The priestess of the Avars was very cruel, domineering and venerable. She had her playthings on Zip and Kishak, but she was not happy with them. Others had such castles, and she wanted something quite extraordinary. So she ordered her subjects to build her a castle clear and very shiny. The subjects wondered in vain, not knowing what the castle should be made of. One day the priestess went by the salt mines, where the workers were digging up large blocks of salt. She decided that she would build her castle out of these salt blocks. The castle would be translucent, the sun's rays would pass through the walls, and all the people would depend on it. From now on, no one was allowed to take even a pinch of salt from the mines. All the salt they dug up was taken to a nearby hill where the priestess intended to build her castle. The salt was wasted all around and people came to the mines in vain. They had to return empty-handed; the people suffered greatly without salt. Knyahyna was adamant, she would not give a single bit to anyone. But still her castle could not be finished. What the workers had built by day collapsed by night, because the salt did not hold together. The people cursed the priestess as they had never cursed anyone before, but the greater the suffering of the people, the greater was her joy. When the suffering of the people seemed quite unbearable, a rumour reached the east that on the western side of the Slavic empire the Slavs, united by Sam, had succeeded in overcoming the Avars in victorious battle. The western tribes sent the famous warrior Finchik to the aid of the Slavs. As soon as Finčík arrived in the East, all the Slovaks flocked to his army. With the help of the gods, they managed to conquer the castles (hrinky) of Kyšak, Hradová, and even Zipov. Then they went against the priestess to her new salt castle, which stood under Korytá. The nation flocked from all sides to Finchik's camp. They wished him to triumph over the priestess, so that after such a long and cruel slavery they might be free again. But she was not only a priestess, but also an evil witch. When Finchik's army approached the castle and camped for the night's rest, she cursed him. The army fell into a deep sleep. The only Finchik who was not already asleep escaped her curse. As he wandered helplessly through the woods, he felt that every step he took made his legs heavier and heavier, slower and slower, his feet grew weaker and weaker. Soon he was moving as if he were glued to the ground. His eyes sparkled, and he thought he saw little fireflies flitting about, coming swiftly towards him. The closer the fireflies were, the bigger they seemed to him. Suddenly he just caught sight of a beautiful mountain fairy in front of him and pretty dancers around her. He didn't even have time to recover when he heard the fairy's ringing voice: „Here's a mighty sword for you to sheathe.“ she said.
Finch quite unconsciously reached for his sword. And as soon as he sheathed it, he felt his former strength returning. The fairy then told him to go up the hill, there he would find a small spring under the rock. Let him draw water from it and soak his soldiers' faces with it. Finchik did as the fairy said, he drew water into the cone and went to the sleeping camp. The sleeping troops were as good as dead. Frogs and crayfish were walking about and the soldiers did not move. Finch stood helplessly. He did not know whether to shake the troops or to drive away the frogs and crayfish. But as he soaked the face of the first soldier, as if by a miracle he shook himself off and stood up quite fresh. And he washed them in turn. The soldiers who had awakened, helped to carry water from the spring, washed the others. Soon the whole army was on its feet. In the morning they had no time even to eat, for the priestess was preparing for stiff resistance. And they set out hungry to march. Much bread was heaped by the roadside, but when any soldier touched this bread, he was petrified. Finch cut the bread with his magic sword. After each swing, the bread turned into rocks, which can still be seen here today. The citizens call them loaves.
The troops marched without respite. The Knyahyna were constantly ambushing them, but the rusalka and the fairies helped the soldiers to overpower them. When Finchik's army came near the castle, a terrible spectacle was revealed to their eyes. Water was pouring in from all sides, and Perun was pounding the castle like hail. The castle disappeared, and in it perished the last priestess of the Avars, cruel, hated. A deep lake appeared where the salt castle had been. At the bottom of it is said to be a castle whose salt is still melting. Since those days many salty springs have sprung up from under the mountains, and in order that the people may not have to mine the salt with difficulty from the earth, they boil it out of the water. Since those times many salt springs have sprung up from under the mountains. There is also a large rock from which a spring flows. The old people used to say that if someone rolled this rock away, the water would flood a large part of the Lošická basin.
Finčík's army returned to the hill, where Finčík was pumping water into the shishak, but the water broke through, leaving only a huge rock from under which the water was gushing out. On this spot Finčík built a castle to protect the people against the Avars and other enemies. And the people willingly helped Finčík in this work.
This is how they built Solnohrad, the walls of which even today remind us of the heroic Slavic leader Finchik, who ruled here peacefully for many more years.
Source: village Ruská Nová Ves
Photo: Filip Malát
