There is a couple of different versions of how Boulos Rizk came to Derdghaya....this is the story my father told me recently and in turn was told to him many years ago by Said Hanna Elia.
Boulos was the youngest of 5 brothers and had one sister. They lived in Forzol a village on the mountain slopes above Zahle in the fertile Bekaa valley.
Sometime in the late 18th century Boulos’ sister was to marry. Lebanon of that time was ruled by the Ottomans and the local Wali (Governor) had passed a law saying he would be able to sleep with every bride on her wedding night. Boulos and his brothers objected to this and killed the Wali when he came to claim his prize.
The family then fled. Boulos ended up in Maghdouche with his mother the rest of the family ended up in various parts of the South. In Maghdouche, Boulos worked the fields for people. The town at that time was predominantly Druze villagers. Here he had a problem with a Druze Sheikh who always accused him of pilfering his fig tree’s even though Boulos protested his innocence the Sheikh never believed him.
Upset by the constant accusations by the Sheikh, Boulos decided to move on from Maghdouche. Boulos loaded up all his belongings on his donkey, sending his Mum ahead telling her he had one more thing to do and would catch up with her before long. Boulos then back tracked to the Sheikh’s orchard and started picking figs, figuring if he was going to accused of stealing the figs he might as well take a share for himself.
While picking the figs the Sheikh caught Boulos and attacked him with a stick. Boulos over powered beat him and threw him in a ditch partially covering him with rocks.Boulos told him that if it was lucky day he would get himself out of the ditch or someone would find him otherwise he would die in the ditch.
Sometime later Boulos caught up with his mother in the coastal village of Sarafand. They continued on to Safad al Batikh. In Safad Al Batikh, Boulos and his mother decided to settle for a while. Boulos took on some construction work. One day while digging a house foundation Boulos and his fellow workers uncovered an old clay pot, the rest of the workers threw it to Boulos and told him to give it to his mother to use. Boulos took great offense to this and threw it back at the workers smashing on the ground. When it smashed on the ground gold coins came raining out of it.....Boulos ran over to gather up the coins but his fellow workers wouldn’t allow him to touch them saying it was his bad luck.
Shortly after this incident Boulos decided he was having no luck in Safad al Batikh so moved to Tibneen. In Tibneen, Boulos built a house and got married. He married his cousin from Taibe. Boulos’ house is still standing to this day. After an unspecified time Boulos moved to Derdghaya and hence the village was started.
Boulos and his wife had many children legend has it he had one boy and several girls. To grow the village every time one of his daughters married Boulos wouldn’t allow it unless the newlyweds settled in Derdghaya. Boulos would give his daughter and her husband a plot of land to build on. Legend also had it that the husband had to be a Batal (Brave fighter) or they wouldn’t be allowed to marry.
From this humble beginning the village of Derdghaya grew….
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