Legends of Górzno

Legends of Górzno

Górzno is picturesquely located amidst hills, lakes, forests and fields. Where else might one seek a more beautiful land! For centuries, people have inhabited these areas, first clearing the forests, cultivating the fields, fishing, building the town and the surrounding villages. And for centuries, they have told curious tales about the area, some of which we wish to hint at today.

There are well-known tales, such as the one about the Water Spirit from the lake or the Black Cat from Fialki. You can find these stories in many places. However, today, we want to tell you the lesser-known ones. Therefore, close your eyes and awaken your imagination.

Look around. We are in the Market Square, right in the heart of Górzno. You see the church in the distance, but a long, long time ago, right at the entrance to the park, near the post office, on top of a steep bank, there stood a wooden chapel dedicated to St. Anne. From here, a beautiful view stretched out over the surrounding hills and the lake.

One summer night, a terrible storm broke out. Trees were bent and whipped by the wind, and rain struck the parched earth with great force. And then lightning struck the chapel. Fire quickly began to consume the walls, devour the roof and bite into the belfry. The wind blew incessantly. And suddenly, a bell fell  from the collapsing structure and rolled down the steep bank into the depths of the lake.

People would search for it and try to retrieve it, and sometimes it got tangled up in fishing nets. However, it couldn't be pulled out. It seemed to become heavier, the net would tear, the rope would snap, and the bell would disappear again beneath the water's surface. It was said that only a person untainted by sin could retrieve it.

Some say that eventually a brave soul with a pure heart ventured out to retrieve the bell. The priest on the shore said appropriate prayers, and the people sang psalms and recited litanies. The brave man struggled and was pulling the bell toward the shore when the rope snapped again... The bell still lies at the bottom of the lake. Once a year, supposedly on Easter morning, one can hear it ringing.

A wooden cross still stands today where the church once was. You can sit beside it, reflect, and then walk down the stairs to the park. The trees will provide cooling shade in hot weather and shelter from the rain. 

At the bottom, you'll pass a stone grotto, and right behind it, a spring emerges from the hillside. And it's this very spring that we want to tell you about.

Centuries ago, a poor widow lived in Górzno with her three blind children. She often roamed the surrounding meadows to find herbs that might restore her children's sight. One day, exhausted, she sat down near the hill and fell asleep, lulled by the rustling of the trees. In her dream, the Blessed Virgin appeared to her. She told the widow to return to this place with her children because the water from the spring would heal them.

The woman awoke, rubbed her eyes, looked around and saw that right behind her, drop by drop, water was flowing, turning into a small stream that disappeared in the grass. The widow did everything the Blessed Mother instructed. She washed her children's eyes with the water and a miracle occurred! The children began to see. "Oh, many thanks, Most Holy Virgin!" The spring was named LEW [lion] because it was believed that the name conveyed the life-giving properties of the water, which not only refreshes but also strengthens and cures eye diseases. And it flows there to this day. Those who wish to experience it should hurry and see for themselves.

Between two hills called Bocieniec and Kopiec, there's a road that leads through the forest to the beach by the lake and further to Czarny Bryńsk. As you walk, you'll cross a small bridge over the Kaliczka river, now called Górzanka by the locals. This small river connects two lakes, Młyńskie and Górznieńskie. If you look closely, you'll be able to spot the ruins of a water mill hidden in the thickets.

People say that during the full moon, when the clock strikes midnight, a male figure dressed in a black cape and wearing a black hat appears on the bridge in the pale moonlight. He takes a violin in his hands and begins to play the saddest melodies; the kind that makes the heart cry and the thoughts swirl. Late travelers lose their bearings during this ghostly serenade. Their carts veer off the path, wheels break, and accidents happen. Some suddenly turn back and wander aimlessly through the forest until dawn. Others forget where they were heading and look around in confusion, trying to figure out where they are.

Rumor has it that this apparition is the spirit of a lovelorn violinist, abandoned by his love, who threw himself into the lake's depths in despair. Others claim that only the wicked can hear the mournful music he plays. One thing is certain: be cautious on this bridge and keep your wits about you, lest you lose your way.

Following the forest tracks and with the help of an accurate map, you can reach Wądzewnia. It's a picturesque lake hidden in an ancient oak-hornbeam forest. Here you'll find common reeds, typhas, coneflowers, ferns, and other herbaceous plants. You will hear the song of a reed warbler, the tapping of a woodpecker and, at night, the hooting of an owl. A timid lizard hides in the grass and a grass snake basks on the stones. If you're lucky, you might see a majestic deer. Listen to the murmur of the forest and immerse yourself in nature!

Now listen to our story: A long, long time ago, there was no lake here, only a forest with smaller and larger glades, luminous oases in the dark thicket of trees. People came here to collect berries, wild strawberries and raspberries, and sometimes they grazed their animals if  they didn't have their own meadows.

There was a girl who lived nearby, nobody remembers her name, but it's known that she was from a wealthy family. She would occasionally come to the forest to gather fruits to make delicious desserts for her guests. In this very clearing, where you'll see a lake today, a young man used to graze his cattle. Even the elders don’t know his name. It is said that he was poor, and that's why he had to venture deep into the forest to find food for his animals.

It was during that hot summer, when you could pick handfuls of berries, wild strawberries and raspberries, and the grass grew lush beyond belief. The girl came to the clearing when the young man was grazing his cattle. They looked at each other and knew they wanted to spend their lives together until death. Today it's called love at first sight; they vowed to love each other until the grave.

At first, they met in secret, but the time came to ask their parents for their blessing. Love united them, but their backgrounds kept them apart. The girl's parents did not give their consent for her to marry the poor young man. They forbade them to meet in the forest. The last time they were seen, the beautiful girl wept for a long time over her fate. It's said that the Wądzewnia lake was formed from her tears. You may ask, what happened to them? Well, no one really knows. But if you look upon the lake's surface and see the tree branches intertwined in a lovers' embrace, you will find the eternal lovers, whose names have been forgotten but whose story remains.

The next stories will take you to the forest, where you can encounter places with various names. Falk, Gać and Kozie Błotko. Let's pause for a moment at this last place. It was once a forest settlement amidst marshes and wetlands. People lived there modestly, engaged in logging. They usually had a few goats, as only they could find enough food in the thickets.

People say that mysterious lights have appeared on the marshes since the earliest times, engulfing people and animals in their depths. Those who saw them could not free themselves from their power and went deeper and deeper into the marshes. How many lives they've taken!

Have you heard about Diabelec? People lived there too, and some say there even used to be a mill, so they didn't have to transport grain to Górzno. Well, in Diabelec, which probably once had a different name, we'll tell you a story. It goes like this... The miller's wife made a deal with the devil, who used to walk around in the evening disguised as a gentleman with a kontush and a fur hat with horns sticking out. The eldest says that, apparently tired of her husband – the miller, she indulged in amusements with this stranger. Meanwhile, strange things began to happen in the houses. The bread dough didn't rise in the troughs, and the sourdough turned sour. The fires in the stoves couldn't be extinguished. The wells ran dry. People and animals on the farms fell ill. The miller, unable to bring his wife back to the marital path, went mad and was seen in the summer traveling the forest roads with a sled harnessed to horses. The mill and other farms declined, and the village eventually perished. And the miller's wife? She probably partied with the devil in hell. Today, only a few stones from the buildings remain, and on one of them there's a trace of the devil's hoof. Since then, the place has been called Diabelec and is widely avoided by locals.

To conclude our tales, we have two more legends for you about crosses, the red and the green.

The Red Cross stands in the heart of the forest, where animals reign supreme. In this hidden spot, away from human eyes, poachers would aim at the figure of Christ on the cross. It was believed that wherever the bullet hit, the poacher would hit the game in that same spot.

It was the last day of December in 1859 when Mateusz Płachta, following the old custom, aimed at the cross. He shot straight into the left side of the figure. And then, to his horror, blood began to flow. The poacher fell face down and lay immersed in prayer until the New Year. He returned home completely transformed. He gave up poaching, and legend has it he became a hermit and settled down in solitude.

A bit closer to Górzno, you will find the green cross by the road to Czarny Bryńsk. This is where Józek, the miller's assistant, used to meet Anula, the miller's daughter from the Wapionka mill. Her father, by then a widower, raised his daughter alone and wanted to marry her off well. As soon as he learned of their secret meetings under the cross, he decided to deal severely with the boy.

As usual, Anula waited by the cross, but Józek did not come. She picked flowers and sang songs. If only she had known that the miller had gouged out the boy's eyes so he would never look at his daughter again! Desperate and blind, Józek could not find his way to his beloved, and she, waiting, transformed into ivy coiled around the cross. And she waits to this day.

As you can see, there are many tales around here. We can spin them on and on. Listen also to other people’s stories and pass them on to your children and grandchildren, as we do.

(Text prepared by Agnieszka Drelich-Magdziak)