The Land Beyond the Forest: Facts, Figures, and Fancies from TransylvaniaGerard, E. (Emily)
History
The Land Beyond the Forest: Facts, Figures, and Fancies from Transylvania
Gerard, E. (Emily)
Transylvania (Romania) -- Description and travel
“Then God sent the Wallachian angel Florian, thinking he was less
fine-feeling and would execute the mission better. Adam and Eve were
sitting at table when the servant of the Lord entered, shod in leather
_opintschen_ (sandals) and with fur cap under his arm. After humbly
saluting, he told his errand. But Adam, on seeing the appearance of
this messenger, felt no more fear, and asked roughly, ‘Hast brought no
written warrant with thee?’ At this the angel Florian began to tremble,
turned round on the spot, and went back to heaven.
“Then the Lord became angry, and sent down the German Archangel
Michael. Adam and Eve were mightily terrified on seeing him, but
resolved to do their best to soften his heart; so they prepared for
him a sumptuous meal of his favorite dishes—ham-sausage, pickled
sauerkraut, beer, wine, and sweet mead. The German angel was highly
pleased, and played such a good knife and fork that Adam and Eve began
to feel light of heart again. But hardly had the archangel eaten his
fill when, rising from the table, he swung his flaming sword overhead
and thundered forth to his terrified hosts, ‘Now pack yourselves off!’
In vain did our first parents beg and sue for mercy; nothing served to
touch the heart of the inflexible German angel, who, without further
ado, drove them both out of Paradise.”
The second legend relates to the Holy Sepulchre, and tells us how a
deputation, consisting of a Hungarian, a Saxon, and a Wallachian, was
once sent by the Transylvanian Diet to Palestine in order to recover
the Saviour’s body from the infidels. “They started on their journey
full of hope, but when they had reached Jerusalem they found the
sepulchre guarded by a strong enforcement of Roman soldiers. What was
now to be done? was the question debated between them. The Hungarian
was for cutting into the soldiers at once with his sword, but the canny
Saxon held him back and said, ‘They are stronger than we, and we might
receive blows; let us rather attempt to barter.’ The Wallachian only
winked with one eye and whispered, ‘Let us wait till nightfall, and
then we can steal the body.’”
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Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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