Prince Popiel ІІ (or Duke Popiel) was a legendary 9th-century ruler of two proto-
Polish tribes, the
Goplans and
West Polans. He was the last member of the
Popielids, a mythical dynasty before the
Piasts. According to the chroniclers
Gallus Anonymus,
Jan DÅ‚ugosz
Jan Długosz (; 1 December 1415 – 19 May 1480), also known in Latin as Johannes Longinus, was a Polish priest, chronicler, diplomat, soldier, and secretary to Bishop Zbigniew Oleśnicki of Kraków. He is considered Poland's first histo ...
, and
Marcin Kromer
Marcin Kromer (Latin: ''Martinus Cromerus''; 11 November 1512 – 23 March 1589) was Prince-Bishop of Warmia (Ermland), a Polish cartographer, diplomat and historian in the Kingdom of Poland and later in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. He w ...
, as a consequence of his bad rule he was deposed, besieged by his subjects, and eaten alive by
mice
A mouse (: mice) is a small rodent. Characteristically, mice are known to have a pointed snout, small rounded ears, a body-length scaly tail, and a high breeding rate. The best known mouse species is the common house mouse (''Mus musculus' ...
in a tower in
Kruszwica
Kruszwica () is a town in central Poland, in the Inowrocław County in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship. It has a population of 9,161 (2010). Initially founded in the 6th century, Kruszwica is the oldest town in the region and features a medieva ...
.
As the legend goes, Prince Popiel was a cruel and corrupt ruler who cared only for wine, women, and song. He was greatly influenced by his wife, a beautiful but power-hungry German princess.
[Popiel's wife is sometimes called Ryksa (''Hilderyka'', or ''Brunhilda''); however, her name was never specified by medieval chroniclers (see]
''Historya narodu polskiego''
Volumes 3–4. By Adam Naruszewicz, 1836. Chapter "Podług rękopisma Puławskiego") Because of Popiel's misrule and his failure to defend the land from marauding
Vikings
Vikings were seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway, and Sweden),
who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded, and settled throughout parts of Europe.Roesdahl, pp. 9â ...
, his twelve uncles conspired to depose him; however, at his wife's instigation, he had them all poisoned during a feast (some believe that she committed the act herself). Instead of cremating their bodies as was the custom, he had the corpses cast into
Lake Gopło.
When the commoners saw what Popiel and his wife had done, they rebelled. The couple took refuge in a tower near the lake. As the story goes, a throng of mice and rats (which had been feeding on the unburnt bodies of Popiel's uncles) rushed into the tower, chewed through the walls, and devoured Popiel and his wife alive. Prince Popiel was succeeded by
Piast the Wheelwright
Piast the Wheelwright ( 740/741? – 861? AD; Polish language, Polish: ''Piast Kołodziej'' , ''Piast Oracz'', i.e. Piast the Plower, or ''Piast''; ''Piast Chościskowic'', Latin language, Latin: ''Past Ckosisconis'', ''Pazt filius Chosisconisu'' ...
and
Siemowit.
On the shore of
Lake Gopło stands a medieval tower, nicknamed the Mouse Tower; however, it bears no relation to the site of the events described in the legend as it was erected some 500 years thereafter.
See also
*
Mouse Tower – a similar legend about the cruelty and demise of
Hatto II (Archbishop of
Mainz
Mainz (; #Names and etymology, see below) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, and with around 223,000 inhabitants, it is List of cities in Germany by population, Germany's 35th-largest city. It lies in ...
).
* ''
An Ancient Tale'' – novel by Polish writer
Józef Kraszewski
References
External links
The Pomeranian and Kujawy Province
(Polish film about Prince Popiel.)
(Website summarizing information from medieval chronicles.)
Legendary Polish monarchs
9th-century Slavs
Deaths due to animal attacks
Rodent attacks
Slavic warriors
{{Europe-myth-stub