HARKANY HUNGARY : HISTORY AND LEGEND AND POETRY OF THE SPA
Excerpt: The Legend of Harka Popular belief created its own legend explaining the origin of medical water of Harkány and of the neighbouring natural formations. The legend of Harka, existing in different variations, attaches the rising of medicinal water to the surface to the devil who failed on a trial. He did not manage to get Harka a beautiful girl whose tricky mother, also referred to as a witch, outwitted the devil.
From the South, if you watch,Harsány’s peaked hill
You can see more furrows
Plowed in the rocky boroughs
And rooster, goat, cat
Footprints appear on the ridge’s back.
An old granny used to live there
Had a daughter with a name of Harka
A wonderful maid
The devil fancied her
At nights he watched
Just couldn’t be fed up.
If you want the girl,
Until rooster crowing,
Plow the hill of Harsány!
Said the devil: On my way!
Hooked in a cat, a goat, and a rooster
In his golden plow.
Granny through the attic hole,
Watching-waiting,
The devil doing.
Her bulging eyes are watching
The devil almost finishing
On the ridge.
If he is so fast,
He will finish while we rest.
Granny in a hurry,
Down the road to the hen house,
Crowing like a mad grouse.
Then joined the rooster
Like a booster.
The devil tearing his hair,
The three animals became hills,
As the devil saw his defeat,
In his anger, stamped with his feet,
A hole appeared and absorbed him,
Where he got back to hell,
Sulphured hot water came up well.
