Zlatorog - Tale From Within the Clouds

The Zlatorog tale comes from within the heart of Julian Alps. It tells about the wondrous gardens in the valley of Triglav lakes. Zlatorog’s tale cannot be placed about in any time. It is timeless. It is beyond time.

Its exciting message warns about disastrous consequences for the nature when man makes irrational demands and destroys its natural balance. The man is destined to die, the nature but soon recovers and lives on. The humbling – and perversely comforting reality is that nature can forget us remarkably quickly.

ONCE UPON THE TIME… THE TALE ABOUT ZLATOROG
Once upon the time, the Triglav Valley of Lakes and the Komna Mountain plain used to be an wondrous Alpine Garden. There the White Ladies, the good farries, kind and generous, lived. They kept the mountain pastures green and cared for the poor and needy. The child which was born in their presence, was protected and cared for as long as it lived. They did not wished to be thanked for their good works.

Should an introducer by mistake or intentionally venture close to their place, the stones, snowfall, or bad weather, would force the intruder to withdrew or return to the valley. Their herd of sheep was lead and guarded by white chamois with golden horns, named Zlatorog.

Zlatorog’s realm used to be in the height of mount Triglav. His golden horns held the key to a hidden treasure in one of the mountain’s Upper Garden.

A young hunter from Trenta valley was growing up under the care of White Ladies. He could climb the highest mountain, and needn’t fear a thing.

He would bring bunch of mountain flowers to the beautiful maiden in the Trenta valley and finally, won her heart. One day, a wealthy Venetian merchant proposed to the maiden, gave her jewelry out of gold and suggested that if her hunter loves her as much, he should bring her the treasure of Zlatorog.

From now on the maiden no longer cared for the hunter. Desperate, and angry, the young hunger the very same evening went on foot to find Zlatorog.

He saw Zlatorog early morning standing as he was on a high rock. He shoot at him, but forgot about Zlatorog’s magical powers. The blood gushing from Zlatorog's wound melted the snow and up sprang a magical Triglav rose. As the mortally wounded chamois leapt away, the Triglav roses sprang from under his hooves.

The dying Zlatorog swallowed one and his life force was immediately returned. He run against the hunter, and he, blinded by the glow of Zlatorog’s golden horns, feel over the cliff.

The Soca River carried his body into the valley. In his hands he held a bunch of Triglav roses.

An angry Zlatorog destroyed his mountain paradise and vanished for good. With him left also the White Ladies.

Zlatorog’s treasure remains hidden in the mountains under mount Triglav.

ZLATOROG – A TALE BEYOND TIME
The region of Soca and Idrijca covers one of the best preserved natural sites in Slovenia. This mountain stretch, full of natural wonders in also the site of one of Europe’s largest natural parks, the Triglav Natural Park. The Park has its spiritual origin in the tale of Zlatorog

The Slovenes perceive the western region both as sunny and fertile, full of beautiful natural features, and unique cultural heritage. According to legend the mountains are a gift of God. Moved by the modesty and pride of the Slovenes, the God granted them a stretch of land, which was not big, but most beautiful.

Triglav, the Julian Alps highest peak towers over the Slovene land. Here white rock contrasts with the greenery of the mountain pastures. Limestone soil, lush vegetation, yellow globeflowers grow in the mountain meadows. Purple monkshoods, golden orange tiger lilies open their petals and gracefully bow their heads. Herds of chamois are to be frequently seen. They all are related to our chamois, Zlatorog, and have striking horns.

The enchanted gardens of our fairy godmothers have long since disappeared. But the legend of Zlatorog, a well – loved Slovene tale, of a mythical alpine chamois hunted by man, is still told many times over. Again and Again.

In our own luminous age, a new, magical garden has arisen to take their place, the Juliana Alpine Botanical Garden in the Trenta valley, named after Dr. Julius Kugy (1858-1944), botanist and author. It is certain that the good-hearted, white –robed fairies from the ancient legend will walk through this new Alpine garden, lying above the Soca River in the realm of Mt. Triglav.

Gently will they bless it and the Garden will blossom and flourish, multicolored and sumptuous, just as the magical garden of old Alpine garden. For all have given to it some of their most beautiful adornments and riches, the golden treasure of Mt. Bogatin, the alpine meadow Duplje praised of old, the hidden southern and western glacier – formed hollows by Mr. Triglav, the mysteries of the Triglav Lakes, the white of Mt. Prisojnik, the wild cliffs of Mt. Jalovec, the grassy Mt. Matajur of our botalnical Nestors, the flowering Crna prst, the Eden-like meadows of Ovcja vas, Mt. Krn, gazing into the distance, the warm cliffs of Rdeci rib.

In Alpinum Juliana each individual flower bed represents a cross – section of the natural environment, while the entire Alpine Garden is colorful mosaic of the flora of the Alps. The white of the edelweiss, the Triglav cinquefoil whose large flowers remind us of Zlatorog`s blood trail but only rarely blooms in the Alpine Garden.

You ask me what sort of an impression the Julian Alps make upon me, writes Dr. Julius Kugy. I find it difficult to answer. It is a fact that they have become for me, after forty years' devotion to mountain scenery, the most desirable of all mountains. I want to revisit them more than I desire to see again the frosty Caucasus, or Himalaya, or the mountains of Canada and Alaska, or the ineffable primrose light of the low sun on the fantastic peaks of the Arctic.

As to Triglav, who reigns over all, it is no wonder to me that he is surrounded by more legend and tradition and ancient tales than any other peak in the Alps: a brother to Olympus. Thus he can defy iron bars and cables and paint splashes.

In 1902 I saw Corsica gleaming marvelous out in the Mediterranean, from the Cima di Mercantour in the Maritime Alps, and until last year this was the most memorable view I had had from any Alpine summit.

But the view I got from Triglav over the Slovene country, over the Carst, over Venetia and the Adriatic was as beautiful, and far more mysterious in its suggestions. No mortal ever deserved such an evening as I had up there. Trees, flowers, rocks, snow, all seem to assume some indefinable new quality, some new revelation of beauty. By comparison the Dolomites are obvious.

Triglav reigns over a dream world, sundered from time, full of unbelievable bidden nooks, of unsuspected passages, of sudden visions of cliffs which cannot be real. Surely there is no mountain land like this, concludes Kugy.

Beauty.. speaks to us in soft whispers or bold declarations. She calls on us to gaze in awe at her splendor. We are enticed by beauty. We adore her, idolize her, and even court her. Beauty seduces all of our senses. Beauty's seduction can be as obvious. We find beauty in the wonders of nature. Beauty offers us a symphony of colors with every sunrise and sunset and reveals to us her brash power through a storm at sea. Beauty teases us through the shy smile of a child and delights us via the brilliant flashes of fireworks.

Beauty sometimes piques all of our senses at once, appealing to our taste buds, as well as our eyes and nose, when she appears in the form of a deliciously baked cake. Beauty calms us with floral scents and excites our aural lust through the passionate sounds made by an orchestra. Beauty can be cruel, and our pursuit of her can be in vain.

Depending on our personal tastes, beauty can be found in every color, flavor, scent, and texture. She lives among the poor, as well as the rich, and appears in the faces of the young and the old. She is at home in the city, as well as the country, decorating skylines as well as landscapes. She is the ultimate shape shifter. Beauty knows no bounds. All we have to do is look for beauty, and she is there.

But it was the people from Julian Alps who created and told to the world this wonderful tale beyond time, of Zlatorog, the snow white chamois with the golden horns and his kingdom in the Triglav Valley of Seven Lakes.

The valley, so it is being said, used to be adorned with several gardens. The flowers and roses mirrored brightly in the colors of rainbow, amidst silvery water fall - a virtual paradise. The essence of water, such as a deep and placid lake is reference to spirituality, maturity, and grace.

And here dwelt the mighty and good-hearted Zlatorog.

The Zlatorog tale is also timely warning against greed. And also an ecological warning. That greed and self-absorption are beginning of the end. Zlatorog stands as the symbol of pristine nature and her riches. A Nature, around us and also within us, which, however wild in its primal form, is tamed by our subtler, finer self. The will and passion of our instinctive nature does need to be broken, but refined and brought to consciousness – so that all levels of Creation, inner and outer, may come into harmony.

Don't forget, that goodness in human nature is like the dim but beautiful early morning light. It can easily be obscured - by greed, hatred and other forms of self-absorption - just as the morning light can be swallowed by fog. Be reminded that progress is achieved most effortlessly when right action is taken without concern for immediate reward, and when the path of the weaker aligns with that which is strong.

Like an ancient old-growth forest - where the subtle play of light, texture and shadows is the product of a process measured in centuries and inches - most things of lasting value develop gradually, at their own pace. The ability to learn from experience - one of humanity's greatest treasures - implies constant yet gradual progress. The combination of stillness within and determination without are the essence of this condition. Good things sometimes sprout quickly; the truly delightful take much longer.

The principle of gradual development applies also to human relationships. For love, marriage and business relationships to endure, progress must be slow but steady: slow enough to allow for the bonds to knit properly; steady enough to move in the right direction.

We may live in materialistic times, but there is no disgrace in material decrease, particularly if it represents an investment in future gain - even if that gain be in the form of learning or the development of personal character. Likewise, the inner strength that comes from bearing loss can be balanced by a corresponding increase in inner strength and insight. When letting go of material desires leads to a greater simplicity in daily life, good fortune often comes calling.

The spiritual mission of human beings is to mediate the three worlds of universal consciousness, self consciousness and the collective unconscious. When such epiphanies happen, we experience ourselves in a timeless state of grace where there is no doubt, shame or grief. Such a moment is priceless and worth all the work and waiting.

It's the culmination of all our efforts and a harbinger of remarkable potentials.

REFERENCES AND FURTHER READING
The Zlatorog tale first appeared in the Laibacher Zeitung, the LjubIjana Gazette in 1868 during a period of Romanticism and Slovene national awakening.

A new issue of Zlatorog tale has been just published in the children book series, richly illustrated by Slovenia`s finest artist Mojca Cerjak

Dr. Julius Kugy (1858-1944)
Born into a prosperous merchant family in Trieste, Julius Kugy is best known as explorer of the Julian Alps. At the age of 17 he made his first ascent to mount Triglav, at 19 he visited the Trenta valley lured by the mystery of the Scabiosa trenta plant. An excellent mountaineer and although he visited a number of areas in the Alps, the Triglav/Trenta valley had a special place in his heart.

Dr. Kugy was a botanist. The beauty of Julian Alps is unsurpassed described in his writings. Some of his writings are: Aus dem Leben eines Bergsteigers (From the Life of a Mountain Climber), Work, Music and Mountains, The Julian Alps in Pictures, The divine smile of Monte Rosa, From the Days Past. It was through Kugy's writing that the Julian Alps were first introduced to the German speaking audience and the rest of the world.

Kugy assisted and cooperated with Albert Bois de Chesne in creating the Juliana Alpine Botanical Garden in Trenta Valley, which bears his name.

Picturing scenes from Zlatorog`s kingdom, the Triglav National Park, in Slovenia