The legend of D. Thedon

According to legend, were D. Tedon and D. Rosendo, both Christian knights that, in the beginning of the 11th century, fought the Mourama installed in the Douro, and passed through this land that today is called Granja do Tedo, where they had settled for some time. Pleased with the place, D. Tedon seated here residence and constructed a house and a farm. Such was the courage and the deeds of D. Tedo in combat that he conquered the heart of a Moorish Princess, named Ardinga or Ardínia, daughter of D. Alboazan, a Moorish King of Lamego, whom the knights fought against. For love to D. Tedo, the Moorish Princess, accompanied by a company lady, ran away to the S. Pedro das Águias' Hernitage, in the left of the Távora River, where the monk Gelásio welcomed her, educated her and converted her, through baptism, to Christianity, to be able to marry D. Tedon. Alboazan, the Moorish King, by knowing about her daughter's flight, was overcame by anger and followed Ardinga to the sanctuary, where he killed and throw her to the Távora river, even before marrying the brave knight. By receiving such a notice, D. Tedon swore to die single and too never more rest the sword in the fight against the Sarracenos. It is said according to history that King Alboazan, was killed by D. Tedon, and was embed in the neighbouring mount, which later was called Monte Rei (Mount King). The knight, kept fighting courageously until, he was caught traitorously, dying in combat. His body was mutilated and thrown to the waters of the river that today uses his name: Rio Tedo.

The Granja do Tedo Schism

She was called Maria da Trindade or Antónia Custódia das Neves and was daughter of Maria das Neves or Maria Coroada. She was born in Quintela (Sernancelhe), and she went still as a child to Granja do Tedo (1851). She dressed as a boy and adopted the name António das Neves. She kept this name during her life, in school, in pay work jobs in the Douro region and as a trade employee in Oporto some years later. She kept a vehement passion for a girl from Granja do Tedo. It is said that she even lived with her, without ever disrespecting her purity getting the reputation of honest boy. She obviously postponed always the marriage. One day in 1879 in Oporto the police suspected the strange situation of António das Neves because he did not have military documents. Once his true sex has been discovered, he was taken to court, being released because of the good references people gave of him. He assumed himself as a woman again and got married in this same year with the son of an old employer. She died tragically in a fire on the 20 of March 1888. The vocation of Antónia das Neves came probably from her mother Maria Coroada or Antónia das Neves, who passed oneself for a man in her youth going abroad as a seaman. In Africa, she was known as a courageous soldier and a gallant flirter. One day he decided to put an end to this mystification by presenting himself as a woman to the captain returning to Portugal to marry a boy from a well-respected family.

The story of the Woman-Man

She was called Maria da Trindade or Antónia Custódia das Neves and was daughter of Maria das Neves or Maria Coroada. She was born in Quintela (Sernancelhe), and she went still as a child to Granja do Tedo (1851). She dressed as a boy and adopted the name António das Neves. She kept this name during her life, in school, in pay work jobs in the Douro region and as a trade employee in Oporto some years later. She kept a vehement passion for a girl from Granja do Tedo. It is said that she even lived with her, without ever disrespecting her purity getting the reputation of honest boy. She obviously postponed always the marriage. One day in 1879 in Oporto the police suspected the strange situation of António das Neves because he did not have military documents. Once his true sex has been discovered, he was taken to court, being released because of the good references people gave of him. He assumed himself as a woman again and got married in this same year with the son of an old employer. She died tragically in a fire on the 20 of March 1888. The vocation of Antónia das Neves came probably from her mother Maria Coroada or Antónia das Neves, who passed oneself for a man in her youth going abroad as a seaman. In Africa, she was known as a courageous soldier and a gallant flirter. One day he decided to put an end to this mystification by presenting himself as a woman to the captain returning to Portugal to marry a boy from a well-respected family.

Longa Traditions

Like almost all the lands of Tabuaço, the parish of Longa is quite rich in traditions and legends. One of the lost traditions was the baking of bread in an oven used by the whole population. Some years ago, it was possible to see some ovens shared by the community; but they were closed, because people began to construct their own ovens. Those people who baked bread in these ovens had the tradition to give bread to the owner of the oven. In S. João, people used to have popular entertainment and traditional cascades much applied for by the Povo de Cima and the Povo de Baixo. Each of them liked to present the best cascade and the best ball. One day the Povo de Baixo went to Povo de Cima and as they were sleeping, they stole the cascade. There was a brawl between the people of Povo de Baixo and the people of Povo de Cima. Nowadays they do not make cascades any longer, since the feasts of S. João in Tabuaço and Moimenta da Beira attract many of the inhabitants of Longa.