Probably many of us love to travel. It's cool to get into some well-preserved medieval city, walk along its ancient streets and listen to stories from a guide about its history, legends and beliefs. Stories in which mysticism is present in places are especially fascinating. So I decided to bring a little fear and humor to you, and start a short series about the mysterious, but my native city of Tallinn. Namely, I will tell you a few urban legends, horror stories and tales.
How was Tallinn founded?
The legend says:
About a thousand years ago there lived a king in Denmark, whose son and daughter were inflamed with forbidden love for each other. The king, having learned about this, decided to expel his daughter from his country, since he considered her the main culprit. He came up with a cruel punishment - he ordered to put the princess on a ship without a rudder, and send this ship to the open sea so that his daughter would never return home.
One of the Danish kings of that time, Sven Forkbeard
The ship wandered for a long time on the waves, until the storm washed it to north coast Estonia. The princess ordered the anchor to be dropped and went in a boat to the shore. After some time, she noticed a hill on the coast - the grave of old Kalev (note the hero of the Finno-Ugric epic Kalevala). The princess liked this place so much that she wished to build a city here. The exile brought with her from her native country a lot of gold and silver, and this good was transferred from the ship to her tent on the hill. The princess called the people together and ordered for her gold and silver to build first a luxurious castle, and around it a city. Those who showed courage and zeal, she favored at home. So, over time, many people gathered around the castle, and the city grew noticeably, became beautiful and rich, and people in it lived calmly and happily.
Soon news reached the King of Denmark about beautiful city founded by his daughter. And he had an irresistible desire to subjugate this city. Having conquered his pride, the king went to bow to his daughter. The princess, unaware of her father's insidious plans, forgave him and arranged a magnificent meeting.
However, the inhabitants quickly realized what was on the minds of strangers. They immediately drove them away and remained masters in their city. The people began to call it Tanlin, the Danish city, from which the current name Tallinn (Tallinn) eventually came about.
A comment: From the legend it follows that Tallinn was founded by the Danes, but already in the 1st millennium AD. e. Tallinn was a well-known harbor and place of trade, being the center of the ancient Estonian land of Reval.
In the form of Rifarrik, the city is mentioned in an Irish manuscript around 750, the court geographer of the Sicilian king Roger II, the Arab al-Idrisi, names it in the comments on the world map he compiled in 1154. The Danes conquered the city in 1219, under King Valdemar II.
Linda stone. The legend about the origin of Lake Ülemiste.
The poor widow mourned her beloved husband Kalev for many months, giving vent to complaints and bitter tears. And she began to bring stones to his grave in order to erect a worthy monument to Kalev and preserve his memory for posterity. In Tallinn, you can still see this tombstone of Kalev - Toompea Hill. Under it, the king of the ancient Estonians sleeps with eternal sleep, sea waves rustle on one side of the hill, and native forests rustle on the other.
Sculpture of Linda.
One day Linda was carrying a large boulder to the grave. She hurried up the hill of Lasnamägi, carrying on her back in a sling woven from her hair, a whole rock.
Then the widow stumbled, and a heavy stone rolled from her shoulders. Linda could not lift this rock - from grief, the poor thing dried up, lost its former strength of hands. The woman sat down on a stone and wept bitter tears, complaining about her widow's share.
The good wind fairy gently stroked the silk of her hair and dried her tears, but they kept flowing and flowing from Linda's eyes, like streams on a mountain slope, gathering into a lake. This lake grew larger and larger until it turned into a lake. It is still located in Tallinn on the Lasnamägi hill and is called Ülemiste (Upper). There you can also see the stone on which the weeping Linda sat.
And if you, a traveler, happen to walk past Lake Ülemiste, stop and remember the glorious Kalev and his inconsolable Linda.
Lake Ülemiste. In the middle of the lake, you can just see the same ill-fated stone. The airport is right across the lake.
Comment: Prose retelling by J. Kunder (1852-1888) from the song of the second epic Kalevipoeg.
Servants of Van, the Baron of Vigala.
Once upon a time, a baron lived in the estate of Vana Vigala, in whose service there were many spirits.
Vana-Vigala homestead
Once he went to Tallinn across Lake Ülemiste. The baron strictly forbade the coachman to look back while driving on water.
The carriage raced like a mirror. When she approached the shore, where it was shallow, the coachman nevertheless looked back. To his great amazement, he saw that spirits were fussing around the carriage: they carried boards from behind the wheels of the carriage and placed them in front of it - so they built a bridge along which the carriage rode.
As soon as the coachman looked back, the carriage with the team of horses fell into the water. But since the coast was very close, the horses pulled the carriage onto land and no one drowned.
The baron says to the coachman: “If you looked back in the middle of the lake, we would drown. Spirits stop working if at least one of the people sees them. Don't you dare disobey my orders again!"
Why Tallinn will never be completed.
Once a year, on a dark autumn midnight, a gray-haired old man, Järvevana, emerges from Lake Ülemiste; descends from the hill to the city gates and asks the guards:
— Well, is the city ready, or is it still under construction?
IN big cities There is always enough work for builders: if new buildings are not being built, then there is a lot of trouble with old houses. Here and there it is necessary to correct, touch up or rebuild, the work goes on continuously, and there is not a day when all the masters rest at the same time. But if a short break suddenly happens, then you can’t say half a word about this lake old man. The guard at the city gates is ordered to answer, it is always the same for him:
The city is far from ready. It will be many years before all the work is completed.
Then the wonderful old man angrily shakes his head, mutters something unintelligible, turns sharply and goes back into the lake - his eternal home.
But if the lake old man is told that the city is ready and there is nothing more to build there, the waters of Ülemiste will rush from the Lasnamägi hill to the coastal lowland and flood Tallinn.
The unfinished city of Tallinn
Comment: The legend was retold by F. R. Kreutzwald in 1866 in his Old Estonian Folk Tales. This motif is also found in "pure" folklore (see Kalev's Servant in this edition). Lake Ülemiste is located high above the Lower Town and was flooded more than once (in 1718, 1761, 1867).
The Adventures of the Mummy Duke.
In the first half of the nineteenth century in the church of St. Nicholas (Niguliste) an amazing exhibit was exhibited. In one of the chapels, on a hearse, stood a coffin with a glass lid, and in it was a mummy dressed in a black velvet camisole with snow-white lace, legs covered in silk stockings, and a curled wig on her head.
Duke mummy.
The church watchman, who received considerable income for showing the mummy, touchingly took care of its safety. When the mummy began to be overcome by mice, he brought a cat in the church. Once, on a rainy and gloomy autumn evening, the organist was playing chorales when suddenly he heard shuffling footsteps. From the darkness, in the light of a swinging lantern, a mummy appeared. The horrified organist noticed, however, that the mummy was not moving by itself, but was being carried. It turns out that the roof in the chapel leaked, the mummy got wet, and the ingenuous watchman decided to dry it by the stove.
Whose mummy was this? Duke Carl Eugene de Croix was born in the Netherlands and had royal blood in his veins. He served first in the Danish army, then in the Austrian troops, and then in Poland. When the Northern War began, de Croix joined the Russian army. Peter I promoted him to field marshal general and appointed him commander-in-chief of the Russian troops near Narva. Having lost the battle, the duke was taken prisoner and brought to Tallinn by the Swedes. Here he was released on parole. De Croix quickly got used to Tallinn, made an extensive circle of acquaintances among the local nobility and wealthy merchants. Not only did the doors open before him, but also the wallets of the Tallinners, and the duke was a true master of living in debt. He drank a lot, played dice, his debts grew and grew. Everything was going great.
And suddenly - like thunder among clear sky- news: the duke ordered to live long. Disappointed creditors gathered for a meeting. Someone remembered that according to the Lübeck law of the Hanseatic cities, Tallinners can forbid the debtor's funeral until they receive their money in full. The meeting decided not to give the city authorities dead body the Duke is the only guarantee of his great debts. The authorities, on the other hand, showed unexpected compliance, apparently fearing the large expenses for the funeral, befitting the title of duke. Having agreed with them, the lenders put their “deposit” in the coffin and took it to the basement of the church of St. Nicholas for storage. It was in 1702.
The duke's mummy was found. . . in a hundred and twenty years, and even then by accident. The people believed that the body of the duke was preserved thanks to strong drinks, which the deceased greatly appreciated. Pundits explained mummification by the fact that the mortar that held the foundation masonry contained rock salt.
So the mummy of the Duke de Croix turned into a landmark of the Niguliste church, competing with the famous altar painting "Dance of Death" by Bernt Notke. In the middle of the last century, the authorities ordered to stop showing the noble effigy, but they buried him only in 1897. Thus ended the adventures of the duke's mummy, two hundred years after his death.
How the owner of the Palmse estate saved Tallinn from trouble.
Once Tallinn, which was called the virgin, because no one had yet managed to capture it, was besieged by an enemy army for a whole summer. And although the fortress walls and towers reliably protected the people of Tallinn, the hunger became more and more fierce day by day, and the hearts of the townspeople were seized by despair and cowardice.
The savior of the city in this difficult hour was Baron Pahlen, the owner of the Palmse estate. He pretended to want to send provisions to the hungry townspeople. When carts with food and beer barrels approached the enemy camp on Lasnamägi, they were immediately captured by the enemy. Hunger exhausted the besieging soldiers no less than the Tallinners, so they pounced on provisions like wolves, forgetting about the siege. Master Palmse took advantage of this short respite to save the city. He ordered a fattened bull and some malt to be delivered by sea to the walls of the city, and handed them over to the townspeople.
Manor Palmse.
The townspeople brewed fresh beer and carried it to the front earthen ramparts. On the bottoms of overturned barrels they poured beer so that the foam would flow over the rim. Then they released a bull on the ramparts, which ran out, blasting the ground with its horns.
When the enemies saw barrels of foaming beer and a fattened bull, their soul went to their heels. “Damn it all,” said the soldiers, “you won’t starve out the one who can still brew so much beer and walk fat bulls on the ramparts. We'd rather die of hunger ourselves."
The next morning, the townspeople saw that the enemy was leaving home. Tallinn was saved again.
A descendant of the savvy Baron Matvey Ivanovich Palen (1779-1863), a cavalry general.
Comment: The legend retold by F. R. Kreutzwald in the Old Estonian Folk Tales probably refers to the events of the Livonian War (1558-1583). It was in the 16th century that the construction of earthen fortifications began behind the city stone wall.
Pontus, a tanned leather merchant.
Pontus Delagardie
Long ago, on moonlit nights in Lasnamägi, people saw a rider in iron armor on a white horse. He offered passers-by to buy tanned leather. But there were no people who wanted to buy the goods - the disgusting smell of leather scared away the buyers.
Once the rider met an old man with a goatee and asked:
“What price do you ask for your tanned skin, brother?”
The rider answered him:
“I just want to sleep peacefully in the damp earth.
The old man asked the knight to tell him who makes him wander at night and does not allow him to fall asleep forever. This is what the rider told him:
- I was once a famous commander, and they called me Pontus. I ordered the dead soldiers to be skinned, gave it to the tanner, and then ordered from this skin boots, caftan and trousers, a saddle, belts and bridles. Everything I'm wearing right now is made from human skin. After my death, a lot of tanned skin remained. When I arrived in the next world and wanted to enter the gate, the guard detained me: “It was ordered to let you in only after you sell all the remaining skin. You will come out of the grave at night and drive along the roads to Lasnamägi from midnight until the first roosters, until you find a buyer.” So for two generations I have been offering tanned leather, but there are still no buyers.
“I will not disdain your goods,” said the old man. - If you only ask to be freed from night vigils, then the price suits me, it's on the hands. Get off your horse and follow me.
Pontus was delighted with the buyer, took his skins and followed the old man. The same one led him straight to hell. At the underground gates, the old man took on his true form - turned into a devil with horns and a tail, and shouted in a terrible voice:
“Come on, come out, all those skinned by Pontus!”
Then a host of his victims stepped forward, wanting to reclaim their skin and cover their naked, bleeding flesh. The devil, baring his teeth, taught them:
- Remove the skin from it and stretch it until there is enough for everyone to cover the bones.
A. Durer. Horseman, death and hell. 1513. Carving engraving
Comment: The legend is contained in the "Old Estonian Folk Tales" by F. R. Kreutzwald, based on which the ballad of the poetess M. Under (1883-1980) "Pontus the leather merchant" was written. The trader is probably the Swedish commander Pontus Delagardie (1520-1585). His tombstone in the altar of the Dome Cathedral is a masterpiece of Renaissance art. The Swedes, having captured Narva under the command of Delagardie on September 6, 1581, staged a massacre there, in which about 7 thousand people died.
About Tallinn's Don Juan.
Everyone who visits the Dome Cathedral involuntarily tramples on the grave of a sinner, about whom many stories are told. Entering the cathedral through the main portal and getting into the southern nave of the temple, the visitor finds himself on a large slab, along the edges of which is carved: “OTTO JOHANN THOUVE landowner Edize, Väena and Koonu is his grave. In the year 1696″.
The Dome Cathedral
Tradition says that Tuva, who is buried under the slab, was an Estonian by origin, because his surname means “dove” in translation. For his merits, he was granted the nobility. He was an extremely cheerful and light-tempered man, he liked to eat a lot and tasty, to drink hard, and most importantly, he was known as a ladies' man and a great conqueror of hearts.
Before his death, he repented of his sins and bequeathed to bury himself at the entrance to the Dome Cathedral. Tove hoped for forgiveness if he showed humility and humility, and the parishioners would trample his ashes.
Indeed, five centuries ago, the Tuve clan settled in Edize Castle in northern Estonia. They also owned the neighboring estate of Jõhvi, where a church was erected at the end of the fifteenth century. On the bell tower of the church there is the coat of arms of the Tuve family. The character of men of this kind is told by the legend about the church in Jõhvi, which is very similar to the legend about Don Juan in Tallinn:
There once lived two brothers. The elder brother went to war, and the younger one had to build a fortified castle. The older brother returned from the war, a quarrel broke out between the brothers, and in a duel the younger was killed. The older brother was seized with sadness and deep regret about what had happened, he ordered, in atonement for his sins, to build a church on the site of the duel and bury himself in front of the entrance, so that all believers would trample on his sinful ashes.
My Northern Europe Cruise Stories:
In a certain kingdom, in the Danish state, there lived a king with his queen. And they had a daughter: a beauty, a capricious, a shrew. The father-king was a resolute, imperious man, who did not tolerate disobedience from anyone, even from his own daughter. Well, the daughter didn’t go far from her father’s disposition, but she didn’t have any power yet, and therefore she paid for her character - the shrew was ordered to put on a ship and send it, without a rudder and without sails, where she would take her. If your daughter is lucky, she will get out of the captivity of the harsh northern waters. And no luck ... Well, that's the way it is, so that others would be disrespectful. How long, how short a lonely ship wandered through the waves, no one knows. But the sea gods took pity on the shrew and carried the ship to the deserted shore, carefully stranding both the ship and the princess who was bored on it. Once on the long-awaited land, the girl did not moan and wring her hands, but resolutely set to work, and soon appeared on the nameless shore new town, named after the homeland of the princess - "Danish Fortress" or, as we are all used to, Taani-Linn, Tallinn.
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Tell me, if the journey begins with such a fairy tale, what can you expect from the city, except for new fairy tales, "traditions of the deep antiquity", legends and other fables? That's right, you need to wait for something fabulous and magical! And we, not bothering much with the routes, decided to do it simply - bypass Old city, moving from legend to legend, in order to forget what century it is today and plunge into the distant Middle Ages, with all its charms, but without all its cruelties (after all, modernity ennobles the once harsh morals). Looking back, I understand that it was the right decision, which allowed me to live the whole day in the old, old fairy tale, which has so many names and inevitably a happy ending ...
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Having found out in advance that several ships came to the port of Tallinn that day, not counting our "Aida" (one "Princess" could easily guarantee the hustle and bustle in the narrow streets of the Old Town), we tried to get off the coast as early as possible, so that at least in the morning enjoy the deserted streets and the silence of the waking up city. And we almost succeeded.
sea gate meet those who came to the city by sea. Therefore, our route turned out in the opposite direction, and not like everyone else, and did not avoid a little confusion, when the temptation to wag in one direction or another was already very great. Well, how can you go here without turning when a real fairy tale begins right outside the gate, which modern new buildings, satellite dishes and other signs of our century were afraid to spoil. True, I had to turn a blind eye to the numerous cars blocking the already narrow streets, but I wrote it off in the early morning ...
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Where the Sea Gate is, there fat margarita, the tower is solid, dignified, solid, as old as the legend of its appearance ...
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In ancient times, everything was different than it is now - a different life, other mores, other criteria for beauty. Our slender beauties, languishing on diets and dying in the gym, could not capture the heart of a handsome medieval man - well, why hug such a one? So the girls tried as best they could to look more magnificent - they put on a bunch of skirts, knitted thicker stockings and tried to somehow fill their cheeks, which you can’t cover with any clothes. They brewed potions, went to witches, spoke conspiracies - for beauty, all means are good (well, almost like in our time, however, for a completely opposite result). So Margarita, an appetizing girl and without any witchcraft (but when is a woman satisfied with her forms?), Decided to ask the sorceress for help. She did not refuse for a long time - she brewed something more magical, whispered stronger conspiracies and gave the cherished drink to the girl, taking her word not to walk after midnight as a retribution for the service. Margarita was delighted with such a small price and without hesitation promised to fulfill everything. And the potion worked! Margarita blossomed - not to hug one, all the guys looked around when, sniffling and panting, she hobbled along the narrow streets on a date with her beloved Herman. And such love spun between them that they both lost their heads with happiness, and at the same time they completely forgot that it was necessary to watch the clock. And then one day, when they began to beat midnight in the bell tower, Margarita remembered the warning of the sorceress, but it was too late - the sorceress took her payment. Now at one end of the Old City stands the Fat Margaret tower, and at the other - Long Herman, and they will never be together, nor in human form.
I don’t know how true this story is, and it has overgrown with details over all these centuries, having lost a bit of truth, but let it be - we didn’t manage to walk in Tallinn without fairy tales ...
After mourning the unenviable fate of Margarita and admiring the tower, we started to move on, but after a couple of steps we stopped before the next fairy tale, about "Three Sisters".
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My father had three daughters: a clever and beautiful eldest, a so-so average and absolutely no younger. When it came time to marry them off, their father built three houses for their dowry: nothing at all for the older one, so-so for the middle one, and chic for the younger one, balancing the sisters' chances at the bride fair. And did not lose! Here the story falls silent, deciding to leave the ending unsaid. But no one bothers to think! And while we were admiring the houses, we listened to this legend in several languages, ranging from Russian to cheerful Spanish (we don’t know what the Chinese guide said, but the abundance of Chinese who stuck around the houses disturbed everyone terribly).
If we came to Tallinn for a few days, we would stop at the Three Sisters to live in a legend, among the old walls, listen to how the tales of the Old Town fall asleep and wake up and watch how ghostly shadows glide along the pavements shining from the rain ...
Church Saint Olaf We didn’t manage to see it in all its glory – the restoration, which we didn’t know about, forced us to change plans a little and try not to take it into the frame, it looked so incomprehensible. The tallest building in the Old Town had to be postponed "for later", as well as the view from the observation deck.
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Pikk Street persistently called to go further along it, promising to show miracles and tell fairy tales, the fortress wall persuaded to turn aside and admire its towers, of which there are many in Tallinn - well, what kind of harmony of the story can we talk about when the legs themselves lead to where they are called eyes! And turning to the wall, we set off to get to know the towers, absolutely charming in their antiquity, solidity and squinting narrow loopholes. These towers, like the rest, just as high and reliable, have become for me one of the symbols of the Old City and the very portal that takes you to the past, regardless of whether you want it or not. The fortress wall hugs the narrow streets, “collecting” houses into a heap, makes the pavements wind and decides how wide the roads will be and how spacious the sidewalks will be, and the towers make sure that no one is self-willed, trying to get out of the strong stone embrace ...
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Turning onto Lai Street, we went to where they stand "Three brothers", not as famous as the "Three Sisters", but also pretty, in my opinion. In the meantime, tourists began to wake up, slowly filling the streets and huddling in groups near any more or less pretty house. I had to wait and try to take pictures in pauses, when one group would leave, and the other would not come up yet. It was terribly straining, but we heard so many different versions of urban legends that you involuntarily wonder which one is true ...
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And it’s not about legends, although in Tallinn they are apparently not visible! Perhaps there is no second city where you can wander aimlessly and thoughtlessly, plunging into the atmosphere of a real, living past, where you won’t be at all surprised to meet a chimney sweep hurrying somewhere, where old weathervanes are spinning on the towers, trying to catch the changeable wind, where paving stones worn down by many centuries, where each house asks for either a frame, or a fairy tale, and where it is so easy to forget what century it is. Surprisingly, even this is not, if you dig deep enough, you can find antiquity in other cities. It is surprising that this whole story lives a normal life, without sliding into the props familiar to our time - silhouettes of people flicker in the windows, cars crawl along the cobblestones, church bells ring, shop doors swing open, hostesses water flowers at the doorstep, and all the tourist fuss lives separately from real life, without preventing the fairy tale from remaining a fairy tale, but were - a reality. And no matter how you look at your watch, remembering that the ship will not wait for anyone, you still freeze surprised and try to understand what is the secret of the Old City, which managed to preserve everything that was rich and that Revel was rightfully proud of ...
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Returning to Pikk street, to Nikolskaya chapel, so modest and inconspicuous that if you don’t know where it is located, you can easily slip past, mistaking it for a small cafe, we continued our journey. It is surprising that it survived many troubled times and still remains a chapel.
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House of the Blackheads- the attraction is very noticeable and very pretty. Even without knowing what kind of house it is, you won’t run past, catching your eye on the picturesque door. The house retained the appearance that it had during the heyday of the "Brotherhood of the Blackheads", a kind of knights from the merchant class. The brotherhood, founded in the 14th century, accepted only young merchants who had not yet started families, and foreigners who temporarily lived in Tallinn. The founder of the brotherhood, Saint Mauritius, a black African, still adorns the coat of arms of the guild.
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By the way, it was the Brotherhood of the Blackheads who first installed a Christmas tree in Tallinn on the Town Hall Square, and it was in the 15th century, long before the tree became a symbol of Christmas in other European cities, which makes their contribution to history in my eyes invaluable ...
Omitting the biography of the order and a detailed architectural description of the house, I cannot but note the beauty of the door and the facade around it, which catches even an amateur. Very beautiful house and numerous tourists around the most vivid confirmation of this.
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Further - even more interesting! Almost opposite each other there are two houses, one more beautiful than the other - "House with dragons" and "House with lorgnette", relatively modern and not very old (beginning of the 20th century). I gave my sympathy to The House with a Lorgnette, my husband liked the House with Dragons more - they don’t argue about tastes, for sure in our family.
"House with a lorgnette" beautiful even without a legend and looks like a magnificent wedding cake, decorated with trinkets and patterns. The eccentric with the lorgnette still needs to be found and you can walk around the bush for a long time, trying in vain to find out which turret he is hidden behind. There is even a legend that there used to be a house here, in which a not very modest, but very elderly gentleman lived, who loved to look through his lorgnette at the girls who flickered through the windows of the house opposite. The architect who built new house, knew this story and hid the gentleman behind one of the towers overlooking Pikk Street. When we stopped to photograph the lorning zhuire, people began to look around in bewilderment, trying to understand what attracted us so much - the attraction is not the most noticeable, but very interesting.
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In addition to the gentleman, there are many other decorations on the house - a weather vane fish, fancy turrets, mascarons decorating the walls between the windows, carved lanterns on the facade, and even a black cat on the roof, which is not at all easy to see, even knowing where to look (you need to move to alley to the right).
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"Dragon House"- a combination of Egyptians, pharaohs and dragons. There is no marzipan lightness of "House with a lorgnette" here, and the impression is completely different: weighty, solid, portly. But the attraction, and therefore passing by is not entirely correct. And we decided - everyone admires his own, honestly dividing sympathy between the two houses ...
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Further Pikk street led to a small square where you can eat marzipan in an old cafe and see the history of the delicacy in the museum. There is also the Church of the Holy Spirit, which seemed to us much more interesting than marzipan paradise.
We put aside the marzipan, deciding that if we had time to see everything and there was time left, we would stop by here on the way back to buy gifts. True, this delicacy is so peculiar that not everyone likes its unbearable sweetness. Having tasted one marzipan candy, I can do without a sweet for a month, or even two, living with memories of its rare cloying. Therefore, I can safely say - I love marzipan, it is good to lose weight with it!
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We went to the store at the end, on the way to the port, and managed to admire the marzipan figurines and bouquets, taste different types treats, buy gifts and even freely photograph the marzipan miracles decorating the shop window. There was simply not enough time for the museum, which I still regret ...
The small Gildi Plats is not only a marzipan museum. The house is big Guilds, located opposite the Church of the Holy Spirit - a memory of the times when Revel was part of the Hanseatic League (15th century). The lantern above the entrance and the solid door are what I liked the most. And the porch did not seem to notice the passing centuries, retaining the solidity inherent in the Guild House of rich Revel.
Unlike the brotherhood of the Blackheads, which consisted exclusively of single merchants, only married and wealthy people entered the Guild, and there was a special "bride's room" in the house, where the newlyweds spent their wedding night.
Church of the Holy Spirit(14th century) is notable for its antiquity and modesty, and its tower is visible from afar and in my eyes looks no worse than the town hall, although it is officially considered the lowest in the Old City.
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The clock of the 17th century is the only decoration of the church outside, carried away by looking at it, I almost forgot to take a picture of it.
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Inside it is quite modest, there are practically no tourists and you can go inside for a small fee. An altar, stained-glass windows, a hanging pulpit and a wooden carving of the choir - where else can you see this! Behind the outward modesty lies a real treasure that captivates not with pretentiousness, but with age and restraint. Come in, you won't regret...
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If you turn from the Guild House into an inconspicuous arch called Exchange Lane, you can learn the history of Estonia from the stone slabs built into the sidewalk, not in detail, but the main milestones, a kind of "time tape". You can even find out what will happen in the future - the last plate is dated 2418. There are not very many tourists, we walked completely alone, except for rare passers-by. If you are interested in what is indicated there except for the future, go yourself ...
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Then the road led up, from the Lower City to Vyshgorod, from the quarters where the merchants lived to where the nobility settled. True, we had to show miracles of endurance and discipline, ignoring the temptations that peek out from every lane and lure us to turn off the road, waving a hand at all our plans. Persuading ourselves that the Town Hall Square will not go anywhere from us, and once you get there, you can disappear for a long time, our team slowly but surely moved towards long leg streets.
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The stone-paved walls of the street are no longer a fortress, but simply retaining walls that strengthen the ground and prevent it from slipping. But time and rains have done their job and everything looks nice and very ancient, the grass was especially good, nailing its way to the light through mossy stones. There were practically no artists with their creations that day, although I hatched a plan to buy myself views of the Old City ...
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Cathedral of Alexander Nevsky, to which Long Leg Street led us, was built at the beginning of the 20th century, in gratitude for the salvation of Alexander III and his family during the disaster in Borki. The cathedral is beautiful, its domes rise above Vyshgorod and are visible from different points. But something terrible was going on inside - I haven’t seen such compressed crowds of tourists for a long time, besides, the categorical ban on photography did not leave a single frame for memory. You have to pay for the entrance, but when we saw the crowd, we suddenly got sick of going in and looking. Another time somewhere in the future somehow another time sometime later…
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I must say that we got to the cathedral at the most “peak” time, when we released all the tourists from the ships (four liners for one Old Town is a lot, a lot!), Those who came by ferry and those who got by plane pulled up or buses. Not only taking pictures, it was impossible to squeeze through! Groups with guides, free-roaming tourists, a host of Chinese comrades who know how to create chaos like no other, screams in all languages at once - it is not surprising that such a stir was going on inside the cathedral. And I realized that all the charm of the Old City will be revealed to those who are not too lazy to get up early in the morning and take a walk along the half-asleep streets, where unfinished dreams still roam. Or go out late at night on the paving stones polished by rain and walk along with fairy tales, chasing away the silence with careless steps and chasing timid shadows running away into dark alleys. And during the day… No, during the day fairy tales are hidden, and I understand them very well!
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From all this mess we ran away to observation deck of Toompea Hill where (surprisingly) there were almost no tourists. Obviously, the views of an ordinary city did not inspire anyone, and we admired it alone, broken only by the wind and seagulls.
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5
Something I completely forgot about the legends, looking at the beautiful streets and admiring the houses. Meanwhile, the Dome Cathedral is very conducive to all sorts of legends of antiquity. The tombstone at the threshold, through which all those entering the cathedral step over, was placed on the place where the local Don Juan rests. It seems that he ordered to bury himself in this very place, so that everyone who enters steps on the stove and thereby helps to cleanse from a great many sins committed by him during his lifetime. But there is another version - the ladies stepping over the threshold allowed the deceased to admire the forbidden even after his death. But the poor fellow could not foresee that modern ladies prefer to wear jeans through which you can’t see anything at all, and not puffy seductive skirts that give scope to the imagination of a dead seducer.
Well, from a serious point of view - the ashes of I.F. Kruzenshtern, the first Russian circumnavigator known even to the children of the "man and the ship", are buried in the cathedral.
It turned out to be even more difficult to get into the Dome Cathedral - the queue at the entrance, completely formed from Chinese groups, tightly blocked the hope of seeing the place where Krusenstern rests and showing Don Juan your jeans from the most piquant angle ...
Patkul observation deck, which we went to, bypassing the Dome Cathedral, turned out to be a little livelier, and the views from it a little more beautiful. Here we lingered longer, admiring the city from a height and posing for each other against the backdrop of rooftops and a changeable sky. Why there were so few tourists is a big mystery to me, but the fact remains.
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Third observation deck - Kohtuotsa, plunged me into despondency and sadness. We had to fight our way to the parapet, we had to squeeze through the dense ranks of the Chinese without giving a damn about all the rules of decency, and we had to wait a long time for the opportunity to take a picture in the hope that the upturned tablets and phones would someday be lowered. A photograph of a terrible pandemonium will always remind me how bad it is to be in the same place with organized groups tourists from four cruise ships at the same time.
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The view from the site became a consolation that allowed me to instantly forget the chaos reigning behind my back and enjoy the beauty that opens from a height. Tiled roofs, high towers, winding streets, tiny people walking somewhere down there, and the endless sky, like a frame framing a picture of perfect beauty ...
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I had to fight my way back again, cursing and cursing all the cruises at once.
Having gone out along the absolutely charming and sweetest streets again to the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, we turned into Garden of the Danish King, very rich in sights, and in legends, what is there to hide.
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Quiet and cozy, despite the popularity among tourists, a corner of the Old Town, hiding behind the fortress wall and guarded by three tall towers- Stable, Maiden's and Kik-in-de-Kek. The garden is an exaggerated name: a few old trees promising deep shade over the benches, which are always full of those who want to rest their feet, a small flower bed with a Danish flag of artfully planted flowers, and figures of druids placed here and there. Oh yes! Another top view of the roofs, houses and streets, losing to the view from the Kohtuots site, but also not without its own charm.
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The most beautiful thing in the garden is a legend. The Danish king Voldemar decided to attack the city, take possession of it and assert his dominion over the lands of the Estonians. At first, everything went smoothly - the defeated Estonians recognized the strength of Voldemar's troops, brought the gifts due to the king according to the protocol, and even arranged a feast in honor of the winners, lulling the vigilance of the king and his troops. And then they treacherously attacked, crowding the Danes. The victory was about to turn into a defeat, and Voldemar fell to his knees, offering prayers to the indifferent heavens, persuading the Almighty to help defeat the rebellious Estonians. And a miracle happened! From the opened skies, a flag with a white cross on a red field fell into the hands of the king. It is clear that after this, Voldemar perked up and won again, and the flag has since become the official flag of Denmark, as a symbol of hope and victory, even in the most catastrophic situation. The Danes believe that their flag is the oldest in the world and every year on September 15, Dannebrog is celebrated.
They say that if you ask in this garden what you have been trying to get or achieve from life for a long time and unsuccessfully, your words will be heard and personally conveyed to the creator, after which all invincible barriers will collapse, and you will find a long-awaited dream ...
The towers in this garden are also remarkable. The girl's (the one with glasses) served as a prison for ladies of very easy virtue (and in what port city they are not - where the sailor, there are boats), Kik-in-de-Kek - allowed you to look into the windows of the kitchens, but not to satisfy idle curiosity, but to notice who was evading taxes.
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The Danish King's Garden, no matter how cozy and quiet it was, we had to leave, because further it was even more interesting. Short Leg Street, packed with tourists to the eyeballs, and therefore not as pretty as it could be if we came here on a quiet evening, led to Church of Saint Nicholas.
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This church, despite its antiquity, was completely destroyed during the Second World War and after a long time was restored, either burning down or rising again from the ashes. They say that in Nigulista for two hundred years the body of a spendthrift, a cheat and just a loser, Generalissimo Duke de Croix, was kept incorrupt. Numerous creditors, who did not wait for the return of debts, forbade him to bury his body until all debts were paid. How this story ended, I never managed to find out ...
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Returning to the Lower City, we set off towards the Town Hall Square, stopping at cat's well. Previously, there really was a well here (I readily believe in this), in which either a water well or a mermaid lived (I doubt it here), requiring regular tribute from the inhabitants of the city. Savvy townspeople, in order not to anger the one who lives in the well, threw cats down, deciding that they would be quite enough for the title of tribute (I don’t believe in this at all - it’s a pity for cats!). Now the well is not very popular with tourists, although it looks very medieval, if you do not think about the ruined cats ...
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From the well it’s a stone’s throw to the Town Hall, if it’s true, don’t look around and admire the pretty streets, of which there are even more here. Maybe you will succeed, but I got stuck for a long time, looking at signs, windows, doors, roof peaks and walls of neat houses pressed against each other - no, well, it’s beautiful, it’s a pity to just run through without noticing anything around ...
Town Hall Square — a nice place, decorated with the Town Hall, the best preserved in all of Northern Europe (I took my word for it). The famous Old Thomas adorns the top of the tower and can be seen even from a height viewing platforms if the camera allows, of course. There is a long legend about Old Thomas, which explains both the love of the inhabitants of Tallinn for him and why he appeared at the top of the tower. But I, perhaps, will skip it - I don’t want to cut it, and the long one will tire those who read to this place.
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We landed in the midst of some kind of fair that sold all sorts of things and souvenirs that are obligatory for every tourist. The sellers willingly switched to Russian, promised discounts and invited to the Christmas market, promising that it would be even more interesting, although much more interesting, only the Christmas tree was missing, the rest was in abundance.
Because of this fair, we never found the zero kilometer of Tallinn, hidden under one of the tents. If you stand on this stone, you can see five spiers at once - the Town Hall, the Church of St. Nicholas, the Dome Cathedral, the Church of the Holy Spirit and the Church of St. Olaf. We were not lucky, at least come back again!
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You can spend a lot of time on the square, admiring the Town Hall (and it's worth it!), the houses located around, and the fair will also require attention - I bought a bunch of gifts for everyone, everyone, everyone. But the best thing in the square (although this is not an indisputable statement) is the oldest pharmacy in Europe, operating for almost 600 years.
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Finding it is easy - at the corner of the Town Hall Square, where groups of tourists with guides crowd, you will not pass by. Previously, the pharmacy sold medicines that worked flawlessly, and sometimes instantly - rubbing from pike eyes or an extract from snake skin, powders from bat tails or unicorn horns, a mixture of frog legs or freshly squeezed mummy juice, "living water", referred to colloquially vodka and so on, so on, so on, including marzipans. Now medicines have become simpler and all the pharmacology that is sold in any pharmacy in the world is on display on these ancient shelves.
ARE YOU SURE YOU KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT TALLINN?
Have you been to the Town Hall Square more than once and all the cafes "relatives and friends"?
Do you know what is under the Town Hall Square?
WE WILL SURPRISE YOU!
"Legends of Tallinn" is one of those projects that are usually called unique, wonders of the world, the pride of the city and the country.
This exposition is hidden in intricate labyrinths deep underground right next to the town hall square. The labyrinth consists of 10 interactive rooms full of history, legends and life of the Old City Barons and mermaids, innocent girls and mighty knights, cruel judges and miserable people - fear or death awaits everyone!
You descend deep into the dungeon, and your 40-minute journey begins, or, one might say, a difficult test through the centuries of history. Professional actors, mechanical robot puppets and fantastic video projections will accompany you from room to room and present "live" 9 of the most creepy and poignant legends of old Tallinn.
In the labyrinths of "Legends of Tallinn" you:
- take the elevator to the spire of the ancient church,
- hear the voice of the devil and the song of the mermaid,
- survive the invasion of enemies and plague,
- feel the horrors of the Inquisition and war
- learn about forgotten discoveries.
"Legends of Tallinn" is located in the very center of Tallinn near the Town Hall Square at the address: st. Kullasepa d.7
Working mode:
Mon-Sun from 11:00 to 19:00.
Program duration:
40 minutes
Visit cost:
- full ticket (adults) - 13 EUR per person
- concession ticket(children under 18, students, pensioners) - 10 EUR with human
- family ticket (2 adults + 1 child) - 30 EUR
Like any old city, Tallinn has its fair share of stories about ghosts and ghosts.
People in this city have learned to live with them and love to tell stories about them. But, in fact, it is worth thinking twice about whether to stay in certain buildings in Tallinn for the night.
Here are best places with ghosts to (not) avoid in Tallinn. Entertainment for every taste!
#1 Devil's window at: Rataskaevu 16
Let's start with the most famous scary tale in the Old Town - a fake window at Rataskaevu 16.
Once upon a time, the then owner of the house experienced not better times things were going badly. This went on until a stranger came to him with an offer: to allow him to live in the upper left room of the house in exchange for a bag of gold. The owner was more than happy and promised complete privacy. None of the guests climbed the stairs! No one was interested in a small rented room. It was so small that no one understood how one could live there.
The owner's business began to improve, he became curious, and he crept up to see what was happening in that room. When he looked through the keyhole, he saw that a wedding was in full swing in the room. He turned gray with fright, because everyone at the party was with hooves and horns on their heads. And the beautifully dressed bride was accompanied by none other than the devil.
The owner ran down the stairs and hid all night. When morning came and the roosters crowed, then the whole detachment rushed out of the house and disappeared into the morning mist. By noon, the owner dared to go up to the room, where he found a bag of gold. But as soon as he touched it, the gold turned into dung. The owner was left without money. Since then, it is believed that the devil enters this room through the window, even though the owners walled it up.
#2 St. Olaf Church Building
St. Olaf is a beautiful church rising in the old town of Tallinn. Traditionally, it is considered the most tall building on the panorama. Today, the height of the Church of St. Olaf is 123.7 meters, but it should have been much higher!
In the 16th century, during one of the periods of restoration of the church, the spire was supposed to be 159 m. But the builders did not know how to do it correctly. The work was dangerous and cost a lot of money from the city budget. It was stipulated in all contracts that money would be paid only when the tower was completed. The builders accepted the challenge! But, oh misfortune, first one, then the second, the third, and, as a result, all seven main builders fell from the tower and crashed to death. Suddenly no one wanted to finish building the church. She was cursed!
A man came, who called himself Olaf, he promised to complete the tower. All he asked for was a thousand gold coins. It was all the city's money. The rulers of the city were forced to agree to a deal, and Olaf began building. He did all the most dangerous work himself, and built the spire as high as was written in the contract. Only one thing was missing - the Golden Cockerel on the top of the tower. Olaf climbed to the top of the tower in front of the crowd.
As soon as the last nail was driven in, Olaf slipped and fell off the tower. He landed among the people, and everyone saw that a snake and a toad crawled out of his mouth. Everyone called it the work of the devil! Indeed, St. Olaf's tower is a rather sad building. It was struck by lightning many times, and the top of the tower burned up to 123.7 meters.
#3 Horror of the Steady Tower
Many of the towers in the city wall served as prison towers from time to time. One such tower is the tower opposite the Revel Fortress. In it, in custody, languished a young man convicted of love misadventures (he deceived a girl because of a dowry!). His family paid handsomely to stay young man in the tower was the most comfortable. He had good food and wine, a warm bed and even entertainment. But he begged to be transferred to any other tower.
To calm the young man down, his father sent a servant to keep him company for the night. The servant ran away screaming. Then the young man's mother came to see what was going on. When she tried to stay the night, she fainted from fear. After that, the father spent a lot of gold so that his son moved to another prison, away from the tower that caused indescribable horror.
#4 Black Baron on Pikk-Yalg 14
The Black Baron lives in this modest house. As a rule, no one sees him, only the candles that he carries with him while walking around the numbers are visible. In this house, the doors unlock on their own and things constantly disappear. Although the Baron is not a noble at all, he is a goldsmith. A great master jeweler, he sold his jewelry both to the upper and lower cities. But he also practiced black magic and ended up being cursed. People who wore his jewelry soon died. Zolotar never found peace, being cursed along with his works. Needless to say, you should not keep jewelry found lying around in this house.
#5 Ladies at Toomkooli 13
This house is haunted by two ghosts: the Gray Lady and the Black Lady. They are both believed to be Estonians, and they both managed to attract the attention of the men of the Von Juukul family. The Gray Lady was the maid in the house, and she was beautiful. She attracted the attention of the owner of the house and was forced to become his mistress. But soon he got tired of her, and he killed her. He walled her up in the wall in the basement, but at that time she was still alive. Now she appears in a gray dress and with long peeled nails, as if she was trying to get out of there. She tries to strangle the sleeping men and laughs maniacally.
The black lady was a girl from the village. She fell in love with the master's son, and he fell in love with her. They were going to get married, but for this she had to get to know the family. The young man brought her to Tallinn, and his family was very upset by his choice. But the couple could not be persuaded. The preparations for the wedding were in full swing. Everything seemed to be going well until one morning the bride disappeared. The groom looked for her everywhere, but there was no trace. The only thing that was known was that she did not leave the confines of the house. His father killed her and buried her in the basement. Now she walks in black, looking for her lover, who never became her husband.
#6 Monk in the Lame Tower
The Tower of the Lame Man and the houses around it are considered to be the abode of spirits. People often witnessed huge bloody faces on the walls. They saw life-size ships sailing through the houses, and most often they saw a dark monk, sometimes bloodied, and sometimes he simply prayed to a glowing cross on the wall. The monk can be quite cruel if he wants to. He hides things and creates the illusion of a living person. An artist who lived here in the 1970s said that the monk comes at night and can even kick a person in the side.
Probably the name of the ghost is Justinius, and he is not a monk at all. He was a novice and was killed in 1233 before he could repent of his sins. And he had many sins, because, before becoming a man of God, Justinius was an executioner's apprentice. This work was most respected and feared in medieval society.
#7 Blood in Pagari 1
This house has a lot nice apartments, but often there are problems with finding a buyer. The reason is obvious enough. Previously, the headquarters of the KGB in Tallinn was located here. How many people were tortured in cellars and how many were shot in the yard during the war? It will probably never be known, but we know that thousands of roads to the Siberian camps began here. In Soviet times, there was a joke: “why is the door handle erased from the outside, and not from the inside? Because many come in, but few come out.”
At Pagari 1, there is a house that had best view city, if not the whole country. You can still see Siberia from the windows in the basement. So, it is not surprising that this place haunts many, and that you need to have a rather cold heart to live at this address.
#8 Knight on white horse
Not all ghosts are tied to one place. This knight in shining armor rides somewhere between Lasnamägi and the sea. A polite knight on a snow-white horse stops passers-by. He offers them skins.
Behind his saddle he has a bunch of skins and they smell awful. Most people are not directly interested, but if anyone asks what it is, the knight replies that it is human skin. He removed them from defeated enemies during the war. He is all made up of them: his clothes, boots and saddles. Hearing this, people run away, but one day there was a man who asked the price. The knight said he only wanted peace and a piece of leather from his back. The person who decided to buy them was happy to hear it; he took the horse, the skins and led everyone straight to hell.
It was the devil himself. He pointed to a group of people waiting and said that they were enemies of the knight. So, most nights this knight suffers terribly in hell, but besides that, every day the devil comes to him to cut off a piece of skin. But, if the knight manages to sell the skins to someone, then this person, at least for one night, takes the place of a knight in hell.
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All the most pleasant things happen to us completely unexpectedly ... So this time, when fate accidentally gave me the opportunity to spend a weekend in the capital of Estonia - Tallinn, I had no idea how exciting and memorable this little trip would be.
In my opinion, the Baltic countries, including Estonia, are undeservedly deprived of attention Russian tourists. This happens due to rather complicated relations between our states or for some other reasons, but the fact remains. Today, most often, our compatriots tend to spend their holidays in distant exotic countries, but meanwhile, very close, some three hundred and fifty kilometers, for example, from St. Petersburg, you can plunge headlong into the atmosphere medieval city with its architecture and unique spirit of antiquity, which many other cities have long lost. It's not just that in 1997 the Old Town of Tallinn was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. And today I want to walk with you on this amazing city and tell me about the most memorable legends of Old Tallinn…
Let's start our journey from the Town Hall Square. Try to count how many churches you can see from the center of the square, and then take a break. The enticing smell will lead you straight to the entrance to the Town Hall, where you can enjoy fragrant elk soup almost every day. It is unlikely that you cook such a soup at home every day, do you ..?
For those with a sweet tooth, the marzipan museum opened its doors with hospitality nearby. Enjoy the atmosphere of antiquity, drink hot coffee with sweets, which are presented here in large quantities and be sure to take some marzipan with you as a souvenir, so that later, sitting over a cup of coffee in your cozy living room, plunge into this very atmosphere again.
With a little refreshment and gaining strength, we can begin our journey through the ages. And our guide to the mysterious world of history and legends will be the Red Monk, who has been living in the very heart of Old Tallinn for so many years that he himself does not remember how much ...
Legend one...
The devil is celebrating the wedding.
"On Rataskaevu Street (Wheel Well) lived a frivolous homeowner who squandered all his fortune. One night, having lost hope of improving his affairs, he decided to commit suicide. At that fateful moment, an unknown person knocked on his house and asked for permission to arrange the next night a wedding feast on the top floor of his house.The stranger promised the unfortunate owner untold riches for this, but on one condition - no one should eavesdrop and peep, otherwise death will befall him.The homeowner accepted the offer.
In the evening of the next day, luxurious carriages began to arrive at the entrance of the house on Rataskaeva Street, bright lights lit up in the windows of the upper floor, the stairs creaked, as if a huge number of people were climbing up it. The sounds of wonderful music were heard from the upper hall, the whole house was shaking - it seemed that thousands of guests were dancing.
But as soon as the bells on the city towers struck one in the morning, the lights on the top floor went out, and everything was quiet. The obsession has disappeared. The landlord, who had been in debt the day before and was thinking of leaving this mortal world, became fabulously rich overnight and began to revel more than ever. True, his servant died suddenly, who managed to confess to the priest before his death that he was a secret witness to the devil's wedding in his master's house.
The Red Monk said that from that very day the door and window of the room in which the devil celebrated the wedding were walled up, and the residents of the house tried to forget about its very existence. And instead of a window, so that curious tourists would not have any unnecessary questions, now another one is painted.
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Left window on the top floor - painted |
Directly opposite the non-existent window, on the same street, there is the world's only monument to the well. Indeed, there once was a well on the site of the monument, and a very ancient one, mentioned for the first time in the middle of the 14th century. According to the Red Monk, an evil Waterman lives at the bottom of the well, who is waiting for the right moment to get out and flood the entire city. It is for this reason, as our guide assures, that the well is boarded up ...
Legend two...
The adventure of the mummy duke.
"In the first half of the nineteenth century, an amazing exhibit was exhibited in the church of St. Nicholas (Niguliste). In one of the chapels, on a hearse, there was a coffin with a glass lid, and in it was a mummy dressed in a black velvet camisole with snow-white lace, legs covered with silk stockings , on the head - a curled wig ...
Whose mummy was this? Duke Carl Eugene de Croix was born in the Netherlands and had royal blood in his veins. He served first in the Danish army, then in the Austrian troops, and then in Poland. When the Northern War began, de Croix joined the Russian army. Peter I promoted him to field marshal general and appointed him commander-in-chief of the Russian troops near Narva. Having lost the battle, the duke was taken prisoner and brought to Tallinn by the Swedes. Here he was released on parole. De Croix quickly got used to Tallinn, made an extensive circle of acquaintances among the local nobility and wealthy merchants. Not only did the doors open before him, but also the wallets of the Tallinners, and the duke was a true master of living in debt. He drank a lot, played dice, his debts grew and grew. Everything was going great.
And suddenly - like a bolt from the blue - the news: the duke ordered to live long. Disappointed creditors gathered for a meeting. Someone remembered that according to the Lübeck law of the Hanseatic cities, Tallinners can forbid the debtor's funeral until they receive their money in full. The meeting decided not to give the body of the dead duke to the city authorities - the only guarantee of his large debts. The authorities, on the other hand, showed unexpected compliance, apparently fearing the large expenses for the funeral, befitting the title of duke. Having agreed with them, the lenders put their "deposit" in the coffin and took it to the basement of the church of St. Nicholas for storage. It was in 1702.
The duke's mummy was found ... a hundred and twenty years later, and even then by accident. The people believed that the body of the duke was preserved thanks to strong drinks, which the deceased greatly appreciated. Pundits explained mummification by the fact that the mortar that held the foundation masonry contained rock salt. So the mummy of the Duke de Croix turned into a landmark of the Niguliste church, competing with the famous altar painting "Dance of Death" by Bernt Notke.
In the middle of the century before last, the authorities of Tallinn ordered to stop showing the mummy, but buried the duke only in 1897. Thus ended the adventures of the duke's mummy, only two hundred years after his death. But over these two centuries, according to the Red Monk, the museum at the church was visited by so many people that it can be said with certainty that the duke managed to fully repay all his debts ...
Legend three...
Pontus, leather merchant.
“Long ago, on moonlit nights on Lasnamägi, people saw a rider in iron armor on a white horse. He offered passers-by to buy tanned leather.
Once the rider met an old man with a goatee and asked:
What price do you ask for your tanned skin, brother?
The rider answered him:
I just want to sleep peacefully in the damp earth.
The old man asked the knight to tell him who makes him wander at night and does not allow him to fall asleep forever. This is what the rider told him:
I was once a famous commander, and they called me Pontus. I ordered the dead soldiers to be skinned, gave it to the tanner, and then ordered from this skin boots, caftan and trousers, a saddle, belts and bridles. Everything I'm wearing right now is made from human skin. After my death, a lot of tanned skin remained. When I arrived in the next world and wanted to enter the gate, the guard detained me: “It was ordered to let you in only after you sell all the remaining skin. You will leave the grave at night and drive along the roads to Lasnamägi from midnight until the can't find a buyer. So for two generations I have been offering tanned leather, but there are still no buyers.
I will not disdain your goods, - said the old man. - If you ask only to get rid of night vigils, then the price suits me, it's on the hands. Get off your horse and follow me.
Pontus was delighted with the buyer, took his skins and followed the old man. The same one led him straight to hell. At the underground gates, the old man took on his true appearance - turned into a devil with horns and a tail ... "
So, as the Red Monk warns, if someone offers you to buy tanned leather on the streets of Tallinn at night, be careful ...
And if, while walking around the Old Town, you suddenly get a little cold or you get chills from the stories told by the monk, I advise you to warm up with a cup of fragrant, hot mulled wine sold right on the streets, and at the same time admire the picturesque, bright roofs of the Lower Town from one of the viewing platforms, located in Vyshgorod. Take a deep breath of fresh frosty air and feel the spirit of mysticism hovering over this beautiful city!
So the time has come to thank the Red Monk and say goodbye to him, so that now someone else instead of you can walk with him through the Old Town with the same genuine interest and listen to his unhurried, mysterious story ...
Alena Cuba , specially for Etoya.ru
Source of legends: I. Goldman, P. Kaldoja - "Tallinn in legends", Periodicals 1985.
