Polish Legends,
Folklore,
Myths and Stories
Poland like every other
nation has its own
traditions,
and an integral part
of these traditions
are countless myths
and legends.
These stories constitute an
important aspect of national
heritage.
The legends initially oral,
then written stories have
been handed down from
generation to generation.
Many of these legends have
been around for a thousand
years or more.
Some legends, myths
and stories recount
the meaning behind
Poland's national
symbol and flag.
They tell about several of its
early rulers and about the
first king, and the dragon of
Krakow.
Many of the legends
take place in actual
places that one could
visit today.
Poland like much of Europe
has many legends and myths
and like legends and
folktales the world over
none really knows
whether these stories
may or may not have
some truth in them.
The Legend of the Wawel
Dragon
This legend is one of
the most popular
polish legends.
There are many
versions of the legend.
A popular version of the
Wawel-dragon tale takes
place in Cracow
during the reign of
King Krak, the city's
legendary founder.
Acting place:
a settlement on the
River Vistula, under
the Wawel Hill where
the polish monarchs
had his residence
Acting time:
early Middle Ages, the
beginning of the
Polish statehood
Characters:
King Krak- the legendary
founder of Cracow, his
daughter Wanda, a poor
shoemaker called Skuba,
knights, the inhabitants
of the settlement
The main plot:
Once upon a time a cruel beast- a
dragon settled in a deep, dark
cave under the Wawel Hill.
It became a serious
disaster for the poor
village people,
who sacrificed their
living belongings to save
their lives.
But it became more and
more dangerous as the
dragon started to kill and
to wolf pure people down.
The inhabitants of the
settlement were very
scared and they asked
their monarch
to solve the problem,
which wasn’t easy
because it involved
many human beings.
The king himself and his
best knights tried
several times to
exterminate the monster,
but there was no result.
One day a poor shoemaker
called Skuba appeared at
the royal court.
He promised the
king to kill the
dragon using not
force but a trick.
He stuffed a lamb
with sulphur and
set it outside the
dragon's cave.
The dragon ate it
and soon became
incredibly thirsty.
He turned to the Vistula
River for
relief and drank and
drank.
But no amount of water
could quench his aching
stomach,
and after swelling up
from drinking half the
Vistula river, he
exploded.
Skuba married the
King's daughter as
promised, and they
lived happily ever
after.
Dragon in sculpture and
culture
You can still visit some
places connected with
the legend.
Wawel-dragon
sculpture in Cracow
by Bronisław Chromy
Dragon’s den in Cracow
Wawel Dragons (Gold,
Silver, Bronze Grand
Prix Dragons and
Dragon of Dragons
Special Prize)
are awards, usually
presented at Cracow
Film Festival in
Poland
Use your imagination
to recreate the story
using your cultural
background.
The presentation has been prepared by
Ryszard Sołtysik
Zespół Szkół w Humniskach