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Aug07

Devil’s throat – the cave of Orpheus

Published by Asya in Adventure, Bulgaria, Europe, Travel Stories, Walking

cave devil's throat caveThe abyss cave Devil’s throat is situated 1,3 km to the north of the village Trigrad, Bulgaria. The waters of Trigrad River through a succession of waterfalls, the highest of witch is 42m, flow into the biggest, well laid out cave hall of Devil’s throat. The thundering waterfalls succeed each other and put to the test the courage of everyone who dares to enter this fearful world. The legend says that here exactly Orpheus went down into the underground kingdom of Hades to search for his beloved Eurydice.

Orfeo_ed_EuridiceThe great singer Orpheus, son of the river god Oeagrus and the muse Calliope sang songs with lyre that was a gift from Apollo. The magic of his music tamed the wind beasts and the rocks and brooklets repeated the magic melodies. Orpheus’s songs charmed all but no one felt greater pleasure than the beautiful nymph Eurydice – the wife of the singer. For long hours she listened fascinated to his voice and lyre.

Even the gods envied the happy couple. One unfortunate day, while taking a walk through a flower-covered meadow, Eurydice was bitten by a viper and until the sunset she left this world. The heart-broken Orpheus went on a fearful journey to the underground kingdom to convince Hades to give himdevil's throat cave back his beloved. He went down the path witch end faded into the darkness. Going down into the dark depths Orpheus heard screams and moaning of deadly pain. His blood ran cold but as he remembered his great love and all of his grief he touched the strings of his lyre and started singing until his sad song drowned all wails of the underground. Haron-the old boatman, charmed by the melody, agreed to carry Orpheus through the river Styx no one could cross except the dead. The singer reached the far bank and crowds of pale ghosts gathered around him but he continued forward through the flames of the river of fire Phlegethon, through the portals of Tartar that were always wrapped with clouds, until he reached the throne of the ruler of the underworld. Orpheus bowed before the great hades and his wife Persephone. The king of the underground gods asked what a mortal wanted and why he dared to enter the kingdom of the death uninvited. Orpheus touched the strings of his lyre and started singing about his search for his beloved that left the world before her time. In his song he praised his love come back to life. All of Tartar waited for the answer together with him. In the end Hades raised his head and said: “Orpheus, take your Eurydice and bring her to the world of the living. But you must walk ahead and leave her to follow you without you looking back even for a second, your beloved will be lost here again and forever”.

orpheus5
With great joy in his heart Orpheus took Eurydice. They walked up the dark path. The first sunbeams already caressed their faces when just after they stepped onto the earth Eurydice tripped and cried out with pain. Orpheus turned back to help her. In this moment she was taken away from him. He saw her white hands reaching in vain towards him and heard her heartbreaking cry for farewell.Hberlea Phodopensis
The singer went back to the earth with a broken heart and the joy forever left his life. From that day on his only consolation was to sit on some peak in Rhodope Mountain and to sing about his lost love. Besides the magic of music, Orpheus left behind him also a flower that grew from his drops of blood- Hberlea Phodopensis, a symbol of eternity.


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