Last modified: 2008-02-23 by ivan sache
Keywords: mezica | disk (green) | disks: 5 (dark green) | disk (yellow) | crown (yellow) | hammers: 2 (black) | legend |
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![[Flag of Mezica]](../images/s/si-074v.gif)
Flag of Mežica - Image by Željko Heimer, 23 April 2006
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There have been in Mežica lead and zinc mines since at least the XVth century. Mining industry stopped at the end of the XXth century. The mine is now a popular museum.
Željko Heimer, 5 September 2002
The flag and arms of Mežica are prescribed by Decision Odlok o grbu, zastavi, občinskem prazniku in priznanjih v Občini Mežica, adopted on 18 May 1998 and published in the official Slovene gazette Uradni list Republike Slovenije, 47/1998.
Stanič & Jakopič [j2s05] show the flag as vertical, in proportions 4:7, divided vertically into three stripes - black on the viewer's left covering one third of the flag width, then a thin yellow stripe covering about 3% of the flag width and, on the viewer's right, a green stripe charged with the municipal coat of arms in the middle.
Željko Heimer, 23 April 2006
![[Coat of arms of Mezica]](../images/s/si)074.gif)
by Željko Heimer
The coat of arms of Mežica is a light blue shield bordered with
grey, containing a green disk surrounded with five darker green balls
and one crowned and "bearded" golden dot.
The big green disk represents the mountain Peca and the five small
disks are for the five surrounding hills.
The golden figure at the top is a stylized representation of King
Matias (Kralj Matjaž), a legendary king who sleeps in the
mountain together with all his army, waiting for the time to rise and
deliver the Slovene people. The legend stems from the time of
Turkish raids even so far to north.
The two crossed black hammers represent mining industry.
Željko Heimer, 5 September 2002
A similar legend predicts the awakening of King Arthur, while another one concerns the German Emperor Frederic Barbarossa.
Ivan Sache, 6 September 2002
A similar ending is known in the Armenian epic "David of
Sassoun<", where the last hero, David's son Meherr or Mherr is so
old the earth refuses him shelter. At Mherr's prayer, God opens the
Rock of Van (now in Turkey), and Mherr, with his stallion Jalali,
disappears into it. This legend is still alive among the Armenian
people, who believe that once a year, on the Eve of Ascension, the
Rock of Van splits open and Mherr sees the light of day.
Meherr is equalled to Mithras, and his stallion to his army -
possibly all these legends are related to the Mithraic cult, which
was widespread in the later years of the Roman Empire.
Source: "David of Sassoun", translated by Aram Tollegian, 1961.
Jarig Bakker, 6 September 2002
A similar legend features various mystical leaders of Brazilian
popular uprisings in the XIXth and early XXth centuries. Also, in a
way, the twelfth (hidden) imam in Shi'a Islam and perhaps even the
original Jewish understanding of the Messiah.
There is also a similar legend that the priests who were celebrating
the liturgy in St. Sophia in Constantinople when the Turks captured
the church disappeared into the walls and will reemerge to continue
the liturgy when the city is again in Orthodox hands.
Nothing to substantiate the origin of the legends, however. I
would note that they understandably seem to develop in situations
where historical events turn disastrously against a society that has
a strong expectation of being divine favor or protection.
Joe McMillan, 6 September 2002
In 1578, the Portuguese King Sebastian disappeared in
Alcaçar Quivir, Morocco, leaving no descent and opening a
dynastic crisis that led a couple of years later to the loss of
independence to Spain, starting those 63 years of Spanish domination
on Portugal. To this day there is the legend that some day Sebastian
will return on a foggy morning in order to inaugurate the "Fifth
Empire" and restore Portugal's lost glory.
Moroccans, of course, laugh at this. The battle of Al-Qasar al-Qibir
was one of the most important military victories in the whole history
of the country and is there known as the "Battle of the Three Kings",
since three kings died in it, Sebastian and two Moorish kings.
Jorge Candeias, 7 September 2002