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The maiden's fair on the Hen Mountain
a Romanian open air feast

By Cultural Romtour

Somewhere, a long time ago, both people and gods were sharing the sky and the land, the light and the darkness, the joy and the pain.

That is why, up there, at the foot of the clouds, below the holy tear of the sunrays, rolled like a cup of gems over the face of the Mountain which is guarding a bunch of wooden, bricked and stoned houses, lived the "mountaineers", living pillars of the blue sky wrapping in snow its hidden paths, the roads, the valleys, the woods, with their small horses. There, a small hen had its shelter, making golden eggs and all the "mountaineers" were wondering and wondering and they started to protect her and to devote to thoughts, deeds and songs.

For their golden egg hen they could kill and she was safe from one season to another. Only once a year the "mountaineers" could see her face, her lonely and enigmatical image with her wings open over the vastness.

On the day of the St. Ilie the "mountaineers" were gathering like the rivers in the same bed to tell each other their problems, their hopes and dreams, to offer their children a chance to meet, to fall in love and to propose their hearts to join forever, in marriage. The hen used to descend from her unseen shelter placed on the top of the Mountain. She used to approach the young ones and waving her wings ones she turned into a charming goddess which was approaching the newly married couples with a golden egg in her hands, offering it for happiness and long life. Both people and Mountain were applauding, praying and giving thanks. In the sound of their applause the goddess raised her hands to the sky and turned back into a Hen, hiding herself from the mortals' eyes. So the seasons found them, thus starting a habit of faith and love. That's why, that proud mountain whose peaks are covered with white clouds, in a height of more then 1500 m was named and forever will be, "The Gaina Mountain".

But the peace, quite and harmony was broken by thoughtless eyes who have forever been trying to discover the nest of the golden Hen and to steal her golden eggs. And finally, with evil's help, they succeeded. The hen had left her shelter for another festival, on the shoulder of another mountain, having as a purpose the peace of mind of the inhabitants, and some unexpected visitors together with that ruthless man violently searching the nest took the eggs, hid them under his shirt and ran away.

Coming back home and discovering the theft, the goddess was very unhappy and with bitter heart she decided to leave the place forever. She rose her hands high up in the sky, turned into a hen and flew, unseen, to another mountain. And that mountain was at Rosia Montana.

The people mourned her, bagged her to go back to them but the miracle did not happened. Gaina mountain remained behind with barren peaks, haunted by rains, wild winds and snows, by tears and legends. People come to meet the mountain as often as they can, hoping they will be able to tame, to quench its patience, harmony and longing.

They say, the thief that had stolen the eggs fell into a deep strait and the eggs were lost into the depth. They become springs of water or torrents - the crack can be seen today covered by clouds. The Apuseni Mountains and the people living there have been suffering ever since.

"The Maidens Fair" from Gaina Mountain takes place every year around 20 July, on Saint Ilie (it is the largest Romanian traditional in open air feast) having the opportunity to admire the dance and the folkloric costumes from Transylvania and to make purchases the specific handicraft objects - 40km. Nobody sells girls on Gaina Mountain. Maybe nobody ever did that, in fact its all about something else: it's a celebration of all "mountaineers" , it's a moment of joy for the young boys and girls who play, party, sing, dance, meet each other and know girls and boys coming from far away places and then they will eventually marry.

The whole celebration is explained by the idea that the Apuseni Mountains, though having villages with more or less dens population the people are scattered all over the place and the homes are far from each other. Kilometers are between the houses and the mountains divide and still keep the people together. It's not easy for people to meet and the seasons do not make it easier. Throughout the history people established a convenient spot which will enable them to meet and keep in touch.

But of course, due to its natural beauties, traditional customs and cultural background Gaina Mountain itself is a wonderful attraction. The common tourists will try to reach the mountain using the shortest and the easiest way.

Going to the mountain by car its definitely the most convenient and comfortable but you can reach the bottom of the mountain at Vidra. From there you can climb up on foot. There are easy roads or more difficult ones. Some of the tourists will chose the paths on the edges or in the valleys thus finding not only once wonderful landscapes and sights offered to the eyes, an unusual mixture of past and present. In the Apuseni Mountains every single village or dwelling has its own history, dating back to the roman times and telling the story of their evolution up to the present.

From Campeni which is close to the Gaina mountain you can also start on the road towards Abrud and then further on to the Rosia Montana, and all of the sudden you find yourself in "The Metal Fortress" of the Apuseni Mountain, in the land of the gold.

People bring fine tissues and weaving looms, sculpted flutes and many pottery objects. People from other areas bring coats adorned with flowers, fur caps, wild fruits, medicine plants. Those from the Apuseni Mountains bring alpenhorns, wooden pails, canteens and wooden tubs. As always, early in the morning, the famous band of alpenhorn women from the locality Avram Iancu announces the beginning of the celebration. The custom of arriving one day ahead is still practiced. This is why the Saturday night celebration in Avram Iancu seems to be more impressive than the mountain fair itself. Every participant brings food from home, drinks cherry palinca (strong brandy), eat "mamaliga" (polenta) with milk and lard bacon with onion, raising his glass to the last one arrived.