Black Horse

King Marko’s Three Stones

In short: In a legend from around Skopje, King Marko shows his strength as a child with three large stones.

King Marko’s Three Stones · Three stones stuck in the ground FAIRY TALE ATLAS · № 217 King Marko’s Three Stones In a legend from around Skopje, King Marko shows his strength as a child with three large stones. Origin A King Marko legend associated with the area around Skopje in North Macedonia. The text collected by Marko Cepenkov was published in Sofia in 1898. Atlas record 1898 First appearance Exact date unknown SIGNATURE MOTIF Three stones stuck in the ground Reach¹ 1/10 Suggested age² 8+ Member rating No votes yet 1 records · 1 countries or regions blackhorsestories.com

¹ Based on the number of Atlas countries, capped at 10. ² Editorial suggestion for reading this page. Discover Black Horse’s question

Origin and tradition

A King Marko legend associated with the area around Skopje in North Macedonia. The text collected by Marko Cepenkov was published in Sofia in 1898.

In the telling collected by Cepenkov, the children play with small stones while Marko hurls three great ones. They stick in the ground. The extraordinary part of the game leaves a mark on the surroundings long after the children have stopped playing.

Dated records and sources

  1. 1898 · Skopje area
    Marko Cepenkov · Traditions about People and Places · collection XV, p. 117 · Published collection

Country pages

Origin
Black Horse. King Marko’s Three Stones. https://blackhorsestories.com/en/atlas-tale-marko-three-stones/