Shadow. Legend I

Sumeria. Beginning of 3000 BC. er

Enclave, the ruler of the city of Eriduk, climbed the emerald steps of his palace to a luxurious bedchamber. There he awaited the divine young Frereri. Vladyka Enclave was worried because it was their first wedding night. Young Frereri approached her spouse and, gently wrapping his arms around her, kissed her lips.

The city of Eriduk bathed in the fragrance of midnight flowers. A huge moon illuminated the city with a dull yellow light.

- My Lord! My favorite! - whispered young Frereri. “I will give you a firstborn, and perhaps then your curse will, like a bad dream, go to the fresh waters of Enki.”

Enclave started. He remembered how one of the main astrologers of Simeria predicted to his mother that he, Enclave, would create an eternal, terrible shadow. Since then Enclave was afraid of his sinister counterpart. His mother, Elisteana, ordered to cover all the mirrors in the palace, where the young prince grew up. However, the prophecy clearly stated that the horror for her son, and for all of humanity, would not be the mirror image of Enclave, but his shadow.

The beautiful Frereri filled a silver cup with wine, threw a rose petal into it and already wanted to bring it to the lips of her lover. Suddenly, she was alerted by a rustle. The blood in her veins turned cold as she glanced at the bedchamber wall, on which the shadow of her young spouse was clearly visible. Something in this shadow was unnatural, sinister. Her husband, removing the bowl of wine with his hand, also looked at the shadow. His eyes were glazed. Trembling lips whispered: She appeared! Appeared!

A wavelike convulsion ran through the shadows, and it separated from the wall. Shadow went to paralyzed with horror in love. Her smile was like an upset crescent. She pulled a silk noose around her neck. Vladyka grunted and, twitching in convulsions, settled on the floor.

- I am free! - cast a shadow and walked over to Frereri who had fallen on her lap.

- Love for a long time. Long! - exclaimed the shadow.

Then she snapped her long black fingers, and immediately from the throat, ears and nose of the young Frereri gushed blood, in the black jets of which the radiance of the full moon grimaced.

P. S. Much time has passed. Many centuries have passed. But the shadow of the Enclave is still alive today. The shadow of underground fresh water lives in the smile of a child. The shadow of the Enclave lives in nightly colors, illuminated by a bright moon. She lives in our every breath. She wanders through the farthest back streets of our dreams. It rises from us, like a gray haze, when our hearts are filled with love. Shadow. Legend II

Germany. XVII century. Crein Straykorst was located among the picturesque plains on the left bank of the Rhine. On a low rocky hill stood an ancient castle that belonged to the thirty-year-old Baron von Maurets and his beautiful cousin Martha. Young people have long been secretly sighing about each other. However, Baron von Maurets, for some reason, avoided intimacy with his lover. He constantly locked himself in his family library (he did it only during the daytime) and immersed himself in the study of ancient folios. Something strongly oppressed von Maurec. The manuscripts were in Akkadian and Assyrian languages, which he did not know. He saw the cause of his anxiety in the marks left in the margins of these manuscripts. These marks were in Latin. Just a few words: Shadow! Be afraid of the shadow! Be afraid to love!

Sometimes, on moonless nights, the Baron descended a rocky slope to the banks of the Rhine and stood for a long time on the sandy strip, admiring the bright stars. Then he went up to his castle and, without lighting a candelabra, he sneaked his way into his bedchamber, lay down on the bed and plunged into heavy dreams, similar to friable wax.

Time passed, and the baron realized that he could no longer contain his passion for his cousin. He proposed to her, and the next morning they were married.

...

The Baron tremblingly awaited the night, he warned the servants and his young wife that no one in the castle would kindle a fire. The clock tower struck midnight. Castle von Maurets enveloped dense darkness. The baron was waiting for his beloved in the bedchamber, his heart pounding hard in his chest. Finally he heard her light steps. Through the impenetrable darkness, he distinguished the flexible camp of his young wife. After a moment, she was already in his arms.

- I want you, my love! - whispered her hot lips.

Meanwhile, the space was shaken by an iridescent thunderclap, and rain drummed on the roof of the castle.

- God! How beautiful it is! - groaning cousin, taking off her wedding dress.

Suddenly there was a strong vibrating sound. Bed windows quivered. The newlyweds were numb in place, staring at the dazzling ball lightning that hung in front of them, like a miniature quivering moon.

Bah!

The mysterious ball burst into thousands of sparks. Sparks floated smoothly in the electrified air, illuminating the bedchamber with a deathly pale glow.

The young cousin lost her mind and burst into wild laughter. With horror, the Baron saw a black shadow creep out of an oval mirror, like a giant spider. She smiled at him with her mouth, like an overturned crescent.

...

The morning was sunny. The body of Baron von Maurec was hung on the hook of the main castle gate. A silk rope tightened his neck. Despite the early hour, numerous onlookers, crossing themselves, observed this incredible picture. Cousin stood a little distance. She frantically laughed, pointing a finger at the corpse of her lover. Nobody paid any attention to her. Suddenly her laugh broke off. Martha began to descend to the river; nobody looked, did not stop her. A young girl in a ragged wedding dress entered the sparkling waves of the great Rhine. She walked and walked, plunging deeper and deeper, until a fast current caught her. For a while she swam like a white lily, then screamed deeply and disappeared into the depths of the water.

The shade of a gray heron flying over the Rhine fell on waves shimmering in emerald glow. Shadow. Tale III

Land of the Rising Sun XII century. On the lands of Izumo, the magnificent palace of the elderly ruler Namis-von-Zubi towered. This place was located in Simane (central part of Japan). The information about the ruler Namis-von-Zubi and his young wife, Madzuki, was not recorded in the annals. My friend the historian told me an amazing legend that he dug up in the ancient Japanese myths of the Kojiki and the Nihongs. Ancient legends featured the shade of the fresh water of Enki, which even there managed to leave its trail of blood.

The palace of Vladyka Namis-von-Zubi was fabulously beautiful because it was decorated with silver, platinum and gold. His spiers sparkled with rubies and diamonds.

The young wife of Madzuki was tempted in love pleasures, in her childhood she was taught the mysteries of love.

It was time for the wedding night. The elderly spouse drew attention to the huge red fox, who, having bowed to him, slightly opened his mouth. And, as it seemed to the ruler, he smiled an ominous smile. He flashed his green eyes and disappeared into the bushes of the trees of the palace park. The wise old man saw a bad sign in what he saw.

Three days before the wedding night Izumo's skies turned black. The moon disappeared, the stars disappeared. Pitch darkness fell on the palace and its surroundings. The heart of the ancient ruler squeezed fear, fear gripped his servants.

...

On the eve of the wedding night, young Madzuki had a vision. She saw a certain shadow-like figure leaning toward her headboard and whispered in her ear:

- Oh, beautiful creature! Before the old master lays down on your dazzling body, moisten him with the ointment of love. Connecting with you, he will not be able to stop his passion, and the master's heart will break with delight. Think for yourself: you are young, your beauty eclipses the sun, why do you need a decrepit sovereign who is much worse than his precious palace? Think of the young warriors who sigh, barely hearing the rustle of your robes ....