The Black Queen of Plitvice
Croatia's string of turquoise lakes, legend says, was a gift from a mysterious queen, who answered the prayers of people dying of thirst.
What was reported
The Plitvice Lakes in Croatia are a chain of 16 terraced lakes, linked by waterfalls and coloured blue, green and grey. A local legend tells that long ago, during a terrible drought, the people of the region prayed for rain. A mysterious figure, the Black Queen, heard them.
She sent a storm that rained for days, filling the valley and creating the lakes. In some versions, she lived in the area with her court, and a ghostly black-clad figure is still said to appear there.
Explanations offered
The lakes were really formed over thousands of years by travertine, a kind of limestone built up by mosses and algae, which creates natural dams. The legend of the Black Queen is one of several told about them. The park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- When
- Told for centuries
- Where
- Plitvice Lakes, Croatia
- Witnesses
- Croatian folklore
- Status
- Legend
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
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