Princess Wanda was the legendary daughter of King Krak, legendary founder of Kraków. Upon her father's death, she became queen of the Poles, but committed suicide to avoid an unwanted marriage.
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The legend
According to the most popular variant, Wanda, a Polish princess, upon her father's death became queen of the Poles. She refused to marry a German prince, who took offence and invaded Poland, but was repelled. Wanda however committed suicide, drowning in the Vistula river, to ensure he would not invade her country again. Another version says the German prince did conquer Polish lands, and wanted to marry Wanda to cement his conquests. According to some other variants, Wands's suicide was a sacrifice to pagan gods.
Historiography
The story of princess Wanda was first described by medieval (12th and 13th centuries) Polish bishop and historian, Wincenty Kadłubek, and it is assumed by most historians that it was invented by him, possibly based on Slavic myths and legends[1][2], although some historians see the legend rooted in Scandinavian or Ancient Roman (or Greek) traditions.[3] Interestingly, Kadłubek version has the German prince, not the princess Wanda, commit suicide: according to Kadłubek, the princess lived a long and happy life, forever remaining a virgin.[1] It was only in the 13–14th century Wielkopolska Chronicle that the variant with Wanda committing suicide was popularized by the 15th century historian, Jan Długosz.[4]
Cultural influences
Tradition has it that she is buried in a large Wanda Mound (Polish: Kopiec Wandy). A custom observed up to the 19th century was that at Pentecost bonfires were lit on this mound, located on the outskirts of Kraków in Nowa Huta, the industrial district established in 1949. Nowa Huta construction begun on the nameday of Wanda (23 June), and she is a semi-official patron of that district, which has a trade center, street, bridge and stadium bearing her name. In Polish literature, the story of Wanda has served as inspiration of several works, often stressing the motives of Polish independence and victorious conflict with Germany. The Polish poet C.K. Norwid visited the Mound in 1840. He subsequently composed the narrative poem Wanda in honor of the ancient princess. The Croatian dramatist Matija Ban made Wanda the symbol of Poland in his 1868 play, Wanda, the Polish Queen. Antonín Dvorák composed the fifth of his 11 operas, the tragedy Wanda, around this episode in Polish history legends. Writing in 1875, he cast the story as a struggle between the pagan Slavs and the Christian Germans.[5] In 1890, a statue designed by the Polish artist Jan Matejko depicting an eagle turning to the west was mounted on top of the mound. On the base of the statue the inscription WANDA was carved, together with two swords and a distaff. Scholars Albina Kruszewska and Marion Coleman described Queen Wanda as having "the pure white chastity of Elaine, the filial devotion of Cordelia, and the iron will of Boadicea."[6]
References
- ^ a b K. Kumaniecki, Podanie o Wandzie w świetle źródeł starożytnych, Pamiętnik Literacki 22–23 (1925–26).
- ^ K. Römer, Podanie o Kraku i Wandzie, Biblioteka Warszawska 1876.
- ^ G. Labuda, Studia nad początkami państwa polskiego, t. II, Poznań 1988.
- ^ J. Banaszkiewicz, Rüdgier von Bechelaren, którego nie chciała Wanda. Przyczynek do kontaktu niemieckiej Heldenepik z polskimi dziejami bajecznymi, Przegląd Historyczny, 75, 1984.
- ^ Wanda, Alkor.
- ^ Albina I. Kruszewska, Marion M. Coleman, American Slavic and East European Review, 1947 The Wanda Theme in Polish Literature and Life. Retrieved on 2007-10-12.
Further reading
- Anstruther & Sekalski, Old Polish Legends, Hippocrene Books; 2nd edition, May, 1997.
- Krakow District Guide, OAG Cities Guides, 2007
