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11 gozotoday | FRIDAY • 6 SEPTEMBER 2024 CULTURE legends, myths, and superstitions tempts gullible people to meet their demise. The ghost, referred to as "Il-Belliegħa," is supposed to imitate a child's or a distraught person's screams to draw onlook- ers. When they look down into the well, they are drawn down by an invisible force and are never seen again. E ven though this narrative is frightening, it had an advanta- geous purpose in the past. Chil- dren were frequently warned not to play around wells since they could end up fatally injured, and this kept them from getting in harm's way. Il-Maqluba: The Sinkhole of Sin Interestingly, there is a big sink- hole near the village of Qrendi called Il-Maqluba, which is im- mersed in legends that still hold weight today. Folklore holds that Il-Maqluba was once a prosper- ous village, but that God was an- gry with its people because of their great immorality. The enormous fissure that remains today was left behind when the ground under- neath the hamlet suddenly gave way and devoured the whole com- munity one night. The church, a sign of heavenly protection that still remains at the edge of the sinkhole, was the only structure to survive. The spooky mood of Il-Maqlu- ba is enhanced by its sheer walls and dense foliage, which add to the site's air of mystery. This lo- cation, which unites mythology and nature, serves as a reminder to guests of the island's strong ties to its moral and spiritual principles. There are a few different vari- ations of the legend, but all tales agree that God destroyed the hamlet because the residents dis- regarded his warnings, except for a religious elderly woman who never stopped praying. Other tales hypothesise that the settlement was thrown into the sea by the angels as they descend- ed, and the island of Filfla now rests there. The Ghost of the Blue Lady: Hauntings in Mdina Due to its peaceful, winding alleyways, Mdina, the historic capital of Malta, is sometimes referred to as the 'Silent City'. However, beyond this calm ex- terior are legends of paranormal activity, the most well-known of which is the Blue Lady. According to legend, the ghost represents the soul of a noble- woman who was killed by her jealous boyfriend. It is told that her restless ghost, clad in a blue gown, prowls the Verdala Palace corridors in quest of justice. According to a different version of the tale, the Grand Master De Rohan of the Saint John's Order told his niece that she was going to be married, and that made her unhappy. The suitor locked her in a chamber at Verdala Palace after she turned him down. She at- tempted to flee via a window but plummeted to her death. Many others claim to have seen her spectral form and speak of a spooky, spine-tingling presence. One of Malta's most well-known ghost stories, the Blue Lady's tale lends a mysterious quality to Mdina's mediaeval district. Folklore and myth Maltese folklore is a continuous tradition that continues to shape the island's culture and identity. The myths that have been passed down through the years, whether they be about giants, cursed things, or the eerie tales of Mdina, have shaped the way Mal- tese people perceive the world. These myths and superstitions provide a link to the past in our ever-growing culture, reminding us of a period when the lines be- tween the natural and supernat- ural were blurred and the world was brimming with mysteries. Mdina Il-Maqluba sinkhole