Narrative
Zlatorog
Not translated into English
Anonymous · 1868
Synopsis
In the Trenta valley, at the foot of Triglav, the White Ladies watch over a paradise of high pastures where Zlatorog lives, the white chamois with golden horns, whose horns open a treasure hidden in the mountain. A young hunter, the son of a widow and the only one to climb the highest peaks, loves an innkeeper's daughter; but she lets herself be seduced by the gold and pearls of a rich merchant from Venice and mocks him. Driven on by the Green Hunter, he sets off to kill Zlatorog to seize his horns.
Context
The tale was noted down and published in German by Karel Dežman, under the name Deschmann, in the Laibacher Zeitung of 21 February 1868, as the conclusion of a learned article on the glaciers of the Alps; Dežman was a politician, archaeologist and botanist, and the legend had previously circulated by word of mouth. A 2018 study considers that the written drama may be partly by his hand. The German poet Rudolf Baumbach gave a romantic version of it in 1877, which became his most popular work, and the first Slovene feature-length film, in 1931, took its name from it.
Who it is for
A short legend, first published in German; the question of how much of it is invented is part of its history.
Prizes and reception
Having become the symbol of the Slovenian Alps, Zlatorog lends its name to hotels, campsites and a beer.
Sources for this page 3
The pages consulted to check this page.