The document discusses the history and culture of Zakopane, Poland and the Tatra Mountains region. It describes how Zakopane developed from a small village into a popular winter resort town and center of Góral culture. The document also presents some famous legends from the Tatra Mountains, including stories about the outlaw Janosik and a legend about King Bolesław and his knights sleeping within Mount Giewont.

1. Zakopane and the Tatra Mountains
The history and customs of Podhale
Anna Marszałek, Justyna Sroka, Agnieszka Zając

2. Introduction
 The project shows pictures of the
winter capital of Poland, Zakopane,
the Tatra mountain region of Podhale
and its inhabitants górals. It focuses
on the culture of the Tatra mountain
region and presents its customs and
legends.

3. Zakopane is a town in southern Poland. It lies in the Podhale region at the foot of the Tatra
Mountains, near the border with Slovakia. The town has an elevation of 838 meters above
the sea level. Zakopane can be easily reached from Kraków, which is about two and a half
hours away.

4. Zakopane in the 19th and in the 21st century:
Zakopane was founded as a small village in the 16th century. It expanded in the 19th
century when it developed into a climatic health resort of 3,000 inhabitants. Nowadays is
has a population of about 28,000 (2004). Zakopane is a centre of góral culture and is known
informally as "the winter capital of Poland.” It is a popular destination for mountaineering,
skiing, and tourism.

5. Fashion for Zakopane
In the second half of the 19th century Zakopane became a popular destination for many
Helena Modrzejewska
famous people. The list of notable residents of the town includes such people as a world-known
actress - Helena Modrzejewska and a Nobel prize winner - Henryk Sienkiewicz.

6. The beauty of the mountains in paintings
The beautiful landscape of the Podhale region inspired many artists. Leon Wyczółkowski,
who was one of the leading artists of the modernist Polish art, painted dramatic mountain
landscapes. The pictures show Morskie Oko, a famous lake in the Tatra Mountains and the
Giewont massif at sunset.

7. Walery Radzikowski, a co-founder of the Polish Tatra Society, was another artist connected
with Zakopane. He started to paint the landscapes of the mountains in 1861. Moreover,
Radzikowski published and illustrated guidebooks for mountaineers. Some of his paintings
depict the beginnings of tourism in the Tatra mountains.

8. Karol Szymanowski, Harnasie
The góral legends and culture was an inspiration for
a famous Polish composer, Karol Szymanowski. In 1923-
1931 he composed a ballet-pantomime Harnasie. It is based
on a legend of a love story between a robber (Harnaś) and
a beautiful girl.

9. Zakopane Style Architecture
Zakopane distinguishes itself by its unique
architecture. The synthesis of the style was
created by Stanisław Witkiewicz, an
acknowledged art critic, architect and writer.
Zakopane style combines traditional góral
decorations with art nouveau motives.

10. Zakopane as a sport centre
Nowadays, Zakopane is an important tourist centre and thousands of people from Poland and
abroad are attracted to its beautiful surroundings. The town is also known as the winter
sports centre, most notably thanks to ski jumping world cups. Wielka Krokiew is Poland’s
most famous ski jump.

11. Wedding customs and outfits
of the contemporary górals

12. The Wedding Day
 The newlyweds are highlanders (górals) and they come from
Leśnica – Groń which lies approximately 14 km north-east of
Zakopane, and 74 km south of Kraków.

13. Pytace (Polish pytać-to ask)
 The first distinctive custom is the role of the bride and bridegroom’s friends, who are
called pytace (from Polish pytać – to ask). In the past they used to visit every house in
the village and invite people to the wedding. Nowadays, they ride on horseback
through the village and sing that the bride is leaving her home so that everyone in the
village knows this. They are a kind of masters of ceremony. They sing and they ride in
front of the bride and bridegroom to the church.


14. Parents bless their children
 Bartłomiej’s father is wearing a traditional outfit. He blesses his son.
This custom is supposed to bring the newlyweds happiness and show
that parents approve of their marriage. In the right corner Izabela’s
parents bless the couple.


15. Parents welcome the newlyweds with bread
and salt
 Parents welcome their children with bread and salt. Bread symbolizes
wisdom, fertility, and hospitability. Salt is connected with respect and
permanence. In the right corner we can see the custom of drinking from
glasses which are later thrown in the air. If the glasses break, the couple
will be happy in their marriage.


16. Ocepiny
 Ocepiny. Starościna (the bride’s godmother) has to give vodka and
food (bananas, chocolates, sausages) to pytace, which is a kind of a
ransom. They sing funny songs and want to take as much as
possible.

17. Górals’ traditional outfit
 Men’s outfit:
 Kapelusz – a black felt hat
with shells and a feather
 Cucha – a cloak with an
embroidery
 Portki – trousers made of
woollen cloth, they have a
distinctive highlanders’
motif – parzenica.
 Koszula – a white linen
shirt
 Pas – a very wide belt with
studs
 Kierpce – shoes tied to legs
with straps

18. Górals’ traditional outfit
 Women’s outfit:
 Korale- a red necklace
 Gorset – a flowery corset
made of velvet, tied with a
red ribbon
 Kierpce – shoes made of
leather
 Spódnica – a flowery pleated
skirt
 Koszula – a white linen shirt

19. Variations on górals’ outfit
 Modern outfits, very fashionable
nowadays: a black shirt, a yellow
corset, a blue ribbon.

20. Variations on górals’ outfit
 The day after the wedding day: the newlyweds are wearing modern outfits with
traditional motives. The bride is wearing a modern dress with a highlander motif –
parzenica. The corset is tied with a red ribbon. Izabela is wearing red earrings and a red
necklace. The bridegroom is wearing modern trousers but the shirt has a traditional
parzenica embroidered on it.
 In conclusion, górals try to preserve their customs and culture, especially on important
occasions. Nevertheless, their outfits change because of modern trends and fashions.


21. The legends of the Tatra
Mountains

22. Janosik, the Polish Robin Hood
Janosik was a robber, who with a group of
friends plundered, robbed and burnt the
houses of the rich. He was said to operate on
both sides of the Tatra Mountains, Polish and
Slovak and hide out in the forests at the foot of
the Tatra Mountains. However, according to the
legend, he never harmed the poor in any way;
on the contrary, he gave them money and gifts.
 Folk tales present Janosik as a hero who had
supernatural powers given to him by three
witches whom he had met when he was young.
Once seeing his extraordinary courage, they
decided to make him the most famous robber
in the whole history, and they gave him magical
objects: an alpenstock , a shirt and a belt.
Janosik always had the three gifts with him, for
this reason he escaped many traps. However,
he was betrayed by a girl whom he often
visited and was captured. She craftily destroyed
the witches’ gifts and then denounced the
helpless Janosik to the soldiers.

23. The legend of Bolesław and his knights
 When King Boleslaw the Brave (Chrobry) died
(11th century), Poland lost a very able and
brave ruler, one who had united its lands and
created a really great and powerful country.
But is Boleslaw dead for ever? Some say ‘no’
and they tell a legend about Boleslaw and his
Knights.
 They say that Boleslaw and his Knights who
fought with him for the country went into a
mountain near Zakopane called Giewont. This
mountain forms part of the Tatra mountain
range, and its shape, as seen from a certain
angle looks like a body of a Sleeping
Knight. According to the legend, within the
mountain there is a huge dark cavern where
King Boleslaw and his Knights sleep. They are
mounted on horses, with their swords and
lances beside them. And if Poland needs them
in the time of great danger, then someone must
awake them, and they will ride forward to serve
their country. But once they have gone
forward, they will never return.

24. Director: Wojciech Solarz
 The Legends of the Tatra Year: 1994
Mountains (1994) Production (country):
Telewizja Polska SA
(POLSKA)
Genre: fiction; drama
Producer: Filmcontract
Ltd.; Telewizja Polska
LEGENDA TATR (THE
LEGENDS OF THE TATRA
MOUNTAINS)
The screenplay based on the
motives of Na Skalnym
Podhalu stories by Kazimierz
Przerwa-Tetmajer. The film is a
compendium of legends and
folk traditions of the Podhale
region. It is an attempt to
make a collective portrait of
górals and their culture.

25. Discussion
 1. Describe a region of your country which has its
own specific culture?
 2. Are the wedding customs shown in the
presentation similar to those in your country? What
are the differences?
 3. Do you know any legends or folk tales connected
with some region of your country?

26. Sources:
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zakopane
 http://www.dobreschronisko.pl/zakopane-historia-i-rozwoj-miasta,d36,a26
 http://z-ne.pl/s,menu,1760,historia_-_zakopane.html
 http://z-ne.pl/s,doc,21549,2,1760,,,.html
 http://www.turystyka.ezakopane.pl/historia.html
 http://www.pinakoteka.zascianek.pl/Wyczolkowski/Wyczolkowski_5.htm
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leon_Wycz%C3%B3%C5%82kowski
 http://www.pinakoteka.zascianek.pl/Eljasz_Radzikowski/Eljasz_Radzikowski_bio.htm
 http://www.culture.pl/baza-muzyka-pelna-tresc/-/eo_event_asset_publisher/eAN5/content/karol-szymanowski-harnasie-
op-55
 http://www.lifebeyondtourism.org/blog/cultural-heritage/regional-architecture-in-poland-zakopane-style-otherwise-
witkiewicz-style/
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zakopane_Style_architecture
 http://www.krykiet.com/janosik_robin_hood.htm
 http://www.summitpost.org/giewont/153793
 http://sales.tvp.pl/en/katalog/fabula/film-kinowy/legenda-tatr