The area of the Danube Boilers, in which the river creeps snaking through the mountain, has given birth, over time, to numerous local legends and stories. One of them is lost in the darkness of time, being transmitted orally from generation to generation.
Legend says that the entire Danube valley was ruled in the distant times by an emperor known across the seas and countries, quick to anger and rather punishing those who did not obey him. At the sunset of his lifer, God blessed him with a boy whom the emperor looked at hi with endless joy. Raised by his mother, the empress, far from the court’s habits, Tuie, because this is how was called the son of the emperor, became a good and righteous man, who hated injustice and always jumped in support of those with whom fate was not understandable. He loved to read and enjoy the teachings of his ancestors, embraced the arts and spent time painting, sculpting or singing. Tuie was mighty and handsome, and pleased the eyes of all the virgins of his father’s kingdom.
The empress was proud of her offspring, the subjects of the court were happy that they would have such a fair and gentle emperor, only the emperor alone was upset that his child had not become as harsh and fearful as him. Feeling, however, that his old age was approaching, the emperor held great counsel with the empress and the counsellors of the palace, deciding that it was time for Tuie to marry. The bride had to be a virgin of the royal family, to be beauty and wealthy. The emperor sent his subjects to the four areas of the world in search of his son’s worthy lady, and they returned bearing the names of virgins from the south and north, from the west and from the east.
They did not know, however, neither the counsellors, nor the emperor or empress, that Tuie had already given his heart to a simple girl among the people, but before whom the moon was ashamed of her beauty and good behaviour. Without anyone’’s knowledge, Tuie was forever united with the choice of his heart in the holy mystery of marriage. Angry was the emperor when he heard such news, that instead he decided to take Tuie the right to the emperor’s seat and crown, hoping that this would cause the boy to change his decision. The emperor was angrier when he learned that great joy had been given to Tuie, who did not want to give up his crown, but a peaceful life lived in harmony and happiness with his chosen one. In secret, he set about a fierce revenge…
Shortly after Tuie’s marriage, the Danube lands were attacked by the army of a neighbouring emperor, who wanted him as his son-in-law. Knowing the old and helpless emperor and Tuie deprived of his birthright, he conquered a significant part of the kingdom of the Danube valley. Touched by despair, the emperor wrote to his son to prepare for war and, if he returned victorious from the battle, he would restore him to his royal rights. He listened to his father’s command and, distressed that he must leave his wife, went to say goodbye to her. He removed from his finger the sapphire ring, the symbol of their union, and, placing it upright in his palm, he said:
“- My wife, my ivy,
You shall wear my ring.
When gold will be rusting,
You’ll know that I’ll be dying”.
Overwhelmed by the great separation, the wife took off the golden handkerchif from her head and gave it to her husband, in order not to forget her:
“-My husband and my fir tree,
It will be very hard for me,
When gold shall melt,
I’ll dye because of missing you”.
Once he rode a horse given by his father, the emperor, Tuie already set out for the great battle. For a week he remained stuck in the confrontation with the hostile enemy, but the bravery of the soul, the strength of his arm and the clarity of his mind made him victorious.
He went to the house, in one of the distant islets of the Danube, to see his wife, who was missing him to death. Nor did he manage to strike the half-way that in front of him appeared his trusted adviser, who whipped his horse to run like the wind and the thought. At Tuie’s sight, he casts himself from the horse at his master’s feet:
– Master, immediately after your depart from the house, your house in the islet was overthrown by the militaries of your father, the emperor. They did great damage to the court of Your Majesty, cut off your militaries, and took your wife and threw her into the Danube. I barely escaped with life and I came in a rush to give you news!
“Take me to the place where they drowned her!” Tuie asked, with his heart breaking with pain. Where did they lose it?
– Master, they threw it in the waves of the Danube, between the two straits. Hearing so much grief and sorrow, the waters didn’t even want to take her. The waves were boiling with bubbles and the entire Danube valley was mourning…
After instructing the man to lead the horse towards that place, Tuie took the golden handkerchief given by his wife before going to war. As predicted by the young lady, the gold had melted like a miracle, leaving only the cotton threads out of the handkerchief. There was no hope left for the young man…
Arriving on the banks of the Danube, between the two straits that whistled the Danube at the elbow of Dubova, the servant showed him the place where the young lady found her early grave. Immediately, Tuie plunged into the waters, which he sweeped with his palms and fingers. Every wave of water, the entire bottom and the banks of the Danube until the numb hands reached over the known shape of the beloved body. With tears streaming down their cheeks and after one last kiss, the two lovers disappeared into the murky waters of the hot Danube.
In vain cries the faithful servant after Tuie, in vain he looked into the waters; he had found his eternal home in the water kingdom beside the one he had sworn to spend eternity with. Climbing back down the alley, the servant did not stop until he reached the royal court, where he told the empress everything. Grieved by the loss of her only son and daughter-in-law, she sent her militaries to search for them in the Danube. Their bodies were found at the bottom of the river.
The two lovers were buried with emperor’s pomp, being led on the last road by all the people who had loved Tuie so much. Shortly afterwards, on the grave of the two spouses, a towering fir tree and an ivy rose, which, embracing each other, did what the young lovers could not: to live their lives together!
In the place where Tuie and his wife died, where the Danube passes between two mountain cliffs, the people from the Danube lands came year after year to pay their tribute. Seeing the surrounding water, which seemed to boil as the water boils in a boiler, they thus gave the name of the area, which has remained unchanged to this day: The Danube Boilers.
Bibliography:
• Ioan Ivan Loghin, “Legends of the Blue Danube”. Ion Creangă Publishing House, Bucharest, 1971
• “Legends from the Iron Gates Natural Park area”, http://www.pnportiledefier.ro/legende.html#p13