When the dawn came the spell was over and Ialomita was struck with dismay as she did not know where she was and she had a terrible bad hunch… she wished to had been a bird to be able to go up the sky and find the way back home. Suddenly the girl was turned into a pigeon but then a big falcon rushed at the little bird and took Ialomita up to the rocks. Undoubtedly that falcon was Bucur who would have done anything to catch his prey. Then Ialomita wished to be a deer but again a terrible hunter came out of nowhere and pointed at her. The deer ran towards a cave which was in fact Bucur’s cave and inside it she noticed that all the dripstones and stone columns in this cave were actually all fair maidens. They all cried at Ialomita to run away fast because if Bucur managed to kiss her she would be petrified like they were. Suddenly an arrow flew by and pierced the deer. Ialomita was seized with fear more than ever and prayed to be a river so she could run away. Again she was turned into a fast river but the furious Bucur turned himself into a huge rock so he could stop the water.

But Coman heard his lover’s cries and rushed towards the place where they came from. He stroke a blow at the rock using the magic flute… at that moment the wizard lost all his powers and was doomed to remain a rock forever and Ialomita a river but she found a way  to flow over Bucur’s rocky arms. Coman never came back to his village: he became a monk and built a small monastery in front of the cave so he could be with his lover for the rest of his life.

True facts:

Pestera Ialomita (Ialomita Cave) is indeed situated in Bucegi Mountains and it is part of the Horoabel – Ursilor natural reservation. This is a very beautiful cave which is also very large – its official length is around 480 meters but according to other scientists it is actually much longer and they speak of 1120 meters of cave galleries. Its location is in Cheile Pesterii at 1660 meters altitude. Apart from its beauty the cave is also well known for the Ialomita Monastery which was built right at the cave entrance. The first church was built here by Mihnea cel Rau, governor of Wallachia in the 16th century and it was raised for the local monks. Being a wooden building it burnt down because of a lightning in the 19th century. The present church dates back to 1901.

Author: Irina Petre

Photo: Lucian Fratila

Pages: Page 1 Page 2

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