The Legend of the Wawel Dragon

Erasmus+ Cultural Heritage: An inclusive path for participation and exchange in Europe

THE LEGEND OF THE WAWEL DRAGON
written and illustrated by
students of
I Liceum Ogólnokształcące im. prof. Zbigniewa Religi
in Zabrze, Poland
and
Virtsu Kool
in Virstu, Estonia

Erasmus+ Cultural Heritage: An inclusive path for participation and exchange in Europe

Loading...

Once upon a time there was a beautiful town in the south of Poland. Its name was Kraków and it was ruled by a handsome king Krak. People living there led a peaceful and happy life as the King was wise and just. The town attracted many traders and merchants from all around the world who came to Kraków to sell silk, exotic spices, amber, armour, sabres, marvellous jewellery and to buy salt from world famous Wieliczka mine, bear pelts, linen oil and bitter beer. The town grew bigger and bigger and the Cracovians were becoming richer and richer. The guilds could afford to build more beautiful houses, higher churches and more spacious inns serving more and more cheffy dishes. Everybody was happy and content with their lives.

Loading...

Erasmus+ Cultural Heritage: An inclusive path for participation and exchange in Europe

Loading...

Erasmus+ Cultural Heritage: An inclusive path for participation and exchange in Europe

Until one sunny Sunday..... At noon the sky became dark suddenly. Intrigued people left their homes in the middle of their dinner to see what was happening. And then they saw it: a huge dragon was flying above their town and it was obliterating the sky. It was enormous. It was blue, black and white and its hide was glittering when the sun rays touched it. It had an extremely long tail which had a Dannebrog at the end. From time to time it breathed fire but fortunately so far nothing had been damaged. The dragon made a few circles in the air above a large rectangular market square with the tallest church in the whole Europe – the Oleviste Church and then it disappeared as unexpectedly as it showed up above the town. The crowd gathered in the streets sighed with relief. Neighbours stood outside for a couple of more minutes to talk about what they had just seen wondering if it hadn’t been just a bad dream. And then everybody went back home to finish their dinner which had already gone cold. Townspeople’s life came back to normal.

Erasmus+ Cultural Heritage: An inclusive path for participation and exchange in Europe

Or at least the people thought it did... till the next morning.... At dawn the terrifying blue black and white creature appeared again over the market square. But this time it demanded food, lots of food. And it wasn’t to be just ordinary pork or beef or poultry – the dragon wanted to eat virgins as they had very delicate and juicy flesh. And with cinnamon and nutmeg it tasted delicious. The dragon threatened to burn the whole town if it didn’t get at least one virgin a day. To make the threat more plausible the dragon breathed fire towards the newly-built townhall with its weathervane in the shape of one of the most respected citizens – Tom.

Erasmus+ Cultural Heritage: An inclusive path for participation and exchange in Europe

The fire was so powerful that the building caught fire immediately and petrified people promised to do whatever the dragon wished for and ran to the well situated in one of the corners of the market to put out the fire. The dragon soon vanished and the people were trying to save the building but they didn’t succeed in doing so. The townhall burned to the ground but at least they saved other buildings.

Erasmus+ Cultural Heritage: An inclusive path for participation and exchange in Europe