The James T. Callow Folklore Archive

THE LEGEND OF KRAKUS

AFTER THE FOUNDING OF POLAND (550 A.D.) BY A LEGENDARY
HERO NAMED LECH, THERE FOLLOWED TWELVE PALANTINES.
THEIR RULING WAS GETTING WORSE AND WORSE. FINALLY, THE
PEOPLE CHOSE A YOUNG PRINCE NAMED KRAKUS. HE WAS KNOWN
TO HAVE KILLED A TERRIBLE DRAGON LIVING IN A CAVE,
UNDER THE HILL OF WOWEL NEAR THE VISTULA RIVER,
AFTER WHICH THE CITY OF KRAKOW, OR CRACAW, WAS BUILT.
SINCE KRAKUS WAS SUCH A JUST AND NOBLE RULER, THE PEOPLE
BUILT UP A MOUND, BY HAND, IN HONOR OF HIM. THIS MOUND
EXISTS TO THIS DAY.
THE LEGEND OF KRAKUS' VICTORY OVER THE FIERY DRAGON GOES
LIKE THIS:
FOR MANY YEARS THE PEOPLE LIVING IN THIS AREA FEARED THE
DRAGON THAT LIVED IN THE CAVE. OFTEN HE WOULD ROAR
WHEN HE WAS HUNGRY, SHAKING THE EARTH AS HE DID. ONCE
A YEAR THE DRAGON WOULD COME OUT INTO THE FIELDS WHERE
THE SHEPHERDS HAD THEIR SHEEP GRAZING. HE WOULD ROAR
WITH FIRE COMING OUT OF HIS MOUTH. TO SATISFY THE ANGRY
DRAGON, THE PEOPLE WOULD OFFER A YOUNG MAIDEN, EVERY YEAR,
{FOR HIM} TO CONSUME. HE WOULD THEN RETURN TO HIS CAVE
FOR ANOTHER YEAR.
KRAKUS, BEING A CLEVER YOUNG MAN, DECIDED TO CONQUER THIS
DRAGON. THE PEOPLE PROMISED HIM THE KINGDOM IF HE COULD.
HE TOOK A LAMB, CUT IT OPEN, AND STUFFED IT WITH
BRIMSTONE. HE LEFT THIS LAMB OUT IN THE FIELD WHEN THE
ANGRY DRAGON CAME OUT. SEEING NO YOUNG MAIDEN AROUND,
THE HUNGRY DRAGON QUICKLY DEVOURED THE LAMB. SUDDENLY,
HE WAS VERY THIRSTY. IN HIS THIRST, HE WENT TO THE
VISTULA RIVER TO DRINK. HE DRANK AND DRANK, UNTIL HE
BURST OPEN. THUS THE TERRIBLE DRAGON WAS DEAD AND
KRAKUS WAS THE HERO.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DEARBORN

Date learned: NOT GIVEN