Gozo’s not Greece or Rome, but its rich cultural heritage has its fair share of local tales, myths and legends. This regional lore was passed down through generations, and the legends include stories about historical figures, local landmarks or supernatural beings. The history of the island of Gozo is inextricably woven with that of Malta, and that of many civilisations left their mark on the local legends and myths.
Here, we catch a glimpse of some of the heroines that grace the legend books of the island.
The Strong Sansuna
Many islanders know the story of Sansuna, a large woman they believe was a giantess. This comes as no surprise on an island dominated by megalith structures. According to Gozitan folklore, this woman of immense physical strength had a role in constructing the Ġgantija Temples. Naturally, her name is derived from the name of the biblical strongman Samson. There are many versions of the story about the robust woman who singlehandedly carried the massive megaliths from Ta’ Ċenċ to Ġgantija, all the while snacking on broad beans and carrying her infant son. Visit Xagħra to check out the four-metre slab called ‘Il-Ġebla ta’ Sansuna’. This megalith, dating from the Bronze Age period, was originally part of a Dolmen and is found in Ġnien Imrik.
The Grieving Kanċla
The village of Għarb on the island’s western side has its own collection of legends and stories. One story is about a woman, Kanċla, who lived beside a magical well on a hillock near Għammar. A ghost guarded this well, and the local children were always admonished to avoid it. One young boy peered into the well while fetching a pail of water and, mesmerised by what he believed to be a ghost, got terribly sick and passed away a little later. Kanċla was said to have been distraught and grief-stricken by this event. The resulting legend was even commemorated as an opera by the village of Għarb a couple of years ago.
The Devoted Żgugina
Maybe the legend of Saint Demetrius and Żgugina is one of the most notable on the island because the chapel standing in the countryside has its dose of inexplicable charm. Żgugina was a local widow whose only son was captured by the Barbary corsairs who raided the coast of Gozo. She had no other option but to supplicate Saint Demetrius, the saint in the chapel to whom she pledged her devotion if he brought her son back from the pirates. The valiant saint is said to have sprung to life out of the titular picture in the chapel and rode off to chase the pirates, eventually saving her son. While Saint Demetrius is said to have left a mark of the hoof outside of the chapel, the relieved and overjoyed Żgugina, thankful for the divine intervention, kept her promise and an oil lamp burning in the chapel day and night. This legend does not stop there. Years later, an earthquake caused the chapel to tip off into the sea, and for many years, the fishermen recounted that on clear nights, they could still see the glowing light of the oil lamp burning deep beneath the surface.
The Valiant Bakery Girls
While less famous and popular, the legend of the bakery lasses is also notable. This legend, narrated in one of Joseph Bezzina’s books about the legends of Gozo, is also connected to the historical accuracy of the frequent raids on the marauders on the island of Gozo, anchoring at Marsalforn and setting forth in plundering and looking for supplies. The pirates came upon a party of young girls at work in a village bakery. Stricken with fear at the thought of ending up as slaves, the girls summoned up their courage and tried to use the firewood to halt the raiders in the hope of getting enough time to flee through the back door. Alas, the maidens were outmatched, but in a strike of genius, one of the girls whose hands were in the dough hurled the sticky mass at the pirates, a move that her friends quickly followed. This gave the girls enough time to flee the scene and alert the rest of the village.
The Alluring Calypso
Barely needing any introduction, Calypso is the sempiternal nymph of the island of Gozo or Ogygia. In Homer’s Odyssey, she is the graceful but lone female who welcomes the Greek hero Odysseus after he is shipwrecked. It is not difficult to imagine the exhausted war hero flung onto the warm red sands of Ramla Bay, waking up to discover an enchantress of great feminine allure and seductive powers who wants him to be part of her life forever. Calypso detains Odysseus on the island of Gozo for seven years. In her effort to keep him with her, Calypso even offers to grant Odysseus immortality and eternal youth if he remains with her on the island, but this means forsaking his life and family in Itacha. Eventually, she has to relinquish her love and bid farewell to Odysseus, a love that could never be. While Calypso’s and Odysseus’ tryst did not endure, the story of the beautiful Calypso has left an indelible mark on Gozo’s identity, and many times, Gozo is referred to as the island of Calypso.
Gozo’s legend and mythology do not stop there. There are many unsung heroines, and each village will have different stories to tell. Of more intrigue are the stories which are enriched by unequivocal historical content. One such story is the story of Majmuna, the young Muslim girl whose tomb slab was found in the village of Xewkija. While the chiselled slab is a significant relic of the Arabic legacy on the Maltese Islands, and the Kufic inscription provides details about Majmuna’s family and the date of her death is registered, little else is known of the girl’s life. This gives rise to many questions about who was this young lady and what was her fate.
If you’re interested in exploring Gozo’s folklore and legends, make sure you engage with locals and take time to research regional literature. Finally, visiting the Folklore Museum at the Citadel will help complete the picture of the island’s legends.
follow us on ig
#visitgozo
Events
Plan my Trip
Experience Gozo
Other
Follow us
About
Developed by:
