Wars and Sawa

Wars (also known as War and Warsz) and Sawa are legendary characters from the origin myth of the founding and etymology of the city of Warsaw, capital of Poland. There are several versions of the legend with their appearance.

In legend
According to one version of the legend, the duke or king called Kazimierz (Casimir), sometimes also identified as duke Siemowit I of Masovia, got lost in the forest, where Warsaw Old Town is currently located, while hunting. He came across a small adobe hut, inhabited by a woman who had recently given birth to twins. The woman hosted him very generously. He named her two children Wars and Sawa and gave the woman money to build a bigger house. Later, other people moved near the house, forming a settlement, which was named after the twins, Warsawa, which later evolved to Warszawa, the name of the city of Warsaw in the Polish language. According to a different version of the legend, Wars and Sawa were a married couple who lived in that house, and who hosted the duke.

According to another version of the legend, Sawa was a mermaid living in the Vistula river with whom a fisherman named Wars fell in love.

In yet another version of the legend, Wars and Sawa were brothers, who were fishermen living near modern Warsaw Old Town.