Ichnusa
Millennia ago, in the dawn of life on our planet, there was a continent called Tirrenide.
It was a very big continent, covered by a green and luxuriant nature, inhabited by strong
men and fascinating animals. One day, all of a sudden, at night, without any reasons, God’s
anger rose against Tirrenide. The ground started to shake with terrible jolts; the sea got
terribly rough. The waves were really high and unfortunately they fell down on Tirrenide
ruinously, shaking its coasts, invading its fertile valleys, and covering its highest peaks.
It seemed the end of the world!
Tirrenide was going to sink completely when God suddenly calmed down. “Oh sad Earth!My anger
has caused a terrible extermination!”, God, repented, exclaimed. Since a small part still emerged,
God put his foot on it and could block it before sea swallowed it completely. The big Tirrenide
became a solitary print in the middle of the blue level of water and, for this reason, it was
initially called Ichnusa, that means “footprint”. Later it was called Sardinia: this name derives
from Sardus, a Berber hero coming from Africa.
Despite its small dimensions, Ichnusa still had all the characteristics of the old continent: in
fact, the castaways escaped from Tirrenide had the impression to see again their continent when
they saved themselves in the shores of Ichnusa.
The memory of the terrifying disaster had make them and their descendants become very melancholic.
Nowadays that melancholy is still present in the lullabies, in the dances, in the customs, in the
traditions and in the legends of Sardinians. A soul that may appear coarse and touchy, but that is,
in reality, gentle and passionate with people who can approach and understand it.