soul that crossed the bridge.
So, the old woman
tricked the devil by making a cat cross it first.
From then, we call
this bridge “el pont del diable” (the devil’s bridge).
Les quatre barres de sang
This legend tells us
the story of the origin of Catalonia’s flag.
Once upon a time there
was a war where Carles el Calb (French’s king) and Guifré el Pilós (Barcelona’s
count) were allies to face the Normands.
Guifré el Pilós and
Carles el Calb won the war but Barcelona’s count was mortally wounded. Carles
el Calb to thank all he did took the Guifré’s shield and with his four fingers
blood-stained and made four bars and this becomes the Catalonia’s flag.
La llegenda de Sant Jordi
Once upon a time,
there was a village which was terrified by a dragon. The inhabitants in order
to live in peace gave some sheep every day to dragon, and he left them be, but when
the sheep were over the dragon was mad, and the people to survive gave one
person at-random instead of sheep, and the first person was the King’s
daughter.
Suddenly appeared a
knight and the king explain to him all that happened in the village. The knight,
who was called Sant Jordi, decided to save the princess and kill the dragon, so
he went to dragon’s cave and he fought with him. At the end Sant Jordi with his
spear through him and the dragon’s blood grew up some beautiful red roses and
the knight gave one of them to the princess and they fell in love.
From that day the
inhabitants live in harmony.
Because this legend
on 23rd of April the man give a rose to the woman and the woman give
to them a book.
El timbaler del Bruc
Once upon a time,
there was a war in Catalonia against the French. Catalan people decided to fight
with French in Montserrat. One child wanted to fight but he had forbidden it,
so he took his drum and went near Monserrat, at the Bruc. There he played the
drum with all his strength and the sound with echoes from the mountains arrived
to the French’s soldiers and they believed that Catalonia had a big exercised
and they fled.
Now a day is said
that thanks to Bruc’s drummer we are Catalans and not French.
