Museum hops

Hops have been planted at the Old Shaft. It is not yet known how and by whom it has been planted; we are, however, endeavouring to obtain that information as soon as possible. Hops thrive in this location; it may be stated that they primarily benefit from the space beneath the roof of the nearby building, as this protects them from the elements. They are pruned annually, leaving four shoots, thereby enabling it to regrow well the following year.

The Story of Bergmandeljc’s Hops

There was once a very poor harvest of hops. To avoid a shortage of beer that would especially affect the miners, Saint Barbara instructed a miner from the Savinja Valley to take two hop seedlings to the old shaft at the Velenje Coal Mine. ‘Plant one by the shaft; take the other into the mine and tend it there.’

And indeed the miner did so.

A robust sapling grew beside the first shaft; without any pesticide treatments it withstood the passage of time and became a symbol of perseverance, which miners also cultivate. The miner took the other to an underground office, where he tended to it for only a few days; thereafter, it disappeared. He stated: »This thing does not thrive in a pit.«

The truth, however, is that the cave gnome, the Bergmandeljc of Škale, had stolen it from him. He took her to his pit dwelling and provided it with attentive care. He brewed his own beer annually and, consequently, enjoyed considerable popularity among the other cave gnomes. Just as, at times, a miner had the good fortune to see a cave gnome, so some had the good fortune to see the cave hops and how beautifully they were encrusted with coal; yet they did not wish to speak of it.

When the same miner was undertaking his final shift prior to retirement, the Bergmandeljc of Škale appeared to him. He told him the story of beer and thanked him for the hop plant, because of which he is very popular within his species. In return, he provided him with the recipe for brewing miners’ beer. His retirement was very lively; miners would visit him for a beer and endeavour to guess the recipe.

Some, however, recounted that certain extraordinary individuals came to him by night, and that the Bergmandeljc gnomes would also join them. They drink this special beer and agree on when and to whom it will be served on special occasions.

Story by Stojan Špegel.

Illustrations by Kaja Avberšek