Ratiboř

Ratibor
Martin Uhlíř
(excerpt from the poem)

The magic lure of my first love
Wallachian heiress under the Cross
with fields as thin as human wrinkles
and the meadows and the pink sky

After the sunset with the bud and the juniper
Cottages like swallows' nests
stuck into the hillsides, cows and sheep
The bells were ringing and the wind was whistling a song

I put the emotion of first loves into lyrical verse
like the scents of flowers in herbariums
♪ Today in my heart I feel the groan and the chill ♪
Flower of youth breathe into my face....

The highest place of Ratibor is the Drastihlava hill 695 m above sea level.

It is said to be one of the most mysterious places in Wallachia. According to one of the legends circulating about the mountain, it used to be a volcano and is supposed to be full of underground water with lots of caves. There are many caves where bandits used to hide and leave their treasures. A black rooster guards them, the story goes, and won't let the bad guys get hold of them; the righteous can take some gold or silver. The ending of the mythical story is, however, rather harsh. It predicts that when the people are so corrupt that there is not a single righteous person willing to give even a sip of water to the needy, Drastihlava will burst and flood the entire village.