Legendary Beginnings of Poland

Legendary beginnings of Poland

Legendary beginnings of Poland Lesson plan (Polish) Lesson plan (English) Legendary beginnings of Poland

The Wawel Dragon Source: Grzegorz Janusz, Grzegorz Nita, Piotr Rosner, licencja: CC BY-NC 3.0.

Link to lesson

You will learn

about the Lech, Czech and Rus legend and Piast and Popiel legend; what the characteristics of the founding and dynastic legends are, you will be able to indicate examples thereof; that legends are important to communities (they give their members the feeling that they belong to a unique and important group of people).

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The origins of the Polish state are lost in the mists of time. There aren’t any surviving written sources from that period. Poland’s earliest history is told in legends, i.e. traditional stories written down a few centuries after the described events took place. There may – or may not – be a grain of truth in them. These tales are brimming with accounts of fantastic creatures and extraordinary events. Therefore, their function is similar to that of myths. The oldest Polish legends concentrate on two traditions: that of Greater Poland (Gniezno) and that of Lesser Poland (Cracow). It is believed that Lech, the brother of Czech and Rus, was the forefather of Poles (Lechites). Many years later, an evil duke called Popiel came to rule Gniezno. His subjects expelled him and elected a new duke called Siemowit, a son of a smallholder farmer named Piast. A popular legend of the Cracow region was the tale of Krakus and the Wawel Dragon. Exercise 1

From among the characteriscs given, select those that characterize the legend.

Applies to places, characters or historical events. The author is anonymous. Includes some truth. Has a happy ending. Applies only to false events and places. The author is known. Task 1

Read the Lech, Czech and Rus legend. Where did Lech set up his selement?

It all happened many centuries ago. Poland diﬀered much from what it is today. There were no motorways, railway lines, bridges or concrete selements. The land was overgrown with impassable primaeval forests and woods inhabited by wild animals.

Three brothers – Lech, Czech and Rus – set out on their journey at the head of their tribes in search of a new place to sele. They were machining for many days through dense forests and rivers. One day, a beauful, sun-drenched valley emerged from the trees, decorated with low hills and picturesque lakes. Delighted with this view, the brothers stopped to enjoy it. When they stood sll, they heard the noise of wings over their heads and saw an eagle circling majescally in the sky against the seng sun. A moment later, it landed in a nest on a nearby oak. Lech decided that the appearance of this noblest bird was a good omen. He wanted to stay in this valley forever.

Lech and the eagle Source: Arkadiusz Klimek, Grzegorz Janusz,, licencja: CC BY-NC 3.0.

Soon, the sound of axes and other tools could be heard. The trees were cut down to build houses, and the ﬁelds were prepared for culvaon. Lech founded his selement near the tree where the eagle lived. It was named – aer the eagle's nest – Gniazdo or Gniezdo, meaning “nest” in Slavic, and later Gniezno. It became the ﬁrst capital of Poland – a state founded by the descendants of Lech, called the Lechites. The eagle has become the hallmark of this country and its people.

The valley, although vast, could not accommodate all the tribes. For their own sake, the brothers had to part ways. Czech and Rus connued on their journey. The ﬁrst one arrived to the south, where he founded Czechia. The other brother went east, where he founded Ruthenia, which he ruled.

Exercise 2

Gniezno was named aer...

an unknown bird’s nest. the eagle nest. the stork's nest.

Exercise 3

Pair the names of the state with the names of their legendary founders.

Rus, Czech, Lech

Poland

Ruthenia

Czechia Task 2

Read the legend about Piast and the evil Prince Popiel. How did Popiel treat the visitors asking for accommodaon?

It happened many years aer Lech founded his selement. Gniezno was ruled then by a young, mean and cruel prince, Popiel. As the tradion required, he held a sumptuous feast in honour of his sons' ﬁrst haircut. It was a very important ceremony at that me. During this ceremony, a 7year-old boy, who had been taken care of by his mother before, was now to be looked aer his father, who cut oﬀ his son's hair, gave him a new name and asked the gods to watch over his child. During the feast, two footsore strangers appeared at Popiel's court. Although the feast was sll going on and there was plenty of food and drinks, they were not allowed to enter. The prince ordered them to be expelled.

Popiel's feast Source: Grzegorz Janusz, Łukasz Poller, licencja: CC BY-NC 3.0.

At the same me Piast was arranging the ﬁrst haircut ceremony in his lile house near the Popiel’s castle. Piast was a modest but respected husbandman. He and his wife Rzepicha were always willing to help and advise others, which is why they were much liked by all their neighbours. They were also very hospitable. Although they somemes suﬀered from shortages, they prepared victuals for the feast.

When the party began, two strangers appeared at the door of the house looking for a shelter. They were the same wanderers who had previously been expelled by Popiel. Piast warmly invited them to join him. To honour the newcomers especially, he asked them to cut his son’s hair. They did it, giving him a new name as the tradion required. The child was named Siemowit. The guests blessed the boy and his house. They assured that their arrival and the hospitality offered to them would provide the Piast family with prosperity, and their offspring with honour and fame. The promise began to come true on the same day, as food and drinks were not diminishing, although there were many guests. Siemowit's first haircut Source: Łukasz Poller, Grzegorz Janusz, licencja: CC BY-NC 3.0.

Aer many years, the promise of the stranger was fully fulﬁlled. Siemowit grew up to be a wise and noble young man, and when he became an adult, he was elected a prince. He started the Piast dynasty (descended from Piast, Siemowit’s father), that ruled Poland for many centuries.

According to the legend, Siemowit was elected aer the death of the evil Prince Popiel, who died eaten by mice. He tried to hide from them in the tower on the island on Lake Gopło, but he did not escape his terrible fate. It was a punishment for an abominable act: he commied a great and cruel crime, poisoning his uncles for fear of losing power. Exercise 4

Match the traits below to Piast, Popiel and Siemowit as appropriate. mean, noble, wise, discourteous, hospitable, modest, helpful, inhospitable, evil

Piast

Popiel

Siemowit Task 3

Learn who wrote the poems about Popiel's tragedy and what Kruszwica is sll known for.

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

View of the Gopło Lake Source: Kawka, Wikimedia Commons, licencja: CC BY-SA 3.0.

Thanks to the legends of the evil ruler Popiel, who was eaten by mice, and Piast the Wheelwright, it is one of the most famous castles in the country, although mainly associated with a bergfried called the „Mouse Tower”. In fact, the building is much younger than the legend says, and it does not go back to the early mes of Piast. The castle was erected on the orders of King Casimir the Great, the last ruler of the Piast dynasty. It was built on an irregular plan with two towers on the west side and a gate on the east side. Aer the destrucon of the castle by the Swedes in the seventeenth century, it never returned to its impressive form. Only the famous tower has survived to this day.

Kruszwica was made famous by Juliusz Słowacki in „Balladyna” and Józef Ignacy Kraszewski in „An Ancient Tale”. There are many indicaons that the legend about Popiel hides an ancient memory of a rebellion of inhabitants of nearby villages against this cruel ruler, and even about the aack of the Vikings.

Kruszwica is famous not only for the mice and King Popiel. People's tales point to a treasure buried by the Swedes in the vaults of the castle, which stretch to the collegiate church in Kruszwica. They were said to have le them there during the withdrawal from the previously conquered Poland. They were certain that they would come back to these lands anyway. The legend like many, but post-war archaeological researches led to the discovery of mysterious corridors (later buried), and the local populaon who rummaged at the excavaons found elements of old jewellery.

Exercise 5

Source: Arkadiusz Klimek, Grzegorz Janusz, Piotr Rosner, Łukasz Poller, licencja: CC BY-NC 3.0.

Exercise 6

Do you know the legend of the Wawel Dragon? Arrange the following comic strip in the correct order.

Source: Grzegorz Janusz, Grzegorz Nita, Piotr Rosner, licencja: CC BY-NC 3.0.

Exercise 7

Language pracce. Match pairs: English and Polish.

legenda dynastyczna, potomek, książę, smok, legenda założycielska

founding legend

dynasc legend

prince

dragon

descendant

Keywords legend, dynasty, origins, Wawel Dragon, Piast, Lech, Siemowit

Glossary

legend

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legenda

myth

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Nagranie dźwiękowe słówka.

mit

founding legend

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Nagranie dźwiękowe słówka.

legenda założycielska

dynasc legend

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Nagranie dźwiękowe słówka.

legenda dynastyczna

castle

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zamek court

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Nagranie dźwiękowe słówka.

dwór prince

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Nagranie dźwiękowe słówka.

książę dragon

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Nagranie dźwiękowe słówka.

smok descendant

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Nagranie dźwiękowe słówka.

potomek Lesson plan (Polish)

Tytuł: Legendarne początki Polski

Autorka scenariusza: Katarzyna Kuczyńska

Grupa docelowa

Uczniowie klasy IV szkoły podstawowej.

Podstawa programowa

II. Najważniejsze elementy polskiego dziedzictwa kulturowego. Uczeń:

2. zna legendy o początkach państwa polskiego.

Ogólny cel kształcenia

Uczeń zapoznaje się z legendami o początkach państwa polskiego.

Kształtowane kompetencje kluczowe

porozumiewanie się w języku ojczystym; porozumiewanie się w językach obcych; umiejętność uczenia się; kompetencje społeczne i obywatelskie.

Cele operacyjne

Uczeń:

opowiada legendę o Lechu, Czechu i Rusie oraz legendę o Piaście i Popielu; podaje cechy legendy założycielskiej i dynastycznej, potraﬁ wskazać ich przykłady; wyjaśnia, że legendy są ważne dla wspólnot (dają ich członkom poczucie, że przynależą do wyjątkowej i ważnej grupy ludzi).

Metody/techniki kształcenia

metody programowane: z wykorzystaniem e‐podręcznika; metody problemowe: aktywizujące: dyskusja, stworzenie legendy założycielskiej; metody praktyczne: ćwiczenia przedmiotowe, praca z tekstem; metody podawcze: objaśnienia i komentarze nauczyciela.

Formy pracy

praca z całą klasą; praca w grupach; praca indywidualna.

Środki dydaktyczne

e‐podręcznik; zeszyt i kredki/pisaki; tablica interaktywna, tablety/komputery.

Przed lekcją

Nauczyciel prosi uczniów o przeczytanie fragmentu wstępnego w abstrakcie „Legendarne początki Polski” (wyjaśniającego, czym jest legenda).

Przebieg zajęć

Faza wprowadzająca

1. Nauczyciel podaje temat i cel zajęć. Następnie wspólnie z uczniami ustala kryteria sukcesu. 2. Pyta uczniów, czym jest legenda, i prosi o wykonanie Ćwiczenia 1.

Faza realizacyjna

1. Uczniowie wykonują Polecenie 1. oraz Ćwiczenia 2 i 3. 2. Nauczyciel, odwołując się do lekcji o starożytnym Rzymie, przypomina, czym są legendy założycielskie, i prosi uczniów o przypomnienie cech legendy założycielskiej oraz podanie przykładów. 3. Uczniowie odszukują cechy legendy założycielskiej w legendzie o Lechu, Czechu i Rusie. Zadanie można wykonać w następujący sposób: wybranym cechom legendy założycielskiej odpowiadają określone kolory (np. opowieści o początku wspólnoty – kolor żółty, elementom wskazującym na wyjątkowość, nieprzypadkowość danej wspólnoty – kolor różowy), uczniowie, w grupach lub parach, na wydrukach legendy o Lechu, Czechu i Rusie zaznaczają odpowiednimi kolorami właściwe ich zdaniem fragmenty. Wspólnie dyskutuje się trafność poszczególnych zaznaczeń. 4. Uczniowie wykonują Polecenie 2, a następnie Ćwiczenie 4 i Polecenie 3. 5. Nauczyciel objaśnia pojęcie “legenda dynastyczna” i prosi uczniów o wskazanie, które z poznanych dotychczas legend można uznać za dynastyczne (legenda dynastyczna opisuje cechy władcy oraz wartości, które uosabia i dzięki którym może/powinien rządzić).

Faza podsumowująca

1. Uczniowie wykonują Ćwiczenie 5. 2. Nauczyciel zadaje zadanie domowe – prosi o wykonanie Ćwiczenia 6 3. Zadaje również zadanie dodatkowe dla zainteresowanych: stworzenie legendy założycielskiej dla własnego regionu/miasta/szkoły. Opracowane legendy uczniowie wysyłają nauczycielowi elektronicznie lub oddają prace pisemnie.

Podsumowanie najważniejszych treści lekcji

1. Poznanie legend o Lechu, Czechu i Rusie oraz o Piaście i złym księciu Popielu. 2. Przypomnienie cech i znaczenia legend założycielskich, praca na przykładzie legendy o Lechu, Czechu i Rusie. 3. Wskazanie cech i znaczenia legend dynastycznych, praca na przykładzie legendy o Piaście i złym księciu Popielu.

W tej lekcji zostaną użyte m.in. następujące pojęcia oraz nagrania

Pojęcia

legend

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legenda

myth

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Nagranie dźwiękowe słówka.

mit

founding legend

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Nagranie dźwiękowe słówka.

legenda założycielska

dynasc legend Nagranie dostępne na portalu epodreczniki.pl

Nagranie dźwiękowe słówka.

legenda dynastyczna castle

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Nagranie dźwiękowe słówka.

zamek court

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Nagranie dźwiękowe słówka.

dwór prince

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Nagranie dźwiękowe słówka.

książę dragon

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Nagranie dźwiękowe słówka.

smok descendant

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potomek

Teksty i nagrania

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Nagranie dźwiękowe abstraktu.

Legendary beginnings of Poland

Topic: The legendary beginnings of Poland author: Katarzyna Kuczyńska

Target group

4th grade student of elementary school.

Core curriculum

II. The most important elements of Polish cultural heritage. Student:

2. knows legends about the beginnings of the Polish state.

General aim of education

Student gets to know the legendary beginnings of Poland.

Key competences

communication in the mother tongue; communication in foreign languages; learning to learn; social and civic competences.

Lesson objectives

Student:

tells the wording of the Lech, Czech and Rus legend and Piast and Popiel legend; gives the characteristics of the founding and dynastic legends, is able to indicate examples thereof; explains that legends are important to communities (they give their members the feeling that they belong to a unique and important group of people).

Forms of work

collective activity; activity in groups; individual activity.

Methods/techniques

programmed methods: using e‐textbook; problematic methods: activating methods: discussion, creation of the founding legend; practical methods: exercises concerned, working with text; exposing methods: explanations and comments from the teacher.

Teaching aids

e‐textbook; notebook and crayons/ felt‐tip pens; interactive whiteboard, tablets/computers.

Before classes

The teacher asks the students to read the extract “What is a legend?” in e‐textbook.

Lesson plan overview (Process)

Introduction

1. The teacher determines the purpose of the classes. He/she gives the students the criteria for success. 2. The teacher discusses with the students what the legend is and asks them to perform Exercise 1.

Realization

1. Then the students fulfill Instruction 1. and perform Exercises 2 and 3. 2. Referring to the lesson “Ancient Rome” (the lesson plan “Why do all roads lead to Rome?”), the teacher reminds the students what the founding legends are, and asks them to remind the characteristics of the founding legend and to give examples. 3. The students find the characteristics of a founding legend in the legend of Lech, Czech and Rus. The task can be carried out in the following way: selected characteristics of the founding legend are matched by specific colors (e.g. stories about the beginning of the community - yellow, elements indicating uniqueness, non‐contingency of a given community - pink), students, in groups or in pairs, on printouts of the legend about Lech, Czech and Rus mark the extracts they consider appropriate with given colors. The accuracy of the individual markings is discussed in the class. 4. Students fulfill Instruction 2. and perform Exercises 4 and 3. 5. The teacher explains the concept of dynastic legend* and asks students to indicate which of the legends they have known so far can be considered dynastic ones. (*Dynastic legend describes the features of the ruler and the values that he/she embodies and thanks to which he/she can/ should govern).

Summary

1. Students perform Exercise 5. 2. The teacher gives homework - asks to perform Exercise 6. 3. The teacher also gives an additional task to the interested students: creation of a founding legend for their own region/city/school. Students send the developed legends to the teacher via e‐mail or submit the works in writing.

Summary of the most important contents of the lesson

1. Learning the wordings of the legends about Lech, Czech and Rus and about Piast and the evil prince Popiel. 2. Recalling characteristics and signiﬁcance of founding legends, work on the example of the legend about Lech, Czech and Rus. 3. Indication of characteristics and signiﬁcance of dynastic legends, work on the example of the legend of Piast and the evil prince Popiel.

The following terms and recordings will be used during this lesson

Terms

legend

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legenda

myth

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Nagranie dźwiękowe słówka.

mit

founding legend

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Nagranie dźwiękowe słówka.

legenda założycielska dynasc legend

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Nagranie dźwiękowe słówka.

legenda dynastyczna castle

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Nagranie dźwiękowe słówka.

zamek court

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Nagranie dźwiękowe słówka.

dwór prince

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Nagranie dźwiękowe słówka.

książę dragon

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Nagranie dźwiękowe słówka.

smok descendant Nagranie dostępne na portalu epodreczniki.pl

Nagranie dźwiękowe słówka.

potomek

Texts and recordings

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Nagranie dźwiękowe abstraktu.

Legendary beginnings of Poland