Harman, formerly Herman (Huntschprich in the Transylvanian Saxons dialect, Honigberg in German, transl. ?the Honey Mountain?, Szászhermány in Hungarian) is a commune in Brasov County, Transylvania, Romania, consisting of Harman (residence) and Podu Olt localities. Here are legends from the giants? time, some even speaking about ?the Giants? King Cane?. They say the land used to be dominated by giants, back when it was covered by waters. The giants? legends exist all over Tara Barsei region, most of them being included in the Legends of Tara Barsei region, by European projects.
Giants? King Cane
In a project aimed at Promoting the Touristic Potential of Tara Barsei, edited by the historian Nicolae Pepene, with Bogdan Florin Popovici, in the work entitled ?The Legends of Tara Barsei? is the story about the ?Giants? King Cane?. They say that back then the giants? king cane fell down in the sea and the king ordered that the sea was drained. And so Barsei land appeared. The places where the waters flowed down the hill formed the passes. The giants soaked their pants on the mountain from Sanpetru, namely Lempes Hill today, connecting Harman commune to Sanpetru commune.
The legend of the wicked women
They say that around 1612, Tara Barsei went through several persecutions and injustice, and also the inhabitants of Harman. The inhabitants defended themselves tenaciously, using rocks, boiled water and beehives. They hid in the strong citadel, and after a siege that lasted eight days, the besieged wasted their resources. On April 10th 1612, on Palms Sunday, the attackers did not give up on taking over the citadel. The women from Harman showed courage and threw away cookies. Then they hung outside the wall a goat and a pig, both alive. Their craft chased away the enemy.
Promoting the heritage
?Of course the history of the commune is interesting. Nowadays, we have as proof the Harman Country Citadel, with its museums, Vatra Harmanului museum, the Orthodox Church of the locality with mural paintings and the customs and traditions kept up to now. They are accompanied by the workhouse where pipe organs are built, and the folklore group of the locality. We have a rich cultural agenda and the City Hall and the Local Council of Harman support the promoting events of this precious cultural and historic heritage. Tourists coming here have plenty to see. We are good hosts and happy to have them?, told us Mr Mihai Disor, Mayor of Harman commune.
