is a kind of storytelling that characterized in its plot, mainly imaginary and fabulous, incorporate some realistic elements, which may be of a historical (factual or authentic characters) or / and of geographical (places or natural features or built real), which are characteristic of the social, temporal and natural lag in the narration, which acquire, within the frame of the story, a negligible level of prominence because of its value as evidence and demonstration of the likelihood function of the facts, giving fabulous facts narrated in a large reliability and thus credibility, as this type of narration, always presented as a supposedly true.
In the particular case of the etiologic legends, this is a kind of legendary tales, which aims to explain the claim, so understood by the "mob" and consistent with local mythic tradition, the alleged root causes certain rare or surprising facts for which were not available previously, known explanation. In these explanations always try to justify the existence of certain facts, events or whether elements of the social or geographical environment, by originating circumstances "abnormal" fabulous guy, miraculous or magical.
The study of such stories, places apparent, as people with little education logical, rational, natural, scientific mentalidado's own, and therefore possess a culture arational, supernatural and magic are typical of ancient societies and credulous, typical of the pre and scientific, to certain facts, for them, surprising and unexplained, result unknown, often have a tendency to resort to explanations of mythical type (magical or miraculous causes), conceived as the real world, social and natural, which live, governed by supernatural forces and occurrences that are possible interventions and extraordinary beings.
These same events or elements, despite their rarity and difficulty of interpretation and engage in mental and explanatory diagrams of the moment, would be regarded as all-natural products processes, whose existence does not require supernatural situations or events or intervention beings or extraordinary powers, by the rational-minded people and naturalistic environments belonging to "scientific culture."
be the initial sample of this type of folktales, one version of a well-known legend Alicante in the Bajo Segura, who has been selected, because its plot features a "microleyenda" etiological , ie a short story that attempts to explain how fantastic the origin of a natural, consistent in the presence of remains of fossil vertebrates in an existing forest in the municipality of Rojales .
This account, known as the "Legend of the charming" Cabezo Soler, while trying to justify the validity and functionality of a system of beliefs according to which the natural world works is determined by forces and powers supernatural, asserting that magic is part of the "everyday reality" and that she is the cause of certain "miracles and wonders" observables field, which are both, a demonstration that such events are possible and real, and that have occurred in certain places and at other times, when there were certain conditions .
In this case, we can see that the etiologic popular short story presented, had a clear motivation paleontological because in this version of the "Legend of the charming" in Rojales (Alicante) , we see variant of the basic legendary story (escape from a pair of lovers mixed Muslim-Christian curse of the couple by the parent, spell extinction for people and riches that go into the underworld, monstrous serpent guardian of subterranean treasures, John midnight conducive to break spells, etc.) incorporates the description of a series of underground monsters whose bones, as proof of the veracity of can be seen scattered throughout different parts of the hillside. Some characteristics of these monsters can guess which are inspired by the local fossil record, known since ancient times by locals, findings from several successive skeletal remains of different types of aquatic vertebrates, marine and continental Pleistocene.
The "Legend of the charm or charm, Soler Cabezo, Rojales (Alicante)
According to scholars, it would be a legend of post-Muslim era, founded about the thirteenth century, possibly that has been passed down orally from generation to generation until today.
In my opinion it is very possible that the short story focusing on underground monsters whose fossilized bones were visible on the slopes of the hill, is the Muslim period as there is to know that in Tuareg culture and the like, all nomadic peoples North Africa, there are several legends mentioning the presence in the desert, "petrified snakes" or their remains petrified and do not forget that most of Al-Aldalus conquerors, came from that geographical area. We must remember that since the nineteenth century to the present time, paleontologists have discovered in these areas, the skeletal remains of several types of primitive whales
comprising shapes Miocene to Pleistocene and various kinds of dinosaurs
Mesozoic, huge fossilized vertebrae of both types of animals appear in some remote places, lined up and half buried in the sand, with a clear stone and serpentine appearance, suitable to generate legends about "snakes petrified."
But it may be that the legend had its origin in a period, even earlier, as the Greeks and Romans attributed to mythical interpretations of vertebrate fossil bones were discovered in their time throughout the mediterranean area (for in-depth knowledge and all details, see The secret of the amphorae , Adrienne Mayor, 2002 which is the English version of the very famous and appreciated The First Fossil Hunters ).
What is certain is that the legend of Christian times, what it does is collect different legends pre-existing, highly topical, and together around the legend of fossilized bones that is precisely the part that just providing more originality and credibility to the whole of the resulting global legend.
popular
The original story has been rewritten and rewritten by different authors, at the present time, resulting in various literary versions of the original traditional folk legend. Today, in addition to the many oral versions that can be collected throughout the region, can also be found in novel form (
Encantada), or play ("The night's Encantá" Salvador García Aguilar , 1998) and as a medium-length film ("The Legend of Encantá" produced by Rafa Gimeno & Paco Mora in 2002), all of them tells the story of an Arab princess remains haunted, inside the Cabezo Soler, from the time of the Moors 
and that every hundred years, the night of San Juan, appears to be disenchanted by a noble and courageous young man, who led in arms, they come to the river Segura which soaks foot in its waters, which thus breaks the spell that keeps her happy for hundreds of years.
Graphic , infantilized an "Arabian Princess", looking seductive odalisque that might not be far away from the mental image that was done, the character, the population of Rojales. Illustration
The version presented here, is one of many oral versions that exist in Rojales circulate throughout the Bajo Segura. We have chosen precisely because it includes and describes various monsters from hell, some of whose features are very interesting from the point etnopaleontológico view, because they allow us to make an etiological interpretation of the story.
The stage of the legendary tale, is a modest hill, near the existing town of Rojales, called the Head or Cabecico Soler, on whose base flows the river Segura and whose upper parts have been found many remains of ancient ruins.
According to popular legend, in times of Moorish occupation of this population would have been a rich and important Muslim stronghold. At the palace in which lived the emir who ruled the area, with his beautiful young daughter, which had been promised in marriage by her father to another old Taifa emir who ruled a neighbor, to get an alliance against the Christians besiege its borders. Although initially accepted the decision Moorish princess from her father, when few days before the wedding, the young princess decided to change his destiny and elope with her secret lover, a young Christian, taking advantage of the darkness of night, 23 June. But the emir was warned by a servant of the escape plans of their daughter,
a Christian.
nineteenth century Iranian painting, representing the Persian emperor Shah Fath Ali Shah (1797-1835) the regional aspect of the character very well could be close to ideal image of the Bajo Segura villagers figured that would have had the powerful and rich Moorish emir of the strength of cabezo Soler. http://www.internetstones.com/image-files/fath-ali-shah-emperor-of-iran.jpg affronted by disrespectful and irresponsible behavior of his daughter and even more angry, seductive by the boldness of Christian, Moorish decided to punish the two lovers to death. The night scheduled for the flight, the emir will wait hidden in the river Segura, in the place where they made their dating and from where they were starting to Christian lands. When the couple was together, the old emir came by surprise, of hiding with his cutlass willing to inflict two fatal blows, but the young Christian was stirred rapidly and wounded, mortally, with his sword the Moor who had not recognized. While the emir was dying, he launched an evil spell, cursing his daughter and her lover and black magic, instantly disappeared from this world, the pair of lovers, the rich strength of the top of "the Cabezo Soler" with all subjects and wealth he had in it.
same legend has it that the emir's spell may be broken, once every hundred years, at midnight on St. John, if it matches the appropriate day of the year, unknown a young noble, brave, strong and cunning, daring to ascend to the top of Cabezo Soler, and be able to figure out how to enter the underworld. To reach the place inside the hill of "the Cabezo Soler", where the fortress, filled with treasures and wealth in which the prisoner resides Arab princess was enchanted forever. Then the brave young man, must seek and find, within the fortress, the princess and then load it into his arms, evading the supervision of a horrible monsters that try to prevent the escape and get down with it at cost to the River Segura without at any moment the foot of La Encantada touch the floor, so you can soak your feet in the waters of the river, where his father died. Then the spell of the emir will be broken. Being disenchanted princess and so grateful to their liberators, they want to reward you by asking her husband and sharing with him all the treasures in the fortress and making their service, to all his subjects.
historical illustration depicting the appearance of a group of warriors Moors, belonging to various kinds of Muslim troops in the ninth century. Peers of those who were supposed to serve the emir, who lives in the magical fortress of Cabecico Soler. Illustration
British teacher, Angus McBride.
http://dbahispano.blogspot.com/2009/03/la-conquista-arabe-y-el-califato-omeya.html But the mission to rescue the princess is not easy, because releasing the boy will face a series of monstrous creatures that live underground and they can go abroad, while at night, to continue the pursuit of the fugitives to prevent water from reaching the rescuer. They are strange creatures, among which include a "giant snakes, some with two heads, there are also a rare" flying dogs "since they are equipped with wings, there is also a "giant lizards" and a "giant spiders." Fortunately for humans, these infernal beings, inhabitants of the underworld, have a weakness, because they can not leave the underworld because they do not bear the touch of sunlight, especially, the dawn of day San Juan, because if they are hit by its first rays struck down instantly fall and their bodies disintegrate within minutes of them leaving only their bones "petrified", many of whom are still in sight for anyone to view, on the slopes of the hill.
According account the same legend, many years ago, the late nineteenth century, a young man believed Rojales brave enough, strong and smart, and wanted to get rich, famous and powerful, freeing the princess of his charm, went up the night San Juan to the top of "the Cabezo Soler" and ringing bells at midnight, in a certain place on the ground appeared colored ribbons, which only appear at night in San Juan, one hundred years. He pulled them and the ground disappeared beneath his feet falling on "the other world." Rojales
The boy was discovered the next day, on the banks of the River Segura, prostrate on the ground, his clothes torn, and body all bloody and covered in scratches, just remember anything and seemed to have had aged suddenly, as his face was wrinkled and his hair had turned white.
weeks later, and most returned to their adventure and having recovered the memory, the boy reported that the pull of the earth colored ribbons opened beneath his feet, while a huge flash of light illuminated the entire hill The neighbors claimed flash was seen from the village. He then found himself facing a castle, whose doors were opened wide for him, in which he saw a strange procession of Moors and Christians who escorted the beautiful enchanted princess. The princess recognized the young man as he was coming from the outside world to rid it of his sentence and asked loudly that carried her to the river Segura, dipping into it and get your feet and break the spell that had thrown his father and that kept prisoner underground. The young man seized the princess and fled with her long strides, carrying in her arms, down from Cabezo Soler, through the dense forest, while being harassed by giant snakes, dogs and other winged creatures terrifying and disgusting, when they were about to reach the saving waters of the Segura River, appeared the ghost of the emir, armed and angry, the young to deal with the ghost of the emir, was forced to leave the princess on the floor, but then was cut short hex breaking and everything, princess, monsters, and Amir, instantly disappeared, to return into the hill, while the young lost consciousness and fell to the ground.
past, many families in Rojales, after telling the story of the hill Encantá Soler, claimed that the last fellow who tried to disenchant the Encantada, was an ancestor.
time and place of departure: 9:30 am on 04/25/1909 in Roman Mausoleum Abla. 
