Zlatorog
Encyclopedia
Goldhorn or Goldenhorn is a legend
ary white chamois
buck, or in some Slovenian stories the steinbock, who had his realm in the heights of Mount Triglav
. The legend is well-known throughout Slovenia
(specifically Carinthia
), as well as in Austrian Carinthia
, and Italian
Friuli-Venezia Giulia
.
The story about Zlatorog was first written down, adapted to the late Romantic
style and published by Karl Deschmann (Karel Dežman) in the Laibacher Zeitung
, no. 43, on 21 February 1868.
were a key to a treasure hidden in the mountains around Triglav. A young and brave hunter from the Trenta Valley
fell in love with a beautiful girl and managed to win her heart by bringing her beautiful flowers. However, one day a rich merchant from Venice
came by and tried to gain her attention by giving her golden jewellery and dancing with her. As the hunter approached the girl, she mocked him. The hunter was desperate and left. Persuaded by another hunter, called the Green hunter, who was said to had brought about the fate of several honest boys, he decided to go at that very night to find Goldhorn and claim his treasure. In the morning, they found the animal, shot it and pursued it. The dying animal dragged itself onto a narrow, rocky ledge. Suddenly the boy saw on a dangerous trail the most beautiful and healing flowers. The Green hunter forced him on to catch the Goldhorn before it ate the magic Triglav flowers that grew from its blood, but it was too late. The Goldhorn already ate one and the flower gave it tremendous life power. It ran towards the hunter, who being blinded by the bliss of its golden horns lost balance and fell from the mountain. The river Soča
brought his corpse to the vale.
and published in 1877, becoming his most popular work. It was turned into an opera by Camilla and Eduard Lucerna.
Zlatorog is also a brand of beer produced by the Laško Brewery
.
Legend
A legend is a narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to take place within human history and to possess certain qualities that give the tale verisimilitude...
ary white chamois
Chamois
The chamois, Rupicapra rupicapra, is a goat-antelope species native to mountains in Europe, including the Carpathian Mountains of Romania, the European Alps, the Tatra Mountains, the Balkans, parts of Turkey, and the Caucasus. The chamois has also been introduced to the South Island of New Zealand...
buck, or in some Slovenian stories the steinbock, who had his realm in the heights of Mount Triglav
Triglav
Triglav is the highest mountain in Slovenia and the highest peak of the Julian Alps. While its name, meaning "three-headed", can describe its shape as seen from the Bohinj area, the mountain was most probably named after the Slavic god Triglav. The mountain is the preeminent symbol of the Slovene...
. The legend is well-known throughout Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
(specifically Carinthia
Carinthia (province)
Slovenian Carinthia or Slovene Carinthia, most commonly simply Carinthia is a traditional region in the north of Slovenia. It has no official status as an administrative unit within Slovenia, although the association with an informal province is still quite common.The region is referred to as...
), as well as in Austrian Carinthia
Carinthia (state)
Carinthia is the southernmost Austrian state or Land. Situated within the Eastern Alps it is chiefly noted for its mountains and lakes.The main language is German. Its regional dialects belong to the Southern Austro-Bavarian group...
, and Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
Friuli-Venezia Giulia
Friuli-Venezia Giulia
Friuli–Venezia Giulia is one of the twenty regions of Italy, and one of five autonomous regions with special statute. The capital is Trieste. It has an area of 7,858 km² and about 1.2 million inhabitants. A natural opening to the sea for many Central European countries, the region is...
.
The story about Zlatorog was first written down, adapted to the late Romantic
Romanticism
Romanticism was an artistic, literary and intellectual movement that originated in the second half of the 18th century in Europe, and gained strength in reaction to the Industrial Revolution...
style and published by Karl Deschmann (Karel Dežman) in the Laibacher Zeitung
Laibacher Zeitung
Laibacher Zeitung was the largest and most influential newspaper in Ljubljana in the 18th and 19th century. It was written in German and published daily from 1778 till 1918. In its first period, it was published with a supplement Intelligenzblatt aimed at spreading knowledge among the general public...
, no. 43, on 21 February 1868.
Summary of the story as written by Karl Deschmann
Goldhorn's golden hornsHorn (anatomy)
A horn is a pointed projection of the skin on the head of various animals, consisting of a covering of horn surrounding a core of living bone. True horns are found mainly among the ruminant artiodactyls, in the families Antilocapridae and Bovidae...
were a key to a treasure hidden in the mountains around Triglav. A young and brave hunter from the Trenta Valley
Trenta Valley
Trenta is a valley in the Julian Alps in the northern part of the Goriška traditional region of Slovenia. The source of the river Soča and the settlements of Soča, Lepena and Trenta are located in Trenta. The Vršič pass connects the valley with the Upper Carniola to the east. The Soča flows...
fell in love with a beautiful girl and managed to win her heart by bringing her beautiful flowers. However, one day a rich merchant from Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
came by and tried to gain her attention by giving her golden jewellery and dancing with her. As the hunter approached the girl, she mocked him. The hunter was desperate and left. Persuaded by another hunter, called the Green hunter, who was said to had brought about the fate of several honest boys, he decided to go at that very night to find Goldhorn and claim his treasure. In the morning, they found the animal, shot it and pursued it. The dying animal dragged itself onto a narrow, rocky ledge. Suddenly the boy saw on a dangerous trail the most beautiful and healing flowers. The Green hunter forced him on to catch the Goldhorn before it ate the magic Triglav flowers that grew from its blood, but it was too late. The Goldhorn already ate one and the flower gave it tremendous life power. It ran towards the hunter, who being blinded by the bliss of its golden horns lost balance and fell from the mountain. The river Soča
Soca
The Soča or Isonzo is a 140 km long river that flows through western Slovenia and northeastern Italy. An Alpine river in character, its source lies in the Trenta Valley in the Julian Alps in Slovenia, at an elevation of around 1,100 metres...
brought his corpse to the vale.
Recasts
The story of Goldhorn was put into verses by Rudolf BaumbachRudolf Baumbach
Rudolf Baumbach was a German poet.Born in Kranichfeld in Thuringia, Germany, the son of a local medical practitioner, he received his early schooling at the gymnasium of Meiningen, to which place his father had moved...
and published in 1877, becoming his most popular work. It was turned into an opera by Camilla and Eduard Lucerna.
Zlatorog is also a brand of beer produced by the Laško Brewery
Laško Brewery
Laško Brewery is a brewery in the Slovenian town of Laško and the largest brewery of the country.The brewery was founded in 1825 by Franz Geyer, a gingerbread baker and mead producer. After World War II ended in 1945, Laško was the fifth-largest in Yugoslavia...
.
External links
- Baumbach, Rudolf. Zlatorog. Eine Alpensage. Der SpiegelDer SpiegelDer Spiegel is a German weekly news magazine published in Hamburg. It is one of Europe's largest publications of its kind, with a weekly circulation of more than one million.-Overview:...
. Verlag von A.G. Liebeskind. 1882. (German)