Smocza Jama

Interior of the Dragon's Den

Dragon in its den at the foot of the Wawel Hill (Cosmographia universalis,1544)

Statue of the dragon

Smocza Jama(Polishfor "dragon's den" ) is alimestonecavein theWawel HillinKraków.Owing to its location in the heart of the former Polishcapitaland its connection to the legendaryWawel Dragon,it is the best known cave inPoland.

Morphology

Smocza Jama has two entrances, one natural and one artificial — a 19th-century waterwork well. They are connected by three large chambers. A side passage, discovered in 1974, leads under theSt. Stanislaus and St. Wenceslaus's Cathedral.In the underground pools lives a rarecrustaceantroglobiont,Niphargus tatrensis,relict of theTertiarysea fauna.

Smocza Jama has a length of 276 m and a vertical range of 15 m.

History

13th century Bishop of KrakówWincenty Kadłubekwrote in hisChronica seu originale regum et principum Poloniaethat:

For there was in the windings of a certain rock a fiercery ferocious monster, called by some a holophage. To its voracity was due each week a particular count of heads of cattle, according to the count of days. Should the citizens neglect to cater for the monster, as if offering a sacrifice, they would be chastened by paying just as many heads of humans.Gracchus,unable to bear such calamity, for he had more love for the land he was son of than for his own children, summoned his sons secretly, brought forward his plans, laid his advice. "These are foes" — he said — "to courage — timidity, to grey hair — unreason, to youth — sloth. For it is no courage if it is timid, no grey haired sagacity if it is unreasonable, no youth if it is slothful. Furthermore, if no opportunity occurs to practice courage, one needs to conceive it. Who, therefore, would ever decline glory that comes of itself, unless he was outrightly inglorious himself! Yet the well-being of citizens, defended and preserved, triumphs for perpetuity. For one should not care of oneself, when there is a danger to the public. Therefore it befits you [...] to arm yourselves to slay the monster, it befits you to face it [...]."

Smocza Jama was first mentioned on the turn of the 12th century inWincenty Kadłubek'sChronica Polonorum,which is also the source of the first known version of theWawel Dragonlegend, later further developed byJan DługoszandMarcin Bielski.The name of the cave was first given in 1551 inMarcin Bielski'sKronika wszystkiego świata.

In the 16th and 17th century, an infamouspublic househad been operating at the entrance to the cave and inside. It served as an inspiration for poets such asJan Andrzej Morsztyn.

In the 18th century,Wawelwas fortified. Inside the cave, supporting pillars were raised under the walls, and its main entrance was bricked up. Two remaining smaller openings were bricked up in 1830. The cave was reopened in 1842 and made accessible to the general public. In 1972, afire-breathing statueof the Wawel Dragon byBronisław Chromywas erected at the entrance to the cave.

See also

• Culture of Kraków

External links

Media related toWawel Dragon Caveat Wikimedia Commons

• Smocza Jama(in Polish)– with a map