Once upon a time, in northern Albania, a mother and her two children were forced to flee their home due to the invasion of Ottoman soldiers.
The mother was devastated by the loss of her husband, who was killed by the soldiers. As they ran through the mountains, they were plagued by thirst and exhaustion. Despite their desperate search for water, they were unable to find any, and the children grew weaker by the minute.
As the mother tried to console her children, she grew increasingly desperate and eventually cursed the mountains for their lack of water. Legend has it that her curse burned the Accursed Mountains, causing fires to break out every year in the same season as the mother’s journey.
However, there is a ritual associated with a rock in the mountains that is said to represent the mother and her children, and passing shepherds pour water on it to honor their memory.
