Wars and Sawa

Wars[2] (also known as War[3] and Warsz)[4] and Sawa are legendary characters from the origin myth of the founding and etymology of the city of Warsaw, capital of Poland.[3][5] There are several versions of the legend with their appearance.[3][4]

Statue of Wars and Sawa in the Warsaw Old Town (Brzozowa Street).[1]

In legend

According to one version of the legend, the duke or king called Kazimierz (Casimir),[3] sometimes also identified as duke Siemowit I of Masovia,[6] got lost in the forest, where Warsaw Old Town is currently located, while hunting. He came across a small adobe hut, inhabited by a woman who had recently given birth to twins. The woman hosted him very generously. He named her two children Wars and Sawa and gave the woman money to build a bigger house.[3] Later, other people moved near the house, forming a settlement, which was named after the twins, Warsawa, which later evolved to Warszawa, the name of the city of Warsaw in the Polish language.[2][3] According to a different version of the legend, Wars and Sawa were a married couple who lived in that house, and who hosted the duke.[4]

According to another version of the legend, Sawa was a mermaid living in the Vistula river with whom a fisherman named Wars fell in love.[7]

In yet another version of the legend, Wars and Sawa were brothers, who were fishermen living near modern Warsaw Old Town.[4]


Citations

References
  1. Makowska, Iwona (12 June 2019). "Wars i Sawa - Stare Miasto" (in Polish). Retrieved 2022-01-06.
  2. Anna Marta Zdanowska, Julia Odnous: Legendy warszawskie. Antologia. Warsaw: Museum of Warsaw, 2016, p. 368.
  3. Encyklopedia Warszawy. p. 412.
  4. Franciszek Galiński: Gawędy o Warszawie. p. 24.
  5. Encyklopedia Warszawy. p. 330.
  6. Anna Wilczyńska: Wielka księga legend Warszawy. Warsaw: Skarpa Warszawska, 2017, p. 13
  7. "The Warsaw Mermaid". warsaw-life.com.

Bibliography
  • Anna Marta Zdanowska, Julia Odnous: Legendy warszawskie. Antologia. Warsaw: Museum of Warsaw, 2016, ISBN 978-83-62189-80-9.
  • Encyklopedia Warszawy. Warsaw: Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN, 1994, ISBN 83-01-08836-2.
  • Franciszek Galiński: Gawędy o Warszawie. Warsaw: Instytut Wydawniczy Biblioteka Polska, 1939.
  • Encyklopedia Warszawy. Warsaw, Państwowy Instytut Wydawniczy, 1975.
  • Anna Wilczyńska: Wielka księga legend Warszawy. Warsaw: Skarpa Warszawska, 2017. ISBN 978-83-63842-42-0.
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