Rovanjska village in the bay

It was mid summer. Peaks of Velebit Mountain disappeared in cotton like clouds pushed from the interior of Croatia by cold high atmosphere winds, unable to jump over or split around the highest mountaintops. Clouds engulfed Tulove Grede and Sveto Brdo and just sat here. Velebit with deep crevices and canyons to the West and cliffs to the East, covered with clouds just sat there like an old man on zenith of his life observing patiently all around.
On foot hills of Velebit on very end of Podvelebitski Canal its place on the World have find small Village of Rovanjska. First rooster’s start to voice they’re salute to a new day, Rovanjska settled in peaceful bay. Bay was nearly perfect circle open to one side to the West. About 1,5 NM wide entrance from the West, on one side was Zdrilo. Deep cut in limestone, canyon that aloud river called Zrmanja to finally enter Adriatic Sea, and on the other side was Punta Mateka. Shoreline was collection of bigger and smaller stones and on some place was some sand. All shore was bleached and washed by sea and winds. Along the shore People have erected dry walls of the stacked stones. Behind, in security and shelter, hidden, were small patches of a fertile land. Here and there was some really good plowing ground, good plowing ground means to plow can penetrate dirt maybe about 6 inches deep. Most of the time it was just pasture and patches of dirt brought there in woven
baskets called Sprtvica. There was planted seedlings and replanting. Tall Kostela three was branching wide and providing good shelter of the summer heat. It was often seen how animals and people congregate in reach shadow and cool down before the rest of the travel. Here and there was seen Chempreses, evergreens, pencil like, dark and vertical, they find the place near or on the Cemetery and in whole of Rovanjska was 10 Chempreses.
Village alone was collection of houses build of limestone. Village has tree parts. Farther to the North West was Matek’s Houses, in the middle the Roncevic Houses and on the hill farthest from the Sea was Basa Houses. In winter nights when everybody take earned rest they and gather around fire place story was told about past times.
Story pass from generation to generation said about heroic past of predecessors who fought back Venice, Turks, Tatars, Avars, Goth’s and Huns. There was tales of the predecessors that fought back, Franks when Pippin the little decide to establish the Empire of the Franks and Holy Roman Empire. There was also cousins which fought with Napoleon army and make quite well. But they was living now in that far country of France where all talk, like having strong cold. They make reach and did not dare to come back home, except when they was needed for a Governmental purposes.
Venice conquest was thrown back in the sea when they come to still Oak timber, wood from family forest in the Mountains. They was cutting family wood for a Centuries and most of a Venice was built on hammered down Oak timber from Family forests. When conditions was right man will take to a weapons and armor, seat in skiffs and set up the ambush for a Venice galleys which was passing with load of cargo bound to or from Venice. This was small return for a Oak of thousand years but was all what was left. Family did not have power and military might to fight mighty Venice. But Venetians will always come back and not small number of Man will finish in Venetian Galleys as slave oarsman. But when conditions was right men will take armor and weapons and join Uskoks of Senj in their skiffs and set an ambush. Each separate Family alone was not strong enough to take on Venetian might.
In the area of a Bay which belongs to a Roncevic Family was at the shore line
remains of Romans houses. Romans have whole Villa rustica build and thriving in the
Bay of centuries. Family ancestors many Centuries ago come to a shore on that place and stay. They chased Romans away, or Romans will chase them away, or they together will fought Illyrian tribes of Queen Teuta. Finally, love will do what weapons can not. Family Man will fall in love with either side an marry. Same thing will happen with the Romans and Illiryans. After while last names was here but population was so mixed up that nobody was pure blood any more. Family was living the way they always did. Higher on the slopes of Velebit and that what saves them.

One day, or night nobody really do know, big earthquake shake the World bad, rally bad. Mountain was grumbling hills was rolling up and down , where was Land was Sea, where was Sea was Land, where was River, River was no more. Zrmanja River can not met Adriatic Sea on previous place, and turn the flow through new opening now called Zdrilo. Roman houses went underground, docks and entire Port of flourishing Roman Community sink in the depth of the Bay. Ruins of roman buildings still can be found. Here and there broken walls will show they face from the ground and stay exposed as monument of a old glory of Romans. On the bottom was in good days visible ruins, docks, big piles of broken pottery. If you go dive today on that placer will find artifacts from that time with Roman letters, ornaments and, whole amphora’s if you are lucky. Amphora was clay pottery
made to store vine, oil, grain and anything. That was first predecessor of today modern days containers. Some elders say to it was find the Amphora’s with a lead intact and when was opened healthy vine odor was smelled and vine residue was still inside. Cups will have on the bottoms marks of manufacturer. On one was letters VIIL on the others was XVLL and others. Nobody really knew what that meant. Amphora’s most of the time will hold vine.
In the very stomach of the Bay was Chapel of St. Juraj, Many said St. Juraj was older than main cathedral of St. Peter in Vatican. If you scrub some plaster off you will find Roman letters and mosaics. It was big enough to in time of funerals or Mass complete Family will find the shelter under the roof to pray. Chapel was built in shape of cross, and main body was oriented East to West with little bell tower as on Spanish Missions in California. Carved lime stone was constructed in an arch, and small but loud bell was suspended in it. From the bell outside the bell tower was hanging the bell rope. Nobody dare to toll the bell without the reason. It was said to it was a sin and dead ancestors will not like it. Bell was tolling only for mass, marriage, Funeral or a danger. Each have distinctive toll, For a Mass it is loud and happy. Funeral toll was sad and slow tolling only on one side of the bell, danger was fast, hectic unnerving. When Chapel was build people was using material on hand and many remains of Romans buildings was used to erect the Chapel. If one scrub
the plaster of the walls. Roman inscriptions and parts of mosaics were found. On calm days, usually early in the morning, when sun start to rise behind Basa Village, and rays penetrate Seas just under right angle, (one is fishing with spear from the bow of the wooden skiff) on the bottom of the Bay, starting right in front of St. Juraj was visible ruins of old Roman dock with a stone ring from one piece of stone. Roman ships there was able safely tight down and load cargo of olive oil, grain and all what this place have for trade.
Written history of the family was one thousand year-long and spoken history was long, so long to path of a family was traced back, all the way in White Croatia and further beyond Ural Mountains in far away czar country of Russia. There was knights in big battles. There was soldiers fighting for justice and against all kind of people, yellow people with eyes which was not in level as ours, people with some strange language, people half horse half human, people with dog’s head’s, people with flat faces and no noses.
Kids will listen and in wonder try to make image of this foreigners, which was without doubt dangerous. On the way to bed, children will bunch up and none of them will try to go in the bushes to relieve themselves however in need before sleep. In the deft of the night, in their dreams all this will form armies of miracles and they will be knights in shiny armor fighting the all that critters all night long. Some time battle was so ferocious to mothers will have to get up and calm tired warriors or get them some water to drink.
Extended now and then, how family number increase. New houses was build for a young new Family, If groom was from other tribe and wants to join his wife will get some land on the outskirts of Family property, was help build the house. Both families will gather together and new house will be build in no time. In the same time elders which was not for a masonry jobs, will do carpentry and soon new furniture will be ready to move in that was the beginning of a new village. That is the way the two new villages was formed. One of Family Roncevic and other of the Family Basa.
On hilly side to the East is Basa Village, Basa are goat and sheep herders, and little farmers with poor land which was for bare sustenance, and they did not know how to swim. Potatoes and cabbage, few olive trees, and plenty of lime stone all sizes all impossible shades of gray, Washed by rain, and bleached by Bura, (strong Northern wind), salted and carved by spray of salt taken of the wave crests in the Bay, time stone was only thing which seams to really grow on that isolated land, every day villagers will go to the parcels and pick up stones, depositing them on to the dry walls or Mociras, big piles of lime stone sitting there as long a legends as old, and memories of the oldest reaching the past. Some of biggest Mociras was big as a Family House, and nobody really knew how deep underground was first layers which make kind of a foundation.
Paths, rugged as terrain through which they lead, was just passages between the walls and full of loose stones and rocks. They was not and they are not safe for unused City foot to pass there. It was difficult to pass in the day and almost impossible in the night. People which use this paths was walking with their eyes on the path, with care and no hurry. One wrong step and loose rock was enough for a painful joint. That was the reason why most of the life between villages will stop in sunset. Walking to the East South East from Roncevica village on will pass the Bunar, people have dig big hole in the ground, with big difficulties until they reach Sea level. Sea water filtered thru stones and dirt in that well and was Bochata(not salty too much) most of the time that water was used to water the animals and fields. That was place where young people will meet and congregate for a short period of time. Where first glances was exchanged and first messages was send of left under the stone.
From there, crooked path lead to a shore, to a Mulo Roncevica. There was made little dock in shallow waters, which did not stand for a long time. Strong waves of Maestral have taken it a part almost at the same time when was build. Following the shore path, lead us to a area called Obaljenica this part of a Bay was naked. Stripped of all greenery, no grass, no bushes, no Smrikas evergreens, here and there was a single leaf of grass which somehow survived and if it was not blown away by Bura then sheep’s will eat as soon as show it self. Nothing con survive on that side of the Bay when Bura blow, it was cold it was salty Bura will lift the salt from the crest of the waves and deposit all over the Obaljenica. So much salt was on the ground to sometimes in the winter under full moon Obaljenica will shine as magic field of crystals. After while path ended and passing through that dead land was possible only with utmost care. Fisherman will walk that way jumping from rock to a stone and on to the flat plate. From there about two pipes of tobacco was Zdrilo. Shallows are extended in to the Bay. Walking around the end of the Bay Zdrilo shows up in all its rugged beauty, this passage, at 44 degree 15” N and 015 degree 31 “E was connecting a Novigradsko Sea with Podvelebitski Canal. Sea water was not salty that much any more. Schools of Ground fish congregate there in strong outbound current, Zdrilo which some call Novsko and some Maslenicko is 1,5 NM long and 0,15NM wide. When after earthquake original river bed was closed, Zrmanja’s level start to raise. Soon all area where today is Novigrad, Karin, Posedarje and Maslenica was under water and river was depositing large amounts of silt and mud. When lever increase significantly and above the lowest point on today’s entrance from Maslenica side, waters of the River start to overflow and torrents was carrying everything in front of them. Soon Zdrilo was formed. Deep, green waters, not salty as Rovanjska Bay, strong current was taking sand from Novigradsko Sea to a Rovanjska Bay and across to a Seline and Strigrad. When sailing through Zdrilo today one can see the slabs of limestone laying in all directions.
Some are vertical some a horizontal. In between are slabs which lay under 45 degree angle and sill little bit farther just crunched mass of loose rocks. Red lines between the slabs was sandy and when rain wash away enough whole slab will simply slide in a Zdrilo with a big splash.