Giant girl from Crngrob

Giant girl from Crngrob is a Slovenian mythical heroine associated with the construction of the Church of the Annunciation of Mary in Crngrob near Škofja Loka. The legend of this figure is one of the most famous among many stories about ajdi (mythical giants).

The Legend

The legend tells that a giant girl (ajdovska deklica) once lived in the forests of Crngrob.[1][2] She was a shepherdess. She grazed her flock of sheep by the Selščica stream, and the number of sheep grew day by day. She drank water from the Sava River and lacked nothing.[1] One day, the lord of Škofja Loka ordered his serfs to build a large church in Crngrob.[1][2] The serfs worked hard, but the proud lord was never satisfied with the church’s size.[1] So they kept building, yet it still wasn't enough. The serfs became completely exhausted. The giant girl took pity on them and began to help.[1] She carried huge stones in her apron and fetched water from the Sava in a large bucket to mix mortar.[1][3] Thanks to her help, the church was soon completed. But the giant girl worked so diligently that she caught a cold, fell ill, and died.[1][3] The serfs were deeply grateful for her help. They buried her in the forests of Crngrob, but first, they took one of her ribs and hung it in the new church as a memorial.[1][3] According to local tradition, a drop of blood drips from the rib every year. When the final drop falls, the Day of Judgment will come.[1][3][4]

The Rib

The whale rib in the Church of the Annunciation in Crngrob, by legend the rib of the giant girl.

On the edge of the Sorško polje (Sora Plain), beneath Križka gora (Cross Mountain), the Church of the Annunciation in Crngrob still stands today. In its oldest part, dating back to the 13th century, a large rib hangs on the wall. According to legend, this is the rib of the giant girl. In reality, it is a whale rib.[5][6] The surrounding inhabitants originally came from present-day Germany. Long after they settled in the area, they continued to make pilgrimages to their homeland. On one such trip, they brought the whale rib from Cologne, where it had been found, back to Crngrob as a keepsake.[6] The rib has been hanging in the church for over 500 years.[6]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Kako je ajdovska deklica zgradila cerkev v Crngrobu". Loški muzej Škofja Loka (in Slovenian). Retrieved 2025-07-21.
  2. ^ a b "Kamniti most – Wikivir". sl.wikisource.org (in Slovenian). Retrieved 2025-07-21.
  3. ^ a b c d "Pot v Crngrob - Turizem Škofja Loka". www.visitskofjaloka.si (in Slovenian). Retrieved 2025-07-21.
  4. ^ "Iz rebra ajdovske deklice kaplja kri (FOTO)". www.slovenskenovice.si (in Slovenian). Retrieved 2025-07-21.
  5. ^ Ankele, Špela (2013-06-28). "FOTO: Ajdovske deklice ali le kitovo rebro". old.slovenskenovice.si (in Slovenian). Retrieved 2025-07-21.
  6. ^ a b c Časnik (2014-08-12). "Reportaža (foto): Kitovo rebro v Crngrobu". Časnik (in Slovenian). Retrieved 2025-07-21.

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