Legend of the Wawel Castle Head From among all the Wawel chambers the Envoy’s hall, also called the Head Hall, is one which makes the biggest impression on its beholders. In the coffers of its ceiling there are 30 carved wooden heads. They were made nearly five centuries ago by two masters, Jan Snycerz and Sebastian Tauerbach. Over the years they were the witnesses of many important historical events, since in this hall the kings would carry out their duties, receiving foreign envoys, holding meetings, and passing judgements. During the reign of King Sigismund Augustus a very strange event took place in the Head Hall. On of the heads spoke up in human voice during a trial and defended an unjustly accused woman. The woman was a poor widow whom one of the Cracovian haberdashers had brought before the King and accused of a theft. She was supposed to have stolen from his stall in the market a precious belt with embroideries in silver and gold. Although the woman swore she was innocent of the deed, nobody believed her pleadings. The angry craftsman maintained that he himself had snatched the belt from her hands and that the people who were in the market were his witnesses. In his opinion that was sufficient evidence to sentence the woman to a punishment by flagellation and imprisonment in the city dungeon. The unfortunate woman explained that the belt was thrown to the ground by the escaping thief who saw he was being chased. She claimed she had only picked it up to return it to its rightful owner. The widow’s explanations did not convince the King or his Council, especially in view of the fact that there was not a single person who would testify to her innocence. Sigismund Augustus, who was sitting on a magnificent throne, made a sign with his scepter and was about to announce the sentence when a severe voice from under the ceiling was suddenly heard in the hall: ‘Rex Auguste, iudice iusete - King Augustus, pass a just sentence.’ The people gathered in the hall were all amazed at the courage of this person who had dared to contradict the King. However, the general astonishment became even greater when everybody, including the monarch, directed their eyes upwards to where the voice was coming from, and they beheld the mouth of one of the heads still moving. After this incident there was nobody who dared to doubt the widow’s innocence and both the King and the haberdasher compensated the woman for the wrong done to her. Yet, on the King’s order, the court sculptor put a wooden band over the head’s mouth. Although it had spoken up in a good cause, nobody wanted it to interfere with any royal judgements in the future. The head’s mouth is still gagged, though nowadays no trials or councils are held in Wawel Castle.” — Ewa Basiura, Legendary Cracow
Posted on: Sun, 26 Oct 2014 20:24:35 +0000
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