Pan Twardowski

Pan Twardowski (Polish pan = "Lord" (Informal ) ) is a Polish legendary figure, a sorcerer who entered a pact with the devil. Similar to the figure of Faust in German culture Pan Twardowski sold his soul in exchange for great knowledge and supernatural abilities and ultimately suffered a tragic fate. The story of Pan Twardowski exists in various diverging versions and forms the basis for numerous works, including by Adam Mickiewicz.

According to legend, Pan Twardowski was a nobleman who lived in the former Polish capital of Krakow in the 16th century. Probably the figure is based on the life of an authentic person who stayed from 1565 to 1573 at the court of King Sigismund II. This was possibly due to a German nobleman named " Lawrence Dhur " or Latinized " Durus ", who was born in Nuremberg and studied magic in Wittenberg, before he settled in Krakow. The name " Twardowski " would thus be a form of Polonised latinisiertem whose surname ( durus and twardy mean in Latin or Polish "hard" ). As a first name is sometimes Twardowski "Jan" (Johann) called, but most versions do not mention names. The name component Pan was then reserved nobles; the suffix- ski is also indicative of a noble person. In some versions of the main character as Mistrz Twardowski ( "Master Twardowski " ) is called. The figure of Pan Twardowski has many parallels to occur within the German culture figure of the " Doktor Faust (us )", which is probably based on the living about the same time Johann Faust. Whether there is a relationship between the two stories, is not known.

Use the right conferred on him by the devil skills gained Twardowski in Krakow quickly fame, wealth and influence. When his most famous work, the evocation of the spirit of 1551 deceased Polish queen Barbara Radziwill applies on behalf of the grieving king Sigismund II. Purpose he should have used a magic mirror, which is still located in a church in the central Polish town Wegrów. One sequel, according to legend, you could see to the 19th century future events in the mirror - until Napoleon Bonaparte damaged him in 1812, after he had previously seen in his defeat in Russia.

Furthermore, the devil on request Twardowski have gathered at a single point in the city Olkusz in Polish soil the entire silver deposits, where he then docked a silver mine. In Ojcowski National Park, close to the approximately 30 kilometers from Cracow, remote lock Pieskowa Skala ( Peskenstein ), there is a seemingly standing on top of pinnacle. It is popularly Maczuga Herkulesa ( " Hercules' Club " ) or Czarcia Skala ( "Devil's Rock " ), because Twardowski said to have caused the devil to put them on the top.

Another scene of the Sage is a situated in front of Krakow disused quarry in which it is to be a caused by an explosion in Twardowski laboratory crater, and therefore popularly Skałka Twardowskiego ( " Twardowski Rocks " ) is called. Since 1990 is a lake has been created, the town developed into a popular tourist destination.

Twardowski said to have written two books - one about magic and an encyclopedia.

Twardowski had tried to outwit the devil by he brought in his pact with him a clause stating that the devil could take hold only in Rome of his soul - a place Twardowski never intended to visit. With this ruse succeeded for years to escape his fate - until he unwisely stopped off one day in an inn called Rzym, the Polish name of Rome. An inn of that name in the small Polish town of Sucha Beskidzka is the best known of several eponymous restaurants in Poland, claiming to be the site of Twardowski kidnapping.

While Twardowski was kidnapped by the devil, he began ruefully to pray to the Virgin Mary. This prompted the devil actually let go his victim. Rather than end up in hell, Twardowski crashed on the moon, where he ekes out a lonely existence until today. Society makes him only his assistant, he had transformed into a spider and now deigns from time to time on a thread to earth to receiving reports news from there.

The Legend of Twardowski inspired many artists. However, there is - in contrast to the Doctor Faust, which is now indissolubly connected with the processing of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe - not a " canonical " version. Thus Twardowski in Poland, unlike Faust in Germany until today more a part of folklore as the upscale literature. Perhaps the most famous author, who took to the substance, Adam Mickiewicz is. In his 1822 published comic ballad Pani Twardowska ( "Mrs. Twardowski " ), the protagonist with a different playlist escape his fate: He refers to the condition that the devil ( in this case called " Mefistofele " ) before he seize Twardowski soul can, must fulfill three wishes "until the icing on the cake ". After the devil has two seemingly impossible tasks, comes the hardest. Twardowski requires that the devil had to spend in his place a year with Mrs. Twardowski in loyalty and obedience. How Twardowski suspected, the devil do not even waits for the start of the test and flees through a keyhole, which Twardowski is saved. Pani Twardowska was set to music in 1869 by Stanisław Moniuszko and was published in 1987 as a comic.

The motive of the Pan Twardowski appears also in some works of Russian literature, such as Alexander Nikolayevich Radishchev.

On the Legend works based

• Literary Figure
• Literature ( Polish)
• Slavic legendary figure