(The Zwierzyniec Horse)
Lajkonik
Illustration and copy
(used with permission.)
Courtesy of Christopher Majka and Shielagh Hunt,
Authors of
Polish Folk
Costumes
Lajkonik
Illustration and copy
(used with permission.)
Courtesy of Christopher Majka and Shielagh Hunt,
Authors of
Polish Folk
Costumes
A medieval pageant is held in Krakow on the octave of CorpusChristi to commemorate the bravery of man from Zwierzyniecin 1281. According to legend, during a Tartar attack on the city in that year a courageousVistula River boatman dressed in Tartar disguise rode on horseback through enemy territors saying that theinvasion had been stopped.
Today the parade begins in Zwierzyniec and is led by a rider on a wooden horse. The rider is called the 'Lajkonik.' This event marks the beginning of 'Krakow Days.'
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