THE TAJO DE LA CRUZ
Spain, I don't know if it's because the sun has crystallized pieces of history in every stone, or because the men of this land unite their souls with their quick and dreamy imagination, Spain - I say - is a country rich in legends.
And Lanjarón, which is a piece of Spain - a beautiful piece of Spain - also has its legends.
In every corner of this city, in every street, in every door, the legends of Lanjarón are always alive. And, as we pass by, they emerge bringing us memories of other times. From the "covens" of the Middle Ages, with their fears and their charms, to
the search and discovery of treasures and manuscripts of the Arabs, passing through the love of some princess of the Crescent Moon with a young Christian, there is a very extensive range that revolutionizes the imagination of the most peaceful.
And so, as we walk through this crossroads of blood and history that is Lanjarón, at the same time - due to its cosmopolitanism - we experience the latest philosophical currents imported from abroad, or we feel like we are in the midst of the war of the Moors, with its leader Aben Humeya at the head, or of the Holy Inquisition.
This is Lanjarón, a city to rest or to think; to feel far from everything, as if in the centre of an ocean, or to find ourselves surrounded by a complex and colourful world.
A few kilometres from the municipality of Lanjarón there is a place known as Tajo de la Cruz.
It is towards the East. Perhaps that is why the legends of Lanjarón begin there. The hunter, very scared, ran to the town and spoke in confession to the priest.
-I accuse myself, father, that...
After the intimate and secret dialogue of confession, the man who made blood fall from the cross when he shot a thrush, ordered the construction -as penance for his sins- of a hermitage next to the cross.
Now, every evening, the cross and the hermitage join together -I have seen it sometimes in my dreams- in a perpetual embrace, to watch over the sleep of the gunners.
The cross wept a few drops of blood because the gunpowder bothered it, and because it hurt and it was afraid of death...
THE TREASURES OF THE TAJO EXPÓSITO
On one of the slopes of the Sierra, not far from Lanjarón, is the Tajo Expósito, full of legend and hidden treasures, according to the oldest inhabitants of the region.
When the Moors had to abandon the city, in their hasty flight, they were forced to leave behind a great number of treasures, including a solid gold bell.
Their intention, at first, was to take everything to the nearby coasts of Africa, but the rapid siege of the Christians prevented them from doing so. Then, thinking that the invader would not benefit from it, or hoping that they would return one day, they decided to bury their riches in this place that people look at with greed and respect, and which is called the Tajo Expósito.
Or at least before they believed that metals cannot remain hidden. That is why, every night of San Juan, at twelve o'clock, the sound of the bell could be heard. Some old people have assured me of this.
The neighbours closest to that place secretly began to work hard to find the treasure.
In those days, the fame of a sleepwalker from Granada, a great expert in matters of treasures and spells, reached Lanjarón.
The tireless searchers did not hesitate to go to Granada to consult with the sleepwalker. She gave them some clues and explanations about the treasure.
"I can tell you," said the sleepwalker, "that the treasure is hidden under seven large slabs. That is all the knowledge my stars have given me."
The real end of this story or legend is not known for certain.
Did the treasure appear?
Did the treasure really exist?
The Tajo Expósito is still there, waiting... with its belly full of earth and mystery.
QASIM'S MAGIC SWORD
Legend has it that Lanjarón Castle was the scene of one of the bloodiest battles after the end of the struggle for the conquest of Granada. In this Alpujarra bastion, the rebels who had risen up against the Catholic King and against the humiliation they suffered from Cardinal Cisneros, who violated the most solemn clauses of the capitulations, which were freedom of conscience and security of property, took refuge.
As soon as the news of the Albaicín uprising circulated throughout the kingdom of Granada, all the veterans of the Alpujarra, who had laid down their weapons in disgust, rose up and spread the fire of insurrection throughout the region, including Almería and Ronda.
Qasim was one of those responsible for El Zagal's army on the western side of Almería. His detachment was in Adra, from where he saw with great sadness his king Zagal, the best warrior that Al-Andalus had ever had, leave for the lands of Morocco, but before that he gave Qasim a gift for the services rendered and his loyalty, a beautiful sword with an ivory handle and three precious rubies that meant honour, loyalty and bravery and an inscription "The permanent empire and the lasting glory are the property of God".
Afterwards he fought in the ranks of Boabdil against the Christians and was present at the humiliation of the surrender of Granada by the last Nasrid king. They were very hard years for a warrior who spent his life between conflicts and battles. His knowledge of war was extraordinary and he was undoubtedly the best captain that any other army could have had.
Life in Lanjarón was very hard because the means of earning a living had changed significantly and his skills in agriculture were rather scarce. As a craftsman, the only thing he handled with skill was the sword and the lance. If we add to all this darkness that Qasim was black-skinned, his only recourse was to join plundering bands and highway robbers that were very numerous at the end of the conflict.
Luck was on his side when he lit the fire of the insurrection in the Alpujarra because he was one of the nomadic chiefs who traveled through those rugged lands dealing blows to any Christian knight who crossed his path.
Thus Qasim came to lead more than three thousand Moors in the fortress of Lanjarón armed with supplies taken from Adra and Castell de Ferro and meanwhile the Catholic king left from Alhendin towards Lanjarón to crush the uprising, reaching the Tablate bridge where the rebels had entrenched themselves waiting for the Christians.
The king flanked this position, thanks to a traitor from Qasim's army, leading the Christian troops along a narrow path that led through the mountain to Lanjarón.
They spent the night in the Sierra and attacked the castle on a high rock the next day.
Qasim defended the fortress with all his bravery and facing the victory of the Christians, the warden of the donceles, the count of Cifuentes and the major commander of Calatrava skilfully directed the assaults.
Again and again the Christian army fiercely attacked the walls of the fortress and with each assault many fell on both sides, the fight was fierce because the situation of the castle entrenched on the highest point of the rock made its assault a difficult and costly enterprise in lives.
Night came with the laments of the wounded. The Christians gathered their people to heal them or bury them, those in the castle only healed those who could still fight. Qasim's orders were very clear: win or die, there was no surrender possible.
Knowing that his hours were numbered and before dawn, Qasim, protected by the night and aided by a rope, slid down the steepest side of the rock and introduced his beautiful jineta (Nasrid sword) into one of the deep cracks of the rock, camouflaging it in the rocks and vegetation so that no one could discover it, and thus no one would seize it as a war trophy.
The next morning the battle continued with great ferocity. At midday the Castle had surrendered to the Christians, Qasim cornered by the soldiers at the top of the fortress and seeing himself lost, jumped into the void in an act of bravery, crashing against the rocks and dying pitifully.
Many were those who recognized her courage and bravery, others instead dedicated themselves to searching for the Jineta as war spoils, but no one found it. It is still sleeping somewhere in the Peña del Castillo de Lanjarón because it belongs to honor, loyalty and bravery.
