This year my A to Z theme is Small Town Legends. I am exploring folklore from villages and small towns around Hungary, bringing you the most entertaining bits. You can plan your next visit around them!
Okay so Pozsony is technically the Hungarian name for Bratislava, which is not a small town. But the story itself was collected in Győr, which is my hometown in northwestern Hungary (of about 130,000 people). And the story is too funny not to include.
The story concerns the seminary in Pozsony, probably referring to the Emericanum which functioned as a training school for priests from the 17th century all the way to 1913. The story itself was recorded in the 1820s.
Here's the legend:
It is said that Joseph II (Habsburg emperor 1765-1790) once visited the seminary in Pozsony, and lingered for a while in front of a painting depicting Jacob's ladder. He watched the painted angels ascending and descending the ladder between Heaven and Earth, then turned to the esteemed theologian standing by:
"Why are the angels taking the ladder? Can't they just fly?"
The theologian managed to come up with a quick answer on the spot:
"Your majesty, the angels are molting at the moment. That's why they can't fly."
(Story referenced in the Catalog of Hungarian Historical Legends)
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment