Krakow, Poland

 Krak (Krakus or Gracchus) - legendary ruler of the Poles, founder of Krakow. According to Kadłubek, whose testimony is the oldest, he was to be one of the princes or governors of the Poles fighting against the Gauls in Pannonia or Carinthia (the chronicler does not state this directly), after which he was elected king and gave origin to the organized Polish state.

After returning to Poland, he became king and had two sons (Krak II, Lech II) and one daughter. His sons were to kill the terrifying Wawel Dragon, and one of them killed his brother in envy. 

Another legend says that Krak himself was a dragon slayer. The daughter became the heroine of the legend "About Wanda, who did not want a German."

The funeral of Krak is said to have been connected with the founding of Krakow. The application of Krakow is somewhat similar to the application of the Czech Step, and the theme of the battle with the dragon was probably taken from the legend of Saint George or the myth about the struggle between Perun and Żmija, the legend contains traces of the seventh and eighteenth events. 

After Krak's death, he was given a mound where, according to legends, he was buried. During the erection, the inhabitants of Kraków wore the earth in their sleeves, hence the Rękawka festival and the mound was called the Krak or Krakus Mound. Krak was called the Dragonblock.

Krak in contemporary literature

Prince Krak is one of the heroes of the trilogy by Stanisław Pagaczewski on the adventures of Baltazar Gąbka: Kidnapping of Baltazar Gąbka, Mission of Professor Gąbka, Sponge and flying saucers.

The story of Krak inspired Stanisław Szukalski to write in 1937 the drama Krak, the son of Ludola.

The lecture about Krakow begins with Kadłubek after the war with the Romans, where it is mentioned that the Prapolates chose Krak to be prince. Next, Kadłubek briefly describes the history of another great tribe, which was the only one that could compete with the Poles - the Gauls. They were supposed to enter Pannonia at some time. The obvious fact of the fights between the Prapolaks and the Galls flows from Master Wincenty (Panonia was considered in the Middle Ages as the cradle of the Slavs). This state of affairs was supposed to trigger among the former centrifugal tendencies - the drive to power various units. That is why Krak, who for some unknown reasons was not there at the time (Kadłubek writes that he came back from Carinthia, it is possible that he was there on a military expedition), he returned and decided to gather everyone at the rally. At this meeting, he won the trust of the public (Kadłubek puts in his mouth the words: "the same world without the sun - what a state without a king"), which proclaimed him king.

Wincenty Kadłubek made the name Krak Latin in the form of "Gracchus" and under this name, the character appears in his chronicle. Undoubtedly, this has its roots in the desire to compare Krak to another famous legislator and guardian of the citizens of Tiberius Gracchus. Not without significance is the fact that the initial information about Krakow appears in the chronicle of Kadłubek, when he describes the struggles of the Poles with the Romans. Namely, when the fighting ceased, the Prapolates were to occupy certain cities, in which they then established the governors. At the same time, they also chose the prince who was just Krak. What, however, results from the further course of the story, did not equal the superior position of the tribe - he was probably one of the governors. Hence, Krak became the governor most likely in some Roman city. 

Another thing pointing to the connection with Rome and Tiberius Grakchem is in the description of Krak's first deeds when he was proclaimed king. The law that the new king created, Kadłubek dressed in clothes taken from the Romans ("Thus arose the relationship of our civil rights and its birth"). The principles of the new law were based on the abolition of slavery and injustice (what Tiberius Grakch fought for). In this way, the chronicler wanted to give Krakowi stronger historical grounds.

When the legislative activity was completed, Kadłubek uses the term "Poland" for the first time, which Krak was supposed to bring to "great prosperity". The flourishing, however, did not last long, as the newly created state encountered a new problem on its way in the form of a monster called the "all-nourished". As the master Wincenty wrote, he was to terrorize the subjects of Krakow with the demand for a cattle victim whose deliveries were required every week. If the sacrifice had not been made, he would eat as many people as the cattle would be delivered to him. In this situation, Krak sent on the monster of his sons who, after failures in an open fight, resorted to deception. They gave "all-eaters" as the usual sacrifice of cow's skin stuffed with sulfur, which they strangled the monster with. This story is related to the fratricidal thread, which eventually led to a temporary interregnum in the state of Krak. Namely, when his sons killed the monster, the younger of lust for power was about to throw on the elder and kill him, and he lied to his father that it was the monster's fault. 

After Krak's death, his son briefly took over. However, the dark secret of Krak II was soon discovered and condemned to banishment. In spite of everything, the love of the people to Krak and his family was to be so great that power was soon granted to his daughter Wanda. On the occasion of Kadłubek, he notes that the decision-making centre in this matter was the meeting of the "Senate, the Mighty and the whole people."

In recognition of Kraka senior after his death, the construction of the city on the rock in which the "All-Eater" lived. According to Kadłubek, the city was called Gracchovia (Krakow) and the funeral rituals of the deceased king were filled until the last building was finished. Master Wincenty also notices that the name of the city of Krakow is derived from the ravens of ravens, which were ordered to feed on the body of the "all-eaters".