Mariovo – legend for the name origin
At the time enslavement of Macedonia by the Ottomans, one pasha walked through all villages of Mariovo, as considered twenty five villages.
He arrived to the village of Veprchani. He was accommodated at one of the richest men in the village who had a daughter. Pasha liked the host’s daughter very much and he proposed to the father to give her to be pasha’s wife. Girl’s father commented that he was a Christian, while the pasha’s religion is different.
Pasha said:
- If you could not willingly, I will take the girl by force! Then the girl offered to pasha:
- If you make one good thing for our place, I will marry you!
-What do you want? – pasha replied. I will do, just you to come with me. Well, what do you want?
- I like the area from Polog monastery, Selechka mountain to the village of Brod – Bitola, the Nigje mountain, Kozjak, to remain ОУР place, Ottomans not to come here.
The pasha had great power, so he made such a testament. He called lawyers (mufti) and read the document. The girl had to go with the pasha. They departed with the entourage that he led.
He led army and they continued going towards Prilep, to the village of Dunje. The girl prepared herself, yet not departed. She has sharpened a knife, that we the Mariovo people call it knife for shearing sheep. It is the sharpest weapon that can be found; she took it secretly. The rite of the Turk was to mount the girl on the horse behind him. They departed to the village of Dunje, this place is uphill slope, so when they have got to catch the uphill, she stabbed the knife into herself, she committed suicide.
By hitting the knife she fell from the horse and the Turks stopped. They did not know what to do; they were just looking. She fell down, by falling from the horse she injured even more and died.
Pasha was uncomfortable to return and to take back the testament that he had given for the area covering the Polog monastery, whole Selechka mountain up to the village of Brod, Nigje Kozjak and Iron Gate (Zelezna Vrata), so they spurred the horses and escaped.
The girl was called Maria and after her name it remained the place to be called Mariovo even today. After departure of the pasha and remaining the name Mariovo, the land remained to the raya.
Long time the Turks have not come to Mariovo to settle it with chifligs and Turkish population, Mariovo was governed by native mayors. First indigenous mayors were from the village of Veprchani, the village of Manastir, Staravina and Vitolishta. They have changed through elections and this has been practiced for long time, but they were not very good and did wrong, same as Turks made wrong, they also had harems and so on.
Tanas Vrazhinoski, Macedonian folklore legends, Matica makedonska, Skopje, 2009, 298.