At the foot of Łysa Góra
Nowa Słupia is located at the foot of Łysa Góra in the very picturesque Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship. When it comes to the Park of Legends, it offers about 45 minutes of sightseeing combined with listening virtually to a series of fascinating Świętokrzyskie legends. Located in the aforementioned park, multimedia rooms present legends about witches, devils, and various saints, for example. A virtual flight in VR goggles relating to witches’ sabbaths simply delights every tourist. It serves as a sort of complement to listening to old tales about witches and their magical rituals and sabbaths.
There are also various games here
For variety, the aforementioned Park of Legends also features spaces with various games and projections. One such projection tells tourists about the robber Kak, from whose name the village of Kakonin derives its name. Where the rural homesteads in Kakonin are located, a dense forest grew centuries ago, hiding the terror of the entire area and the self-proclaimed ruler of the Świętokrzyskie Mountains, a certain robber Kak. The great and mighty robber commanded widespread respect. There was not a single daredevil in the entire area who would dare to measure himself against Kak. This is therefore a wonderful place worth visiting to get closer to the history of the Świętokrzyskie region in this way.
The Legend of Robber Kak
Robber Kak was able to, for example, uproot huge trees, and additionally throw massive boulders at approaching enemies. Despite everything, he found no pleasure in killing other people. And what is worth remembering, he gave the greater part of the wealth stolen from rich people to poor people, rescuing them in poverty and every need. For all this, robber Kak earned the respect of the poor population living around the Świętokrzyskie Mountains. In gratitude for Kak’s kindness, these people frequently welcomed him into their homes and willingly shared every meal with him. Kak raided wealthy merchant caravans, but one day a strange event took place.
The Golden Carriage
Merchant caravans packed with rich goods traveled along the paved route from Kielce to Bodzentyn. Kak knew that he could quickly profit this way, so he lurked in the thicket for the unsuspecting merchants. A beautifully decorated carriage appeared on the road next to the merchant wagons. Kak suddenly jumped out from behind a tree and frightened the horses with his booming shout. The coachmen fell from their seats. And robber Kak with one motion ripped the golden doors off the carriage and… saw inside a girl of extraordinary beauty, looking at him with huge eyes filled with terror. His heart beat faster in his chest. As the terror of the entire area, he fell in love with her at first sight. Therefore, he took the girl in his arms and rushed with his “treasure” to Łysica. The girl also liked Kak as a man, so she no longer wanted to return to her previous life, and the Świętokrzyskie primeval forest quickly became their home.
Kak’s Message
Kak’s beloved turned out to be the niece of the Bishop of Kraków. As is not hard to guess, he sent a number of armed men to capture the robber and rescue his beloved relative. Kak defended himself against them very bravely. But one of the arrows struck the robber in the chest. Seeing this, Kak’s beloved ran out from her hiding place and covered her bleeding lover with her own body. And as the legend tells us, she was also struck by an arrow and then died. The wounded robber was quickly captured and taken to Kraków, where the gallows awaited him, of course. After the sentence was read, a remorseful man stood on the gallows, and his last wish was to sing a song: “Oh little linden tree under Kakonin, whoever finds you will become a lord”…
The Church in Kakonin
A man hearing the lyrics of Kak’s song quickly traveled to Kakonin and, having found the “linden tree” there, also discovered great valuables inside its hollow trunk. With part of these riches, a church was built in Kakonin, where years ago every “summer Sunday,” masses were celebrated for the soul of everyone’s beloved robber Kak.
We therefore invite our Dear Readers to the “Park of Legends” in Nowa Słupia, because it is worth listening to the story of Halina Krępianka, the Silnica River, flying on a broomstick, and simply getting closer to the history of this Świętokrzyskie region.
