Intro
That's the fourth post from that series which in total will include 16 publications. If you want to read the previous legend published by me, check those links:
- Why swans mate for life
- About the good devil who gave the pipe to Janek
- About the lake Leleskie and the evil governor
It's the legend, so obviously it's not the story I created, but it may vary a bit from the versions that other people know. I wrote it on my own, with my words, in a way it was said to me when I was a child and how I remembered it.
The legend about the brave Netta who saved the king
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There was a time when Poland was covered by a wild and immeasurable forest, full of firs, oaks, pine trees, and many species of plants unknown in the present. At that time, these forests gave shelter to wild animals and birds, however, these untouched natural areas began to be populated by the men. Huts were built, then villages, then forests were cut down, wild animals were changed for cows and chickens and the land was cultivated. Centuries passed with a happy life. The generations were changing, some were abandoning this world, others came to it.
In one of the villages lived a talented hunter. The man did not have a son, but he had three daughters. One day his wife got pregnant again, but even though the man was hoping to have a boy this time, she delivered a fourth daughter. They called her Netta.
The girl grew up under the watchful eye of both parents. Because Netta did not have an older brother. when she grew up a bit, her father was taking her regularly for hunting, to teach her this difficult job. He was hoping that at least one of his kids will follow him and become the hunter.
Fate wanted a dangerous disease to spread in the village. Nobody was safe: Men, Women, neither children. When the epidemic stopped, Netta was left alone with her mother. The disease took her father and her three older sisters. The girl was only sixteen, but she knew how to take care of the family. She hunted all weeks to feed herself and her mother. Despite that she knew how to ride a horse very well, she always went hunting on foot. Netta was avoiding some areas of the forest though. She knew that in the wildest parts there is plenty of bears. These were also the Hunting Grounds Royal, where no one except the royal family could hunt. In the summer, King Zygmunt August with the servants was going there for hunting dangerous animals.
One day Netta went hunting early in the morning. Already at the edge of the forest, a beautiful deer was waiting for her. The girl decided to hunt the animal. However, whenever she was about to shoot from the bow, the deer seemed to sense the danger and he was going deeper and deeper into the forest, towards the Royal Hunting Grounds. Suddenly Netta heard a gunshot, then dogs barked and people screamed. A bear, bigger than a horse, jumped from the depths of the forest. The injured animal was terrified by people's appearance and roar. The hunters surrounded the bear and King Zygmunt August was riding a horse around them. The bear ran towards the king. He was about to attack the ruler when, to everyone's surprise, he fell dead next to the king. The arrow pierced his skull so that the tip stuck out of his throat. The hunters immediately realized that the arrow did not belong to any of them and they started looking for its owner.
Then Netta came out from behind the trees. Both the king and her companions were amazed by her courage. In gratitude for saving the king's life, king Zygmunt called her village Zygmuntow. He also offered the girl to accompany him to the royal court, but she refused because she didn't want to live with her mother.
This is the story of the creation of the city of Zygmuntowo, located near the Primordial Forest of Augustów. To this day, a stream flows, which in honor of the brave girl is called Netta.
Thank you for reading,
@papi.mati
You can see that the legend is old. It could sound right 300 or 400 years ago but now it confuses and makes people angry. If Netta saved the king, why didn't he called her village by her name instead of his? All he did was barely dying from the bear's hands, so don't see the reason to celebrate. Same with the invitation to the castle - when the girl refused, mentioning she has to take care of her mother, the king didn't offer that he can take the old lady with him as well which is cruel, because according to the story they barely had the food before his arrival and, I bet, they remained equally poor after. So, the story may not be the most exciting but it's an interesting study of the previous Epoque.
What3words location of Zygmuntowo, where the legend comes from