FAMELIARS (ELVES) OF IBIZA

ELVES IN IBIZA

Ibiza is mysterious and magical. Also superstitious, at least a few decades ago Ibiza folks were very surpersticiosos and if something is not lacking in the small island are numerous legends and characters that are real... or maybe not everyone can observe with the naked eye. Elves in Ibiza exist called "fameliars", at least in folklore, and in Santa Eulalia are the most famous ones, as they are a small and strange creatures who live in humid areas and especially under the stone bridge of Santa Eulalia River, is said was built by the devil in one night, in the night of San Juan (from 23 to 24 June) and where with much alacrity that night, when the sun, before rises, and for a few seconds grows an herb called "Grass des fameliar "that if someone catch it properly  and quickly gets inside a glass bottle of black color, in a short time one of these elves appear inside it, and so, we can have it in our home to our service.

To this fameliar or goblin we will must have to procure only two things ... entertain him giving a lot of work, or giving him food. He can eat huge amounts of food and can leave homes completely empty of food and can ruin the inhabitants; although one must be cautious with these creatures and learn to master them, otherwise they may give bad luck. The Fameliars although somewhat naughty,  do not have to be bads, but sometimes they have bad character. They're ugly, yes, with long arms and a big nose, in any case its size is small but with a huge, huge force and it must fit in a glass bottle, usually in a decanter. It's easy to pop it out but you must know to master, giving them work and enough food (but its hard to do it in proper balance) and to go back into the bottle, where there's no danger that run roughshod, we must do so through an olive branch, blessed on the Palm Sunday and say a prayer that over time has been lost, and few people (if any) knows. As an historical curiosity, It is said that in times of the Inquisition, some few people on the island were tried for possessing a fameliar in their home.

There are numerous legends about "fameliars", especially in homes, where when the man who used to be the master of fameliar was absent, the wife was trying to do abuse of the power of the fameliar in the absence of the husband but not knowing properly dominate the troll, also did not know then how to get him back into the bottle, creating chaotic situations that were resolved later when the husband as the owner of the troll, went back home, and had to scold the woman for daring to dominate the fameliar unknowing how to do so, compromising their own integrity and the house as well. There was also a fisherman who always carried the bottle with the troll inside when fishing, with him in his boat so that his wife did not have the temptation to open the bottle and use the fameliar in his absence. Arriving one day to port after fishing, he met two men who wanted to take away her fishing, and because not having much fish as they wanted,  forced the man to go back into the sea to bring more fish for them, so the fisherman opened the bottle and said to the elf  to throw them to the sea, which he did and never the fisherman left the bottle at home, when went to fishing.  Or a girl who had to marry one of her two suitors, one rich and the other poor, she told them that the first one of them to build a house, it would be her husband, and the next day, the poor one, who was owner of a fameliar in a bottle, ordered  the "fameliar" throughout the day  to build a house that ended on the afternoon, and of course the girl married him. When the couple was living there, start happening in it, strange things, and bad luck set the home, after was uninhabited since then, not again dwell never as it seems that misfortune had overtaken there.
The tradition of Fameliars or goblins is famous in many regions around the world. In Ibiza is believed that its origin comes from the Roman period, but perhaps came with those who colonized the island during the period that Ibiza belonged to the Kingdom of Aragon. But these characters not only exist in the Mediterranean, so exist the goblins of Asturias, the gobelins in Normandy, Leprechauns of Ireland, Hobgobins in Scotland, Kobolde in Germany ... etc. Actually they are very popular in Scandinavia and even recently in Iceland, they stopped the construction of a road, due to protests of Icelanders, they demanded to stop the roads due that the areas of the new road affect the place where many elves live. It is possible to read this, on the news by internet.

PARISH OF SANTA AGNÈS

CHURCH OF SANTA AGNÈS

Undoubtedly one of the most rural temples of the island. The Church is of a very simple trace, with typical walls, immaculately white and architectonically very simple, as the most of temples in the island. In the image of above that belongs to the south front, it´s possible to see the former entry, where there was time ago a fight among two men that concluded with the death of one of them, since then, this door remain closed, and it was builded another one at the west side of the temple.

Inside the church, that it´s like a hermitage and not a church itself, the architectural evident beauty features. It is the lowest temple that exists in the island, that is the reason why the choir (which it is located on a second floor at the churches of Ibiza)it doesn´t exists at this parish.

The saint holder of this church is Santa Agnès. It exists a lamb always with this image at the side of it. That demonstrates the origin of the Latin name "Agnus" - Lamb (Agnès). The palm in her hand means that it is a martyr. It was one of first martyrs of the christian church. Anyway her history is redressed in many legends and possibly as invented by the church of then, though there exists information that would affirm that her history was written three hundred years after her death and that they would confirm her existence, with an excessively distorted history. In any case the tradition says that she died to a nearby age of fourteen.

The image of Our Lady of the "Rosario" is one of the most ancient of this church, it belongs to the XIXth century. it was one of those that were not destroyed in the spanish civil war. At the beginning of the decade of the ´30th s a teacher was destined to this locality from Valencia. He could verify personally the damages that the war caused in the church, images and altarpieces and due the lack of resources, he decided to restore them himself, and when ended every little restoration, the pupils and him were celebrating it singing with all together. The same altarpieces today at the lateral chapels, are the same that he painted and restored, and today as well we can continue admiring the images as this one of Our Lady,and some others like the one of San Roque which he restored the eyes of the dog and of the image of the saint. Another story that belongs to this image is from when the church was building and a ship sinks due to a windystorm in Sant Antoni's surroundings. The boat was loaded by chariots of savina from the zone of Cala Bassa and were destined to cover the porch of this church. Two of five persons who were going on board were saved, one the priest and another nicknamed Lluc Costa "maimó" that while he was fighting against the waves, promised that if he was managing to be saved would buy a "emprendada" (set of typical local jewels of gold) for this image. On every January 21th the festivity of Saint Agnès, this image is decorated since then by the jewels that the survivor gave to Our Lady as a gratitude.

This one is another image that we owe to that teacher who restored them,as he could, when he came to this locality. This image is very curious. It is says that belongs to San Vicente Ferrer but he has beard. Very onlooker so in all the churches of Ibiza there is an image of this saint and in none of them he has beard. Maybe is a kind of misrepresentation. probably this image belongs to another Saint?.
In one of the images we see some damages in the image, due to all the violent acts committed during the sad spanish civil war.

During the first two months of the year, this church remains surrounded with almond-trees in flower. Undoubtedly one of the most important natural attractions of this village, where many people from the island and foreings are going in peregrination to enjoy the floral spectacle that is attended in this valley.

In this church, as in all of the island, exists at the exterior a Calvary (composed by three crosses). This one is very curious since that is not placed in the same building of the temple, but in the exterior wall of one of the houses in front of the church.

A few years ago in the white front of the wall placed at the West side of the temple, there were placed these blue rollers that commemorate the symbols of the Patron Saint of the village with the words in Latin of Agnus Dei " God's lamb ".

A legend tells that this church was constructed simultaneously of the neighbor Sant Mateu, and that both were competing in which one was finishing it before. The Bishop had promised to give them as a present the bell of the parish. The people in Santa Agnes were almost finished, a few walls fell down and it was necessary to start it again. They had to go very quickly because the people in Sant Mateu where almost finished. At the end both of them practically finished simultaneously, but the church of Santa Agnès was much more smaller than the one in Sant Mateo..., this may be the reason why this church is the lowest of the island. The bishop gave as a prize the bell to both parishes... In any case the dates at the real history are different in both temples, but anyway is a nice story.

ATLANTIS´s LEGEND

ATLANTIS: The lost City

Thousands of years ago, here in this place a grand and prosperous City existed, with big buildings that still today we can see though demolished due to a great cataclysm that finished with this mass of land. For then the famous princess adored by her people was called Tanit, and later the history turned her into goddess, her father was the King of this place. The big marine monsters coexisted together with these people since they were never approaching excessively to the coast. But one day two enormous marine monsters came together with a smaller one. The big monster fell in love rapidly with the Princess Tanit and remained totally still in front of the City to be able to contemplate her to daily. The small monster remained slept to the feet of this one, and the third monster that was the mother of the small one, moved back very sadly up to the other side of this small sea, today it is possible to see as a rock in Calpe's locality, and it´s called "peñón de ifach ", and the other two, are there just infront here, the big one still looking where the Princess was strolling, and the small one rolled and still sleeping from then next to his father, they call " Es Vedrá and Es Vedrané " the time have converted them in to rocks, and the lost city little is under the sea except a small side where we can still see the remains of that great and prosperous former City.

Dad: tell it to me again. My son since we went down there many years ago, repeats incessantly the same thing whenever we go. Tell me again the history of the monsters and the lost City.

Each time we go, I can see him looking out and remain doubtful... It will be that true???

The certain thing is that a place with a lot of energy and inspiration for artists, good ones and not so much others. A few decades ago there were a few sculptures that were just amazing. By the time this place is more an acquaintance and therefore a bit less magic than some years ago, but due to the difficult access, this place still has relative quitness.

Symbols all over, and a comfortable way to go down but very tired to go back. The dunes of sand are the ones that makes that possible, and from these dunes almost as miraculously autochthonous trees arise in a dramatic way that seems that their roots want to turn into legs to walk to a more comfortable site.



These big temples, did they exist indeed?, and these beautiful natural swimming pools?, actually they are there, and maybe the best thing it´s to remain with the magic of those legends...
The certain thing is that this place "atlantis" which is called "Sa Pedrera" (the real name) is a former quarry that the Romans were exploiting it already. Anyhow it seems that decades ago stone was extracted to do big blocks for some of the island´s harbours and marinas.

But still the certain thing is that there they are both crags, the two guardians of the Island. Es vedrá and es Vedrané observing this place. A place where we can disconnect of "our routine and stressing world ".

BUDDHA IN IBIZA

THE BUDDHA OF ATLANTIS

A place wrapped in legends and energies, with difficult access. There he is a Buda or Buddha that for years is looking at the south of the island of Ibiza and enjoying of beautiful view of the Mediterranean sea. I am glad that the one who was saying to myself had been wrong. But he said to me that the Buddha of Atlantis had disappeared. Of course there are plenty people without scruples or respect that can eliminate it as the Talibans did with the giant Budas, and that´s why before it happens at least I wanted to immortalize it closely with my camera.

It is said that it was painted by a Japanese, and certainly the skill was very good and very lasting since for years I contemplate the same Buda in the same place. there is a signature with Japanese characters at the right side under the painting that maybe was that of the author.

It is said that it was in the sixties and that the Japanese remained there during a time, taking advantage that there were caves where he could stay. As he says it could only to ponder in loneliness and to do a stop for meditation in his life, they say that he was coming from Vietnam. Maybe like him all of us we should do a break of meditation during a time of our stressed lives.
Undoubtedly this place that actually indeed is called Sa Pedrera of Savinar, has many mysteries and one of them is this Buda or Buddha, but it is a luck to have it still here, hope will last for long time.