Feb 02 2009
Krakow, Poland: Legends and Stories
Like any town with a long history that dates back to the Middle Ages, Krakow has some interesting stories and legends. Two of the most popular ones are Krakow’s Dragon and the Trumpeter of St. Mary’s.
Krakow’s Dragon
King Krak or Krakus (from which the city’s name comes) built a castle on Wawel hill. A dragon, however, lived in the cave underneath the castle and traumatized the town by eating cattle, sheep, and…human beings, especially young pretty women.
A sheep’s hide was filled with sulphur, set on fire, and thrown into the cave. The dragon devoured the sheep and began to fill the sulphur burning from its insides. The dragon raced to the river, gulped water, and burst, showering the town with fireworks.
As with any legend, the story varies depending on the source; some say that the Prince did not do this himself…it was a local shoemaker who devised the idea to save the town and won the King’s daughter’s hand in marriage for his efforts.
The Trumpeter of St. Mary’s Church
St. Mary’s Church, built in the 1220’s, dominates the Market Square in the Old Town. From the highest tower atop the church, a trumpet call was used as a warning call during medieval times.
The call is still made daily every hour, but breaks off abruptly in the middle of the song. During the Tatar invasions, the watchman on duty began to sound the alarm, but an arrow pierced his throat in the middle of his song and it was a few moments before a second trumpeter could finish the song—which is why the song is still played with a short break every day.
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Krakow, Poland
Krakow, Poland: Old Town and Jewish Quarter
Photo Castle Wawel by AniMike, www.sxc.hu
These are the kinds of tidbits that I LOVE reading. I may never get to travle the way I dream of doing, but posts like this make me feel closer to the places I’d love to visit. I’m tagging you on my blog!
Great dragon story. I love to travel, if only I were independently wealthy and could go any place I wanted.
Karen
http://gardendiva.today.com/
Haha, I agree with both of you! I always have at least one collection of travel short stories on hand and try to read at least one story a day, so I always keep that sense of adventure even though I’m sitting in my own apartment! (Right now I’m working my way through “Chicken Soup for the Traveler’s Soul”.)