First, however, we must inflict upon our readers a little legendary lore, which, although it illustrates the uncertainty of the early history of the country, will give them a glimpse of the national thought and feeling in the past.  According to tradition the cathedral was founded by ‘Neagu Voda,’ of whom we shall speak hereafter; and it is said that whilst he was a hostage at Constantinople he built a magnificent mosque for the Sultan, who allowed him to take away to his own country the surplus materials, and that from these he constructed the cathedral after his own designs.  A still wilder legend makes one Manoll or Manole the architect, and it is said that he had several master-masons associated with him in the work, but that the efforts of the combined masons failed to raise the building.  Neagu Voda had commanded them on pain of death to proceed with it, when Manole, to save their lives, proposed that they should follow the old custom (legendary let us hope) of building up a woman in the foundation; and it was decided that the woman who first made her appearance with the provisions for her husband on the following day should be the victim.  They all swore to keep the fact secret from their wives; but Manole was the only one who kept his word, and consequently his wife Utza was the first to appear.

    ’He took her by the hand at once
    And led her to the building,
    Then pointed out where she should stand,
    And he began to build: 
    “Be, my beloved, without fear.” 
    She did not interrupt his discourse.

    ’The other masons in astonishment
    All look at him with terror,
    And all stand at a distance,
    For they dare not venture near;
    When he softly speaks to her,
    And with haste builds her up.

    ’"This joke is not good,
    Manole, my beloved;
    Reflect that I am a mother,
    And that I am bringing up your son.” 
    But Manole still jokes
    And hastens as much as he can.

    ’Up to her breast he had built up,
    And she sweetly sings to him;
    The strong wall bruised her,
    And she swims in tears,
    But when he had finished,
    The wall more than overtopped her.

    ’This was the remedy: 
    And the wall was able to stand;
    And after this the monastery
    Ceased to fall any more;
    The wind, the earthquake do not shake it. 
    Utza within the wall upholds it.’

Thus far the poet;[43] but the legend does not end there.  The boasts of the masons were so arrogant after the cathedral was completed that Radul, or Neagu (for he is called by both names), gave orders for the scaffolding to be removed, and left them to die of hunger on the roof.  Manole and his companions sought to save themselves by constructing parachutes of light wood, but as each attempted to descend he was dashed to the ground and turned into stone.  Manole himself was the last to make the attempt, but when he approached the parapet he was horror-struck at hearing the plaint of his wife as he had heard it when he was building her up in the foundation, and, losing all sense and power, he fell to the ground.  From the spot where he fell dead a spring of clear water gushed forth, and a fountain which was erected there is still known as Manoll’s.