There are several versions of the legend of the Moor heads. One version tells the story of a beautiful girl who loved taking care of her flowers on the balcony. A dashing Moorish man, passing by fell in love with her and she with him. However, he had had not told her he had a wife and children in North Africa.  When the girl discovered the truth, she waited for the man to fall asleep and decapitated him, so he could never leave. She put the head on her terrace, turning it into a vase and planted a seed of basil in it. The plant grew strong because it was watered with her tears. The neighbours loved the scent and created their own terracotta vases resembling a man’s head. From then on Moor heads spread all around Sicily, as a symbol of eternal love.