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Wars and Sawa

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Statue of Wars and Sawa in the Warsaw Old Town (Brzozowa Street).

Wars (also known as War and Warsz) and Sawa are legendary characters from the origin myth of the founding and etymology of the city of Warsaw, capital of Poland. There are several versions of the legend with their appearance.

In legend

According to one version of the legend, the duke or king called Kazimierz (Casimir), sometimes also identified as duke Siemowit I of Masovia, got lost in the forest, where Warsaw Old Town is currently located, while hunting. He came across a small adobe hut, inhabited by a woman who had recently given birth to twins. The woman hosted him very generously. He named her two children Wars and Sawa and gave the woman money to build a bigger house. Later, other people moved near the house, forming a settlement, which was named after the twins, Warsawa, which later evolved to Warszawa, the name of the city of Warsaw in the Polish language. According to a different version of the legend, Wars and Sawa were a married couple who lived in that house, and who hosted the duke.

According to another version of the legend, Sawa was a mermaid living in the Vistula river with whom a fisherman named Wars fell in love.

In yet another version of the legend, Wars and Sawa were brothers, who were fishermen living near modern Warsaw Old Town.


Citations

References

  1. Makowska, Iwona (12 June 2019). "Wars i Sawa - Stare Miasto" (in Polish). Retrieved 2022-01-06.
  2. ^ Anna Marta Zdanowska, Julia Odnous: Legendy warszawskie. Antologia. Warsaw: Museum of Warsaw, 2016, p. 368.
  3. ^ Encyklopedia Warszawy. p. 412.
  4. ^ Franciszek Galiński: Gawędy o Warszawie. p. 24.
  5. Encyklopedia Warszawy. p. 330.
  6. Anna Wilczyńska: Wielka księga legend Warszawy. Warsaw: Skarpa Warszawska, 2017, p. 13
  7. "The Warsaw Mermaid". warsaw-life.com.

Bibliography

  • Anna Marta Zdanowska, Julia Odnous: Legendy warszawskie. Antologia. Warsaw: Museum of Warsaw, 2016, ISBN 978-83-62189-80-9.
  • Encyklopedia Warszawy. Warsaw: Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN, 1994, ISBN 83-01-08836-2.
  • Franciszek Galiński: Gawędy o Warszawie. Warsaw: Instytut Wydawniczy Biblioteka Polska, 1939.
  • Encyklopedia Warszawy. Warsaw, Państwowy Instytut Wydawniczy, 1975.
  • Anna Wilczyńska: Wielka księga legend Warszawy. Warsaw: Skarpa Warszawska, 2017. ISBN 978-83-63842-42-0.
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