Predaje i legende o Zenici

Između planina Lisac i Vepar, koje razdvaja dolina rijeke Bosne, smještena je jedna od najzanimljivijih priča koje je isplela ljudska mašta. Prema narodnoj predaji bila je to jedna planina, sa jezerom koje se protezalo od Vranduka do Visokog, sve dok su braća blizanci živjeli u bratskoj slozi i ljubavi.
Čim su se smrtno zavadili, plativši svađu glavom, od žalosti planina raspuče i razdvoji se na dva dijela, a između njih poteče rijeka od suza. Ni mezari braće ne ostadoše jedan pored drugog. Kažu, jedan mezar je na planini Lisac, a drugi je na brdu Vepar.

Vran i Duk

Brojne su legende koje kazuju kako su Zenica, njena naselja i okolne planine dobile ime. Izdvajamo one najzanimljivije. Prema nekim predajama Bilino polje u Zenici nekada se zvalo Vilinsko polje " po kome su vile igrale kolo".
Vranduk je dobio ime po divu Vranu i neustrašivom mladiću Duku koji je na mejdanu pobjedio Vrana. Vile preseliše na prelijepu planinu Jeleč, a zmajevi "što vatru bljujuvaše" na Zmajevac. Tamo gdje se gorostas "smeo", planina dobi ime Smetovi, a dokle je dopirala kuknjava poraženog Vrana, tom brdu narod nadijene ime Kukavica. Jedna od predaja veli da se Zenica nekada zvala Sjenica po Dukovoj majci Sjenici.

Kad se braća pomire

Samo po svojim nazivima može se pretpostaviti kako su planine Lisac i Vepar dobile imena, ali u sjenci priča o staništima lisica i veprova je legenda o braći blizancima koji birvaktile živješe na ovim prostorima.
Predaja, koja se prenosi sa koljena na koljeno, veli kako će zavađena braća oživjeti i pomiriti.
Pomirenjem braće Vepar i Lisac će ponovo biti jedna planina, a čim se to dogodi jezerske vode će uzvodno poteći. "Vratiće se potop!" - kaže legenda.

Traditions and legends about Zenica

Between the mountains Lisac and Vepar, which are divided by the valley of the river Bosna, one of the most interesting stories ever told by mankind, found its place. According to folk legends it was a mountain, with a lake which stretched from Vranduk all the way to Visoko, as long as the twin brothers lived in brotherly harmony and love.

As soon as they got separated, losing their head in the quarrel, out of grief the mountain cracked and split into two, and between it a river of tears started to flow. Not even the tombstones of the brothers remained one beside the other. They say, one tombstone is on the mountain Lisac and the other on the hill Vepar.

Vran and Duk

Numerous legends speak of how Zenica and its surrounding villages and mountains got their names. We will mention the most interesting ones. According to some legends Bilino polje in Zenica was once called Villino polje (fairy field) "where fairies came to dance in circles".

Vranduk was named after the giant Vran and fearless young man Duk which defeated the giant. Fairies moved to the beautiful mountain Jeleč, and dragons "which spat fire" moved to Zmajevac. The place where the giant "smeo" the mountain got the name Smetovi, and the place to which the cries of the defeated Vran reached, was named Kukavica. One of the legends say that Zenica was once called Sjenica, name of Duk's mother Sjenica.

When the brothers reconcile

We can infer that mountains Lisac and Vepar got their name by understanding the meaning of the names, a story about the habitat of foxes and wild boars is shadowed by the legend of the twin brothers who used to live in those areas, long time ago.

Legend, which is transmitted from one generation to the next, says that the feuding brothers will come alive and find peace. By atonement of the brothers, Vepar and Lisac will again be one mountain, and as soon as this happens, lake waters will flow upstream. "Flood will return!" - the legends say.