The Legend of the Heathen Triglav

The Legend of the Heathen T r i g l a v

written by  Zdzisław  Skibicki

translated by  Adam  Piotrowski

Did you realize, as the legend would hold,

Triglav is already some centuries old?

Hundreds of years ago, a town with a moat,

Guarded by Triglav, when it was dark and when not.

People had deep faith in the god with three heads,

Three-fac^ed idol – much mightier than spearheads.

Boleslaw the Wrymouth called out all and one

Duke declar^ed the end to heathens' wanton

O! Pomeranians, now Christians you'll be!

Panic struck them, no other way they could see...

Monsignor Otto von Bamberg broke a sweaty drop

On the faith of the forebears his sword he would drop

Walked with fortitude across the Pomeranian land

Baptized the folk, set up churches, prophesies penned

Ordered to fell the metusalem oaks

And to build a new faith among the sea folks

Priests carried, at night, the belov^ed oak tree

Away on their backs where the eye does not see

Tongue-tied in the fear of the new Christ believers

Hid deep in the ground and left it with shivers

Planted a sapling, a young oak on top

To know in the future on knees where to drop.

The new faith was thick'ning down to the core

As great swaths of time so quickly did fleet

The folks have forgotten the treasures of yore

That their fathers had once put under their feet.

A summer came 'long, storms raging, skies unkind,

The oak fell, unearthing a perplexing find,

To the astounded people who gathered around

Triglav, in full glory, now stands on the ground.

October, 1982

What exactly is Triglav up to today? The copy so much resembling the original?

Now, like centuries ago, it also stands proud, surveying the land around, by day and by night. Apparently, he seems to have come to terms with the new role to be played in the civilized days.

He points his right arm, the word „Trzygłów” carved into it (that somebody will sometimes white up with chalk) towards a picturesque village with two lakes, a palace compound and a school, which on May 16th 1997 celebrated its semi-centennial anniversary of its existence.