Thank you, but I should probably inform you that I'm currently unable to read Polish. I've already tried a variety of search engines, and the results have been limited to say the least. Quite the disappointment actually, I somehow expected to find much more reading material.
I've read the previous thread, and surely another attempt at reviving this particular subject couldn't do much harm? Suffice to say I'm none the wiser.
A collection of Polish Folklore en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polish_folk_beliefs - check the bottom for some English titles that may be available at your local library
Then there is the story of a mysterious black limo en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Volga
Also, check out the story about a Duck living beneath a castle, with fabulous riches. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Z%C5%82ota_kaczka
Well, I still live in Holland, and I'm pretty sure my library has very little to offer when it comes to books or novels by Polish authors. It's much easier when you know what to look for isn't it?
Hi all. I could just Google or Wiki this subject but I'm more interested in personable feedback. I know every country has its own tales and myths/legends but when people tell me about them, it holds more interest.
The only thing I know of, first hand from my in-law family is Baba Jaga. I know it may all sound very odd but I have my reasons for asking and it may help me understand some strange things about my travels in the future (i.e., some local superstition I've encountered).
Can any of you tell me what you were scared of as youngsters. Or now?!?! Or what stories held weight for you once upon a time?
Twardowski had deals with devils. He was actually a semi-historical figure.
Poland doesn't have many ghost stories, but it has many devil stories. Those devils were most likely remnants of pagan faith. They weren't really Christian devils, but some local supernatural beings, often quite malicious, but rather harmless if left alone. The most well known ones are Boruta and Rokita.
Popiel was a mythical figure of a cruel ruler living in times of the Piast dynasty.
If your Polish is good, check out "Stara Baśń" by Ignacy Krasicki. If your polish is less good, check out the movie.
Kwiat Paproci - "Fireflower" - very similar to the Firebird tale from Russia.
Here's a riddle that will stump 99% of Polish population, then make them feel stupid!!! "What's the name of the Slavic goddess of destiny ? 4 letters, starts with 'd', ends with 'a'." The answer is.... Dola.
On the north, people tell the tale of a sea queen Jurata who had an amber palace on the bottom of the Baltic sea. One of towns on Hel Peninsula is called Jurata.
Slavic people feared winds, and many harmful demons were associated with them. In polish, two of them were Latawica and her male counterpart Latawiec. Today, latawica means a slut, and latawiec means a kite. There's a funny belief in Ukraine - have you seen fallen leaves spinning in circles on the ground in Autumn ? Ukrainians believe it's the DEVIL! But he's invisible. To kill him, you need to throw a knife dipped in holy water.
Not a tale per se, but "strzyga" was the ancestor of vampires. It was a corpse-like creature that drank blood of its victims, and it was very fast - but it didn't turn people into vampires or anything. Werewolves are also of slavic origin.
In Polish piorun is a thunder and a lightning combined.
Well thunder is produced by lightning IIRC so that makes some sense, błyskawica is more specialized for lightning and grzmot for thunder....
Generally thunder is not that common in most of Poland, though today has certainly been an exception to that with alternating periods of strong winds and rain and thunder and lightning and relative calm... very weird, even by changeable Polish weather standards....
I love polish fairy tales, my mother used to tell me of this one tale called "Jesper Who Herded the Hares", I remember little me asking mother all the time to read this one to me. About a guy who trades with ugly fat people and then get big reward at the end. Read this one!!
Strange. The only Jasper I remember from a fairy tale is the leprechaun with a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. I used to read this tale to my kids in English.
get big reward at the end.
Yes, instead of gold they were looking for they got integrity, friendship, exercise in the open air etc etc.
Now you introduced an amasing mystery with this Jesper/Jasper. :):):)
