Predators+in+Polish+culture

====**In Polish culture** predators are common in literature (poetry, fairy tales, proverbs, stories, novels, songs, legends…) and arts: painting, sculpture, architecture. It would be very difficult to count all proverbs concerning the biggest predators – bear and wolf. There are also numerous sayings and proverbs with fox. Lynx, on the other hand, is less common. The reason may be the fact that it is a very secretive beast.==== ====In our culture wolf is seen as a formidable, bad, dangerous animal. But that is not the only way wolf is seen – wolf is also admired for its courage and strength, and… because the devil is afraid of it! In Polish folk culture devils live in hollows in old trees, because there they can hide from wolves. Wolves were prized for that, as people were more afraid of devils than wolves.====

God accepted the challenge and hid his flute in the fleece of one of the sheep. The devil hid his bagpipes in one of his goats – he stuck it under its tail.
====The sheep were passing by the Devil, and he was looking for the flute. All sheep passed by and the Devil had not found the flute. The goats were passing by God. When the one with the bagpipes under tail was passing by, bagpipes fell from under its tail. Thus the Devil lost his goats, and God had both sheep and goats.==== ====The Devil was furious, as he had nothing. He envied God, and wanted Him to lose everything, too. So he created wolf to eat all God’s sheep and goats. He made the wolf of wood, but as he could not give it soul or life, he prayed to God and said:====

‘Listen wolf made of wood, God said: “get up and bite the evil one!”’
====Suddenly wolf came to life and immediately turned on the Devil biting his right knee. The Devil managed to climb higher, yet his knee had already been damaged. That is why people call him a cripple. Ever since wolf hunts sheep and goats, but also attacks its creator wherever it can find him. The Devil walks at night, and the wolf hunts at night and bites the Devil if he cannot find a tree to climb on.”====

= Forestchapel near the village Ulucz, = = =

= Forest chapel with a statue of St.Nicholas the Bishop and the wolf next to the source of healing water. = = =

= Forrest chapel near the village Czarnia =





** Polish-Slovak Workshop : fox and the bear in the Polish songs for children and predators in European painting ** media type="youtube" key="Ae8AvBoUSXs" width="606" height="497" align="center"