This legend talks about a devout widow whose son was captured by the enemy. She prays to St Demetrius to bring him back. The Saint on his horse leaps out from the icon and comes alive. He rides out into the sea and returns with the lost son. The legend continues to say that to this day a light can be still shining on the bottom of the sea in Gozo.

Actually, there are three related legends in Gozitan folklore about this chapel. An old legend, mentioned by the historian Agius de Soldanis and forming the subject of poems by Mary Meilak and Ġużé Delia, relates the liberation from slavery of a young man who lived nearby. An old woman called Natalizja Cauchi and nicknamed Żgugina had only one son named Mathew. One night Barbary corsairs swooped on the island, broke into Żguġina’s house, knocked her down and made away with her son. The unfortunate woman ran weeping to St. Demetrius’ chapel and poured out her heart in passionate prayer. “San Dimitri, bring me back my son, and I’ll light your lamp with a measure of oil.”

St. Demetrius heard her supplication. She saw him moving in the painting, whence he rode out and set off in pursuit of the Turkish galley. Soon he was back holding the boy in his arms. Then he reentered the picture frame, but the horse’s hoof mark remained imprinted in the rock.

According to another legend, an earthquake toppled into the sea the rock on which the old chapel was built, but the chapel itself did not break up, and sailors and fishermen often said they saw Żguġina’s lamp still burning under water!