THE LEGEND OF SANTA MARIA DA FEIRA'S CASTLE (Episode 2)

Legend of the Castle of Santa Maria da Feira

LEGEND OF THE TAKING OF THE CASTLE BY THE CHRISTIANS

Episode 1
1. Lia's kindness
2. Ben Iussef's ploy
3. The Christian woman's marriage to the Moor
Episode2
4. The conspirator and the crime
5. Lia's transfiguration
6. The plan of revenge
Episode 3
7. Strange happenings
8. The murderer's meeting with the old woman from the water
Episode 4
9. The fulfillment of the prophecy
10. The castle robbery
11. Ben Aligula's escape

EPISODE 2

4. The conspirator and the crime

An ambitious brother of the governor, named Ben Alígula, jealous of that happiness, and, above all, thirsty for power, suspected that Lia was still a Christian, and sought to introduce that doctrine into the castle, with lussef knowledge.

So he ran to Cordova, on whose Caliphate the castle depended, where he made his denunciation and obtained a sentence of death for his brother, leaving him governor.

When he returned to the castle, he ordered the arrest of Lussef and Lia, but an extraordinary thing happened: no one carried out his orders.

Legend of the Castle of Santa Maria Feira

Then Ben Alígula, desperate and afraid that the garrison would murder him so that his brother would remain governor of the castle, stabbed him cowardly.

There were riots and a beginning of revolt, but Lia managed to calm the spirits and get the soldiers to obey, telling them that power comes to men by the will of God, so they should submit to the orders of the Kalifa of Cordoba and therefore obey the new governor.

Ben Alígula, seeing himself obeyed, carried out the sentence that also condemned Lia to death. However, fearing that her execution in the castle might provoke new disorders and even a revolt, he secretly handed her over to an execution squad to whom he gave the following instructions:

- Take her to Corujeiras (Corujeiras is one of the hills neighbouring the castle, situated to the north, in the lands of S. João de Ver) and on that hilltop, which I see from here, open her veins and collect her blood in this vessel and bring it to me to give to my dogs.

Then strip it, burn it and cast its ashes to the wind. Let no trace remain of that poisonous serpent that entered here.

All this, blindfolded, Lia heard. Commending her soul to God and asking the Virgin Mary for protection, without a word of protest or complaint, she let herself be led to the place of torture.

After a good walk, in a deserted place that could not be seen from the castle, the soldiers made a stop and one of them addressed Lia:

Legend of the Castle of Santa Maria Feira

- Sister, do not be alarmed, this is not the place of torture. I am going to remove your blindfold, but it is for good. (Lia had taught many soldiers that all were brothers in Christ and that is how they treated one another in intimacy).

- Ah! Is that you, Jineff? How cruel fate is. Are you then one of my executioners? You in whom I put all my trust? My God, must I suffer this affront before I die? My God, grant that I may forgive my executioners, especially this one.

And that unfortunate girl burst into a convulsive cry that saddened everyone.

- Lady, my good sister, calm down. The Virgin has delivered you into my hands to save you from such a shameful death. Here are these men's garments, this staff and this bag. Thus disguised as a beggar you may reach your father's house.

Legend of the Castle of Santa Maria Feira

- Forgive me, Jineff, for doubting you, but I cannot accept your offer. I must not save my life at the cost of yours. Must you not present my blood to Aligula?

- Be reassured, sister. We will give our blood for you. We only ask you to help us because you know how to heal wounds better than we do.

Lia, after much protest, because she did not want them to risk her life for her sake, having convinced herself that she could save herself without the soldiers being in danger, eventually submitted to their will.

With a stiletto that Jineff had brought, he opened their veins which after the blood was collected, he would safely lacquer.

Once this was done, Lia, after a sad and emotional farewell, set out for Cale and the soldiers headed for the hill where they felled some trees and made a big fire that could be seen from the Castle.

In the evening, Jineff introduced himself to Alígula:

- Mission accomplished here witnessed with his garments and his blood.

5. The transfiguration of Lia

Lia, at her father's house, would have interior outbursts of rebellion and, without realizing it, would let herself be carried away by a terrible desire to take revenge, but, coming to her senses, she would soon feel great anguish for being dominated by hatred, by the desire for vengeance.

Legend of the Castle of Santa Maria Feira

- Revenge! A terrible word, a feeling unworthy of a Christian soul. Revenge! Be gone, wicked temptation. My soul shall not be stained with such hateful sin. Avenge me? Pay back evil with evil? No, never. But will I be indifferent to such a heinous crime? No, neither will I.

With these distracted thoughts, she went to the hermitage and, prostrate before the image of the Blessed Virgin, she exclaimed:
- Lady, enlighten my spirit, teach me what I must do at this painful juncture.
After a long meditation, she exclaimed, full of joy:

- Thank you, Lady, for the light you have brought to my spirit.

That light, that divine whisper, in a flash, had taught him how one could avenge without hatred, without rancour, or more exactly, how one could avenge without revenge.

Legend of the Castle of Santa Maria Feira

She approached a mirror and contemplated herself for a moment. She was still beautiful, of a beauty that could be classified as fascinating.

- Lady," he exclaimed, "give me the courage to turn this beauty into ugliness.

On a table he placed a scalpel, bandages and balm. With the scalpel he made some cuts on his face and cheek. Then he placed bandages with balm over the wounds. When, after some time, she took off the dressings and looked at herself in the mirror, she didn't think she was ugly, she thought she was horrible, impossible to be recognized by anyone.

However, instead of being sad, that ugliness excited her. She could now put her plan of revenge into practice without hatred, without rancour, without revenge.

6. The plan of revenge

From the old Roman road from Olissipo to Brácara Augusta, which passed near the village that today we call Albergaria, in the parish of S. João de Ver, there was a shortcut that led to some springs that, running to the west, were going to supply a small existing settlement where today is the town, the county seat.

One of the fountains, because of the purity of its water, was known to be miraculous and people not only from the vicinity but also from far away resorted to it. A poor woman who taught the way to the miraculous fountain remained there.

For Lia would replace the beggar and once there, it would be easy for her to put into practice the project she had imagined. And so she did. Lia was now the old woman of the water. Jineff often came to see her and they spent hours in confidence.

Legend of the Castle of Santa Maria Feira

Secret paths existed in the castle and Lia knew of their existence through Ben Lussef. In order to be able to carry out what she had imagined, she informed Jineff in detail of what she intended to do, as well as of the dangers that any intruder would run if one day they were to penetrate its interior.

Once he was familiar with all the secret ways and master of all their secrets, Jineff was going to start acting on the instructions given by Lia. He began by spreading certain rumors that brought unrest to the castle.

During the night extraordinary things also happened: noises were heard, whose origin was unknown, and strange voices, accompanied by indistinct shouts in the yard and the howling of dogs. These events terrified the garrison.

Legend of the Castle of Santa Maria Feira

In Alígula's room, no less strange things were happening: the furniture danced and crashed against each other; fearful voices, interspersed with mysterious wails, could be heard through the walls.

He had been frightened, but for fear that his fear might be laughed at, he concealed all these events; but the continual repetition of these occurrences led him to consult his astrologers, who, in spite of his good will, could tell him nothing positive.

Meanwhile, the extraordinary fame of the Old Woman of the Water had reached the castle, who read the past and the future in the stars with a certainty and exactness, a feat never hitherto achieved by the most famous soothsayers.

Jineff told marvels of the Old Woman and urged Alígula to consult her, to which he always refused, thus wanting to show that nothing frightened him.

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