Lajkonik Parade
18 June 2009
Maiden-chomping dragons, enchanted pigeons, sorcerers who fly about on giant cockerels - Cracow is not short of the odd legend or two. And every summer, one of the most peculiar of them all springs to life in Cracow's Old Town.... Lajkonik.
In 1287 a detachment of Tatars approached the walls of Kraków. Before the planned assault they hid behind some bushes to get some sleep, as you do. Unluckily for them they were spotted by some sturdy Wisła raftsmen who grabbed their oars, got stuck in and thereby ruined the Tatar plans to conquer the Polish capital. After that raftsmen rode into the centre of Kraków in Tatar uniforms to tell the people about their daring escapades - that's the legend anyway. Nowadays, in celebration the Lajkonik, see picture, marches with band and sergeant from the Sisters of Norbertanki's Monastery Courtyard (Kościuszki St. 88) to the city's Market Square (Rynek Główny), hitting passers-by on the arm, just to bring them luck. Worth taking the camera along for sure.
