Legends
Aranyász
“Gold is dripping in the Amza Mountain”
„Aranyász” (Goldsmith) is one of the forest names. This can be traced back to the fact that many of the people of Ciumani still remember that they were looking for gold in the forest in the time of Maria Theresa.
In the early 1950s, geologists did not find gold here, only uranium. At the place where the drilling is, yellow water was flowing, so people tought that there could be gold. This is why the children named the place Goldsmith.
In the time of Maria Theresa, a survey was actually carried out in 1767 by experts from the Transylvanian Fiscalis or Treasury Administration with the help of the local Balló mansion. However, the Transylvanian Thesaurus described the essence of the “Pro Memoria” in five points as meaning that the wildness of the place, the dense forests and the impassability of the road, and the community rights of the Szekler community were obstacles that prevented the exploration and actual opening for extraction.
From the 1950s onwards, geologists drilled into the mountain, opened a mine and dug 1,200 m deep and 850 m deep at Vállu Creek, and the passages were built to human heights. People said that there was enough extractable material for 150 years.
The footprints of Jesus
At the edge of the field of Amza Mountain is a large flat stone, which is believed to show traces of Jesus ’feet and wand (some say also the donkey’s hoof).
The old men believed that when Jesus walked the earth, a trace remained here, from which the water never dries out. That is why many patients asks water from this hollow, trusting in the hope of recovery.
The legend of Jerika
A long time ago, there was a sea eye in the place of Ciumani. People settled on the side of the mountains surrounding the beautiful place, hitting a farm among the pine forests and rocks on the banks of a river. Álmos, a strong and courageous man, was appointed commander of their tribe.
As time passed, the once gentle leader became cruel, heartless, his people was forced to work too hard, and put whackers beside them, so the people hated their leader. Over time, Álmos married the quiet Jerika, and made castle with his men as slaves. A few months later, Jerika gave birth to a son who was called Éber. As he grew, he was involved in the mysteries of hunting.
One night, his mother dreamed that gold was hidden in the forests around them, but he could only find out where the treasure could be found after burning his own son, following the rising smoke. For a long time the woman was torn apart, but eventually greed grow over her and she decided to sacrifice her son for wealth. The villagers were called together and decided that they could only get rid of poverty by sacrificing the boy. The father did not want to agree, but the majority decided otherwise. The boy eventually sacrificed himself because he wanted to save his village. Éber was burned in a pagan ceremony in the middle of the village. They then set off in the direction of the smoke and reached a large cave. They went in, walked around everything, searched for treasure for days, but found nothing. He who did not work as Álmos demanded was beaten or killed. The whole tribe already hated him.
Once, after he had beaten an old man, he cursed him, “You have burned your son alive, and here you will kill your people, if one more man dies under your hand, you will be turned to stone with your wife!” Álmos ignored the old man’s words, and many people died under his arms even after that. His wife cried a lot for his sacrificed son. She knew the old curse was about to happen, one day a great storm tore through the trees and rolled huge boulders out of their place. The woman ran out of the castle all the way to Little Somolyo, looking again to see if the coveted gold was glistening in the valley, and Jerika turned to stone at the last look at the castle. At the same time, the castle and its cruel lord froze.
The castle turned to stone is called the Castle Stone, the woman turned to stone is called the Stone of Jerika.
