The Dragon of Krakow

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As we wandered around the Krakow castle complex we noticed a sign saying, "Dragon's Lair." We followed the sign and found a small building, rather like a guard's post, at the outer western wall of the castle grounds. From here there is a wonderful view of the Vistula River. This is the entrance to the Dragon's Lair. My first thought was that it was a dungeon where prisoners were kept, but I was wrong. It is the entrance to a cave and centuries ago, so the legend goes, this was the home of a dragon, a mean, nasty, virgin eating dragon. I have thought about this and wondered how in the world could the dragon tell if a young woman walking along the river was a virgin or not?

The door leading to the entrance of the Dragon's Lair was locked, so we could not enter and go down the steps to the dank and musty cave. I have read the cave is dank and musty, but cannot say this from firsthand experience. Do dragons give off a dank and musty smell? I rather think they do not. After all breathing fire should dry out a cave and a dry cave is not dank and musty.

Legend says that Krakus, who was a Polish Price and ruled from 730-750 AD killed the dragon in the dragon's cave. How did he do this? It is not easy to kill a fire breathing dragon. Well, according to the story he did it by a clever trick. Filling a sheep's skin with tar and brimstone he crept to the entrance of the dragon's cave and left the sheepskin lying at the entrance. When the dragon woke he saw the sheep and swallowed it whole. The tar and brimstone caught fire and burned the dragon up, from the inside out.

Today at the base of the hill you can see the Dragon of Krakow, still breating fire, but not at all dangerous to virgins or to anyone else for that matter.

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Photos

The Dragon of Krakow
These days even the children are not afraid of the dragon.