Krakow’s legends
November 11, 2009
By Sid Kaplan
Travel Writer
Troy Media
Sid Kaplan
KRAKOW, Poland, Nov. 11, 2009/ Troy Media/ — Krakow is one of the oldest cities in Poland and, as in all old cities, Krakow legends abound.
There is the legend that Krakow was built on the cave of a dragon, Smok Wawelski or the Dragon of Wawel Hill. While there are many versions to the tale, they all boil down to the dragon supposedly being slain by a boy who became King Krak, the city’s legendary founder.
None of the old King’s Knights could kill the dragon, but the boy, a cobbler’s apprentice named Krak, stuffed a lamb with sulphur and hot spices. The dragon ate it, became thirsty, and drank so much water from the Vistula River that he exploded.
A metal sculpture of a dragon sits outside The Dragon’s Den, a cave at the foot of Wawel Hill. The dragon actually breaths fire when someone texts him on their mobile phone . . . much to the delight of tourists. The cave was a tavern in medieval times, but now it’s just a cave. You can tour it if you want, but you’ll have to use your imagination for dragons on the inside.
On the top of Wawel Hill sit the Castle and Cathedral of the same name. The hill towers over a bend in the Vistula River on one side (convenient for thirsty dragons), and the city on the other. The Wawel Cathedral also features a statue of the dragon, and you’ll see little green dragons at all of the souvenir stands.
You’ll spend a lot of time in the main market square, the biggest square in medieval Europe, and where everyone hangs out today. The square is filled with flower stalls and outdoor cafes. It’s surrounded by beautiful buildings that house antique stores, boutiques and restaurants. St. Mary’s Church overlooks the main square, which is where you’ll find another of the Krakow legends.
There are two towers on St Mary’s Church. The lower one is actually the church tower while the taller one is the city watchtower. You’ll hear a bugle played on the hour from the watchtower and the story goes that, during a Tartar invasion, a watchman in the tower saw the enemy approaching and sounded the alarm. Before he could finish the tune, an arrow pierced his throat. It was decreed that a bugle call, the “hejnal,” should be played each day in memory of the old watchman hero.
The bugle call you hear today is played by real buglers, and the tune they play is unfinished. (These buglers are firemen, and they are proud of their role. They serve as fire lookouts, but also serve as musicians.) The hejnal of Krakow is a Krakow legend that has continued almost without interruption for 700 years.
Other Krakow legends concern a sorcerer named Lajkonik, a Polish Robin Hood named Janosik, and one about enchanted knights turned to pigeons. Those are too long for the telling here, but when you’re in Krakow, wander by and see the fire breathing Smok statue, maybe play tourist and explore the Dragon’s Den cave under Wawel Hill. Stop in one of Krakow’s sidewalk cafes, listen for the hejnal, and enjoy those Krakow legends.
