Nothing but the Sea, Sky and Rock
THE ISLANDS OF MAGIC
LEGENDS, FOLK AND FAIRY
TALES FROM THE AZORES
RETOLD BY
ELSIE SPICER EELLS
Illustrated by
E. L. BROCK
NEW YORK
HARCOURT, BRACE AND COMPANY
COPYRIGHT, 1922, BY
HARCOURT, BRACE AND COMPANY, INC.
PRINTED IN THE U. S. A. BY
THE QUINN & BODEN COMPANY
RAHWAY, N. J.
PREFACE
Some three-fourths of the distance between America and Europe there isa group of nine beautiful islands called the Azores which belong toPortugal. Their names are Flores, Corvo, Fayal, Pico, S. Jorge,Graciosa, Terceira, S. Miguel, and Santa Maria. Many people think themto be the mountain peaks of the submerged continent, Atlantis, whichlong ago was covered by the ocean.
There are ancient records which tell of Arabian caravels driven back bydangerous seas surrounding islands full of volcanoes. There are oldpictures which portray seas of spouting geysers and flaming volcanicisles. In these regions islands had a habit of suddenly liftingthemselves out of the ocean and then disappearing again from view.When the largest of the islands, S. Miguel or St. Michael as it iscalled in English, was mapped, two mountain peaks were marked wherelater only one could be discovered. Thus it was that the Azores gainedtheir reputation. Islands full of volcanoes amid seas of spoutinggeysers could be nothing else but enchanted. And islands and mountainpeaks which suddenly vanished away from one's sight! Surely the Azoresmust be the true land of magic.
"The day of folktales is departing from the Azores," said the wisewoman. "Public schools came with the republic, and where books ofprinted stories enter folktales become confused and soon are lost."
"There is no originality among our islanders," complained the wise manof the islands. "They have told over and over again the stories of ourmother country, Portugal, and they have made few variations."
However, when I spent December 1920 and January 1921 in the Azores inconnection with research work for the Hispanic Society, I found thatthere were not only pleasant folktales there but even real fairies.They inhabit the wooded slopes of Monte Brasil on the island ofTerceira. The fisher folk who visit the barren Ilheos de Cabras on theBay of Angra know that there are fairies living in those rocky isleseven yet when the boys and girls of the Azores are sailing away fromthem to seek their fortunes in America. Have they not often seen thefairy garments spread out upon the rocks in the bright sunshine?
"You are like the Holy Virgin herself," said the little maid of St.Michael.
"Did you ever see the Virg