The first known name of the castle cliff “Raven Scale“ comes, according to legend, from the mysterious Black Knights. Their dark cloaks flew like raven's wings as they kept watch at this important strategic location in the Slanské Hills. From an altitude of 529 metres above sea level, they had the Sharis landscape in the palm of their hands. Later, in 1307, as a reward for his loyalty to the ruler, the knight Tomáš Synek, who built a stone castle and entered history as Castrum Sebus - Shebes Castle.
In the 16th century, the struggle between the nobles and the increasingly self-confident royal towns raged on. The city of Prešov and the lord of the Shebeš castle, František, a descendant of the founder of the castle, were disputing over the land. František Sebessy wanted to settle the long-standing dispute by agreement. As a token of his will, he gave the town about 450 hectares of forests in the vicinity of Cemjata and suggested to the people of Prešov that they should rather live together as neighbours. The people of Prešov agreed only in appearance. According to legends, one day in 1528 and going to the castle of Šebeš, to celebrate the good deal, the townspeople had a friendly feast at the castle with Lord František and his castellan. But in the woods around the castle, the Prešov armourers were already waiting. The friendly feast turned into a cruel punitive expedition. The townspeople of Prešov settled the border dispute once and for all. By executions. The castle lord František Sebessy and his castellan Mikuláš Gerlacký were hanged on the castle gate. The castle was subsequently plundered so that it has been in ruins ever since.
Besides legends, Šebeš Castle hides an interesting unsolved mystery. An inscription at the western foot of the cliff, a set of numerals with the name L. CSEH and the date 24 August 1896. According to conjecture, it is probably a coordinate that indicates the location of the portal of the „live silver“ tunnel, i.e. vermilion, which is used to produce mercury. Others say it is a cipher, which no one has solved yet.
