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Legends that Still Haunt the Maltese Islands
Legends that Still Haunt the Maltese Islands
There are numerous legends that still influence the way we look at a location or a historical site in Malta. While legends may or may not be derived from a fabricated fable, they are usually historically based on some correct information. Most of Malta’s legends date back to the time of the sieges, slavery, and the Order of Saint John
The Legend of Għar Hasan
Ghar Hasan, a large cave situated in Birzebbuga, provided solace to hundreds of inhabitants back in the prehistoric
ages. We know this from the myriad of prehistoric drawings of animals, remnants of artefacts, and other remains restored by historians. The actual name of the cave is derived from the legend itself, as it revolves around Saracen Hasan, an Arab who inhabited the cave a long time ago. While there are a set of variations of the legend itself, the legend revolves around Hasan wanting to go back to Tunisia to reunite with his people but instead, he became obsessed with a Maltese girl who lived in a village nearby. He concocted a plan to abduct the girl in his cave and eventually take her back to Tunisia to work as a slave for him. As he managed to kidnap the girl and keep her hostage in his cave, local farmers spent days trying to find the missing girl. This is when Hasan decided to take a nearby boat and try to make a run for it with the girl who he was desperately in love with.
The legend then takes different tangents, with one variant saying that Hasan panicked and flung himself and the girl off the cliff once he was caught by the local farmers, while another story claims that the girl was desperate and she threw herself off the cliff, with Hasan following suit moments later. Either way, sadly the story did not have the desired happy ending we all typically long for.
The Legend of l-Għar tas-Sirena
This legend is centred around the fortified city of Senglea, a crucial city for the Maltese military base, part of the Cottonera among other fortified cities including Birgu and Cospicua. Back in the day when the Order of Saint John ruled over Malta, the Grand Master at the time built a spacious house famously known as the ‘Casa della Sirena’ (a literal translation to ‘House of Mermaids’). The house was so massive that it was noted to be the largest house in Senglea, with an esteemed garden to compliment the building. Unfortunately, this house was demolished during the second world war, the cave underneath being the only survivor from the whole building. This cave was known for the mermaid that found shelter in this cave after a treacherous storm.
The mermaid decided to stay put and make the cave her home, swimming out to huge boulders next to the beach and sing with her haunting voice, enchanting fishermen nearby. One day one particular fisherman followed the cadence of her voice, meeting with the mermaid at the cave. While initially timid, the mermaid and the fisherman became friends, planning multiple meet-ups close to her cave. While the mermaid thoroughly enjoyed these encounters, she was incredibly worried as she was innately cursed, instantaneously turning into stone if a human kisses her lips.
One day, during another encounter between the mermaid and the fisherman, the fisherman, unknowingly of the curse, went and touched lips with the mermaid, causing her to turn into lifeless stone. From that point forward, the cave always had a rock in the form of a mermaid in place, leaving a history mark for inhabitants and curious visitors alike.
