The beautiful summer, with all its wealth of flowers, fell to the lot of St. George: to St. Elias fell the clouds and the thunder; and to St. Pantelija the tempest. St. Peter obtained the keys of heaven: to St. Nicholas fell the seas, and the ships upon them; and to the Archangel Michael fell the right of gathering and guarding the souls of the dying. St. John was chosen to preside over friendship and ‘koom-ship,’[34] and to the holy Lady Mary the saints committed the charge of the lawless country of the cursed Troyan,[35] in order that she might bring it to a state of peace, and establish therein the true religion.
[34] The ‘koom’ is a sort of godfather or sponsor. See ‘Popular Customs of Serbia.’ [Back]
[35] In some versions of this poem this ‘Troyan’ is changed into ‘India.’ Probably there is here a reference to the theory that the Turks and Troyans were the same people. Knolles, in the opening chapter of his ‘General Historie of the Turkes,’ says, ‘Some, after the manner of most nations, derive them from the Troians, led thereunto by the affinity of the words Turci and Teucri; supposing—but with what probability I know not—the word Turci or Turks to have been made of the corruption of the word Teucri, the common name of the Trojans; as also for that the Turks have of long most inhabited the lesser Asia, wherein the antient and most famous city of Troy sometime stood.’—Edit. [Back]
About a year had passed away since the saints had thus divided amongst themselves the treasures of the world, when one day the holy Lady Mary entered the assembly, evidently greatly afflicted, and with large tears falling over her white cheeks. She greeted ‘in the name of God!’ her brethren the saints, and these gave her back her greeting. Then St. Elias addressed her, saying, ‘Our sister, holy Mary, wherefore are you grieving? Why are you shedding these tears? You are, perhaps, dissatisfied with the lot which fell to you when we divided the treasures?’
But the holy Mary answered, ‘My brethren, ye who are the righteousness of God, when you divided the treasures you gave me also a share therein, and therewith I am satisfied. Yet I have good cause, nevertheless, to be sorely grieved. I come but now from the city of the Troyan, and I have been unable to bring it to peace and the true faith. There the young people do not reverence their elders—there the brother challenges his own brother to mortal combat,—there the koom is pursuing his koom in the law courts,—there the brother intermarries with his own sister, and the koom with his kooma,—there the holy Sabbath is violated, and, worst of all, there they do not pray to the true God. The people have made to themselves a god of silver, and to this idol do they pray. Now, what can I do, my dear brethren, except to pray that the true God should send his lightnings from heaven to destroy the fortress and fortifications, and to burn down the cities and villages? Then, perhaps, the people of the Troyan country may come to see the great wickedness and repent.’
St. Elias said to her these words, ‘Our sister, holy Mary, do not do this thing! Rather let us all pray God to allow us to give some warning to the people—that He orders snow to fall on Mitrovdan, and remain until St. George’s day;[36] and another snow to fall on St. George’s day, and lie on the earth until Mitrovdan;[37] so that no seeds can be sown, and no ewes can rear their lambs. In this way, perhaps, the pride of the earth may be subdued, and the people brought at last to repentance.’
[36] ‘George’s day,’ 25th April, O. S. [Back]
[37] Mitrovdan, 25th October, O. S. [Back]
All the saints approved the proposal of St. Elias, and acted as he had said. Then a great snow fell on Mitrovdan, and remained until St. George’s day, and a second snowfall came on St. George’s day, and lay on the earth until Mitrovdan. No seed could be sown, therefore, and no lambs could be reared. The people suffered greatly throughout the year; they would not, however, repent and mend their ways. Some of them had part of last year’s corn in their garners, and shiploads of grain were brought from countries beyond the seas, and so they got somehow through the year, and went on living just as wickedly as before.
The holy Mary, seeing this, went a second time to the assembled saints weeping. After the exchange of the customary greeting, St. Elias asked her what was the reason of her tears, and she told him that she was sorely grieved because the people of the Troyan country, notwithstanding the chastisement they had suffered, still continued living in wickedness. Then the saints resolved to send down a second warning. So they prayed God to send down the curse of the small-pox. Thereupon the small-pox appeared amongst the Troyans, and raged in their country for three full years, carrying off all the strength and beauty of the people, so that only the old remained to cough, and the little babes to cry.