In the Land of Mountain Spirit. Myths and Legends of Krakonoš – Reinterpretation, Attempt to Recall, Educational Benefits

Abstract

The article is devoted to one of the forgotten and overlooked problems of Polish-Czech borderland culture in both literature and school didactics. The main theme is the legend of Krakonosz (cz. Krakonoš, nm. Rübezahl), also known in Poland as the Spirit of the Mountains or the Liczyrzepa, hero of legends of Polish, Czech and German Sudetes – in particular the Giant Mountains. There are presented analogies between this hero and similar – on the principle of cultural convergence – characters present in the mythologies of other nations, especially Scandinavian. The literary material included in the article is primarily: „The Book of the Mountain Spirit” by Carl Hauptmann, ”Legends about Liczyrzepa” collected by Johann Karl August Masäus and ”The Legend of Schaff gotsch, Liczyrzepa and Raven Rocks” developed by contemporary writer Bartłomiej Grzegorz Sala. However, the most important part of the sketch is a reflection on the possibilities of using the above-mentioned texts in lessons devoted to language and literature.