Legend of Popiel and Rise of the Piast Dynasty

Prince Popiel’s Dark Reign
Long before Poland had any kings of the Piast line, it had Popiel — at least that’s what the legend holds. This king is not known for wisdom or justice, but for greed and cruelty. Popiel sat laxly and fearfully, giving big feasts to everyone and refusing advice, including that from his own family. He is said to have poured poison over 12 uncles at a banquet, anxious and urged on by his wife, a German princess, to eliminate their sway over him.

But actions have consequences.” And after they tossed their bodies into the lake with no decent burial, legend has it, a horde of mice appeared — thousands, not ordinary but almost supernatural in number. These vermin to be the avengers gave chase to Popiel and his queen as they ran toward a high tower. They holed up there, but the mice chewed through stone and wood until they had consumed every last vestige of the couple, leaving only silence and an empty crown behind.

The tower is still there in Kruszwica, and visitors report that scratchings can still be heard behind the walls to this day.

Legend Meets History
Below the ghost story lies a site of real historic value. Archaeological excavations in Kruszwica reveal it as an important settlement in the 8th and 9th centuries, with fortifications, bridges and trade routes. Hardly a forgotten outpost of nothingness, it was one of the most lively political and military powerhouses of early Greater Poland.

Kruszwica was already in the 10th century a cradle of the early Piast dynasty. This region hosted the first events of the history of the Polish state, power in this region broke up into mythical rulers as Popiel and factual rulers from the new Piast dynasty.

The tower that stands there today is not the same one that existed in Popiel’s time. The existing structure, constructed in the 14th century of red brick and reaching 32 meters in height, was built by King Casimir the Great. While built centuries later, it represents the mythical transition from the oppressive era to when a tyrannical dynasty was ushered in. It’s perched on a peninsula in the lake’s northern corner, on or near what may have been the original power center — though others say that site lay 20 kilometers to the south, on the eastern shore of Lake Gopło.

Where Myth Meets Memory
It is the name of the lake itself which gives a particular depth to the legend. Calm on the surface yet deep down dark, it’s an ideal backdrop for old stories. Today, visitors can boat across its waters or walk the narrow paths that shadow the ancient settlement. As the fog lifts, it is not hard to imagine the vengeful mice gliding silently through the fog.

Although historians question whether Popiel ever actually existed or was a mythological creation to explain the decline of another clan and the rise of the Piasts, the story has stuck. Stories like this persist because they tell truths, timeless truths about power, justice and fear.

Kruszwica is now a quiet and hospitable town. In addition to the noted tower, there are cobbled streets, a Romanesque basilica and a small town square. Residents here are fiercely proud of their history and quick to share the many endings of Popiel — at least four, according to most accounts.

Visitors canvisit indeed the archeological parkm, reconstructions of the early Piast and recovered objects. But the most memorable moment is being on the tower at sunset, with the lake sparkling far below, and feeling the presence of the past so palpably you can almost touch it.

Kruszwica is more than history, it’s the place where myth crashes into reality, where the tale of a nation’s birth is narrated in rock, lore and the whisper of a breeze.

Next Stop: Gniezno: Cradle of Polish Christianity
The next chapter brings us to Poland’s first capital—Gniezno, land of saints, and the birthplace of kings and Christianity in Poland.