Talk:Wawel Dragon

Cobbler's name
Szewc z legendy nazywał się Skuba!


 * Just as a bit of help to those who do not speak Polish (mine is only very elementary), this means, "The cobbler in the legend was named Skuba." 140.147.236.194 (talk) 15:33, 14 August 2008 (UTC)Stephen Kosciesza

Wawel mountains
Wawel mountains? I live in Kraków but I haven't heard about them...


 * The castle is on a hill on the right bank of the Wisła (Vistula) river, and the dragon's cave is in that hill. The castle is commonly referred to as Wawel Castle; I suspect that's even true in Polish.  But strictly speaking, Wawel is the name of the hill.  The castle itself is referred to as Zamek Królewski na Wawelu, meaning Castle Royal on Wawel.  140.147.236.194 (talk) 16:25, 14 August 2008 (UTC)Stephen Kosciesza

Another "explanation"
When visiting the dragon's cave, I was told – tongue in cheek – that the *real* reason the dragon died was that, subsisting on a diet of virgins, it starved to death on the Krakówian population. ;)

Dratewka or Krak?
I heard that Dratewka was introduced into the legend by the Communists, who weren't pleased with the former version of the legend, where Krak was the dragonslayer. Simple shoemaker was more appropriate ideologically than the feudal lord ;]


 * No no. In the first version of the legend, written by Kadłubek, the dragon was slayed by king Krak. In the later medieval ages the legend was modified in the.. citizen..in Cracow.. w mieszczańskim środowisku krakowskim.. But it were still medieval ages. The name of the citizen hero was Skuba. Sorry for my english.


 * No apology necessary. :-)  You English is far, far better than my Polish.  And yes, I have tried to learn it.  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 140.147.236.194 (talk) 13:39, 15 August 2008 (UTC)

Comments to description of Smok Wawelski (the Wawel Dragon) legend.
According to chronicle of Wincenty Kadłubek (1160-1223), in which the Smok Wawelski legend was published for the first time, this Dragon ate cattle only, and not girls as mentioned in the above Smok Wawelski description. According to chronicles written by Jan Długosz (XV century) and by Klemens Janicki (XVI century) the dragon's menu contained also pigs and sheep. The person of dragon's killer, cobbler's apprentice named Skub or Skuba, was introduced for the first time by chronicler Joachim Bielski in XVI century. The name of Dratewka is relatively new.

Smok wawelski – sources of the legend
The first approach to the legend clarification was made by Polish bishop and historian Adam Naruszewicz (1733-1796). He identified the legendary Pricne Krak with prince Samon, the ruler of Slavs principality (VII century) in middle Europe, who fought with the tribe of Avars (warlike people of Turkish origin). Naruszewicz stated that Wincenty Kadłubek might identify the Wawel Dragon with Avars - „devouring the Slav's principalities”. Described in Adam Naruszewicz historical book -„Historya Narodu Polskiego, tom I.     Rudolf Jamka (1906-1972) professor of Jagiellonian University in Krakow assumed also that the tribe of Avars was known as the Wawel Dragon -Smok Wawelski.. They occupied the Wawel Hill around the years of 570-580. Avars were most probably poisoned during the general insurrection of Moravian Slavs against Avars. There is also very probable assumption that Smok Wawelski were just the Vikings. In the middle of VIII- th century, they sailed up from Baltic Sea to Kraków along Vistula river, by their boat having head of dragon on the stem, therefore boat was identified with dragon. The reasons of this expedition were to capture slaves, to grab the booties and most probably to find the new water trade route to Byzantine Empire and Middle East. The Krakowian knights burned out the dragon's boat and leaded by prince Krak conquered the Vikings and forced them to escape. The above information was collected by Andrzej Zagórowski. 17th September 2007. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 83.24.74.24 (talk) 21:45, 18 September 2007 (UTC)

Marrying the daughter
he did not marry with her! because there is another legend about this princess about someone attempting to marry her, so she could not be married before ! I am from Poland ... —Preceding unsigned comment added by 79.186.104.224 (talk) 10:00, 23 March 2008 (UTC)


 * That would be Princess Wanda who, according to legend, threw herself into the Wisła and drowned, rather than marrying an invading German prince and thus subjecting her people to his rule. I thought about that, too.  But I suppose it could be another daughter.  140.147.236.194 (talk) 16:13, 14 August 2008 (UTC)Stephen Kosciesza

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