In the old days Corfu was raided by pirates so the inhabitants to protect themselves built their villages on hills and mountains. A lord who ruled a large part of northern Corfu had as well built castles to protect his property. One of those was Palaiokastro, built in a fortified position, it supervised a large part of northern Corfu and mainly the northwest coast. The daughter of the lord Agyro often visited the castle on her mule to hunt in the area and bathe in the waters of the nearby spring, known today as Yatrikia Vrysi, to refer to a healing spring.
One day, after the hunting and her bathing and time to take her way back, she was drawn to a column of smoke rising to the sky. She stood by pulling the reins of her mule and with horror found that the smoke and the flames coming from the other castle of the family, the mansion where the whole family lived.
In depths of despair she realized that her whole family, the beloved ones and all their fortune were in the hands of the pirates. Her mind had fogged up. Suddenly, a dark thought crossed her mind [went through her head].
She untied her embroidered belt, with it, she tied the eyes of her beloved mule, and then with the handkerchief that adorned her hair, she tied her own eyes. The big decision was made. Woman and animal began a mad march, tragically ending up on the cliff.
Together in life, together in death.
Since then, this cliff has been named “mule’s jump”.
History has been passed down from generation to generation until nowadays through grandmother’s narratives, reminding us that sometimes death is preferable to captivity and dishonor.