According to the local elders, when the castle of Sax belonged to the Moors, a king lived there with a daughter, and this marked the start of a famous Sax legend.
As with many such legends, the princess was said to be the most beautiful girl the people of Sax had ever seen.
Her almond-shaped eyes mesmerised all who beheld her, and her long, jet-black hair carried the fragrance of a thousand flowers. Every visitor to the castle yearned for the princess’s love.
Sax legend: The jealous sorcerer
In the same palace dwelt a dark sorcerer who dreamt nightly of the beautiful Moorish maiden, so much so that many nights he could not sleep a wink. One dawn, from the highest window of the castle’s tallest tower, the sorcerer watched the king’s daughter run towards the jetty near the castle gate, from where the whole of Sax could be seen. There she sat, waiting.
The story behind the stone turtle
The sorcerer’s gaze remained fixed upon her until he saw the milkman climbing the path that connected the village to the castle, as he did every morning. To the sorcerer’s shock, the milkman spilt his milk in desperation and fell into the princess’s arms, melting into a passionate kiss.
Consumed by rage, the sorcerer summoned all his dark magic. Though the lovers fled, seeking to hide, it was too late. With a bolt of lightning, the sorcerer turned the princess into a solitary stone spire gazing out to the horizon, so that she would never again see her lover’s face.
The milkman was transformed into a stone turtle, lying prostrate at the princess’s feet, so that their love would be as slow and painful as possible.
If you look to the left of Sax Castle, you can see the turtle bowing down to the princess.
