The inhabitants of the Terpezița commune, Dolj county, say that a huge treasure would be buried near their village. They claim that their parents and grandparents also heard from their ancestors several versions of legends that all revolve around this mysterious treasure.
Most locals tell how, through the 14th century, an Ottoman invasion took place in the Romanian Country. One Sunday, when all the young people of the village, boys and girls, had gathered at the dance meeting in a clearing on the edge of the forest near the village, the Turks rushed upon them. It is said that the Ottomans would have killed them all, while a few escaped girls thrown themselves into the fountain, in order not to be caught and molested.
The Ottomans, who had already plundered several villages in the area, had carts full of sacks and trunks with gold coins and other wealth. In order not to put so much weight with them on their way to the villages from the north, they decided to bury both the dead and the gold in a common pit. They decided to recover the treasure at the end of the plundering campaign, on their way back to the Ottoman Empire. But the count at home did not match the one in the fair, and, in turn, the Turks lost during the battles with the Romanians, so that no one returned to recover the gold. The treasure has been buried in the same place that no one has found since.
The inhabitants of Terpezița commune have heard about this treasure, but they claim that it was cursed. It is said that once a year, on the night after the day of the killing of the youths by the Turks, in the clearing on the edge of the forest near the village there is a noise and music of the players and a great whistle can be observed, in the light of which the “money dances” as if caught in the round dance. Year after year, the moment of slaughter in the village is recreated like 700 years ago. The elders of the village say that whoever sees the dance of the money dies at once, unless it was written to that person to find the treasure and to become rich.
Another variant of the treasure legend from Terpezița says that the treasure buried at the edge of the forest would have belonged to Vlad Țepeș (1431 – 1476), ruler of the Romanian Country three times between 1448 and 1476. On his way to Transylvania, Țepeș would have sent some of his trusted servants to take the ruler’s treasure to Tismana Monastery, and to recover it on the return road. A treacherous boyar would have known the destination of the treasure and would have said where the servants of Țepeș were headed to his younger brother, Radu cel Frumos, who also succeeded Țepeș in his reign. And the Turks found out where their ruler had sent the gold, so they sent a haul of horsemen living from the prey of war, called achingii (Turkish riders living from war prey), to lay hands on the treasure of the Romanian Country.
Hearing that they were being pursued by the Ottomans, Țepeș’s faithful soldiers buried the treasure in a hidden place near the village of Terpezița today. They did not betray their ruler’s confidence even when they were caught and tortured by the Turkish riders, dying without telling the Ottomans where they hid the gold. The Turks also questioned the inhabitants of the nearby villages, whom they suspected would have helped Vlad Tepes soldiers, but because they refused to answer them, they killed everyone. After all, the Turks crossed the Danube and returned to the Ottoman Empire without a rich capture.
It is said that the treasure was found by one of Craiovești members, the founding family of Craiova, which would explain the wealth of this family and their rapid rise to power.
Bibliography:
• Cristian Vasilcoiu, “Play the money” at Terpezita-Dolj”, 15 March 2004, https://adevarul.ro/locale/craiova/legenda-fantomei-padurea-radovan-judetul-doljmireasa-radovan-razbuna-cei-vii-lasarea-intunericului-1_511b3e3c344a78211834bdfc/index.html
• ”Legends”, http://www.dafinoiu.ro/marian/legende.htm
• “The treasure of Vlas Tepes, hidden in Terpezita (Dolj)?”, 2 October 2010, https://hartacomorii.blogspot.com/2010/10/comoara-lui-vlas-tepes-ascunsa-la.html