Romania - The myth of the sacrifice for creation 

One of the six myths that constitute the Romanian folklore is illustrated in the legend "The Argeș Monastery".

According to the legend, the ruler Negru-Vodă decides to build the greatest, most beautiful monastery in the world, in order to preserve the tradition, but also to sanctify the land and defeat the evil forces. So, ten buildersbecome prisoners in the febrile game of wealth or death, their destinies appearing to be decided when the irrational forces oppose the creation of a place of cult on that piece of land and whatever the mastersget to build during the day, falls apart duringnight-time. In aid of the builders comes the Holly Spirit, "a voice from beyond", which warns the chosen Master Manole that the walls won't resist, unless the first woman - wife or sister - that brought food the next day is laid between the walls of the monastery. The convicted woman is Ana, Manole's beloved wife. The builder is caught up in a consequence drama, a battle between the artist and the husband, between love and creation, taking place within him. The flame of love merges with the flame of creation becoming a destroying force. Ana accepts the game, weeping while she is being built into the wall. Seeing the construction finished, the other nine builders make the mistake of saying that they could build a far more beautiful monastery than that and so, the ruler Negru-Vodă condemns them to die on the roof of the monastery. Trying to escape, like the legendary Icarus, the masters build themselves wings of wood and jump off the roof, but they can't fly and crash to the land. Ana's weeping voice haunts Manole who understands that his creative lot has been fulfilled. For him, the profane existence loses its meaning for he can't love anymore and can't create anymore, so that he makes the decision of reuniting with his wife in death. In the place where Manole dies, a river springs, as a symbol of life and eternal creation.