Krakonoš (Rübezahl) - Trutnov, Czech Republic - Epic Beings and Creatures on Waymarking.com

Krakonoš (Rübezahl) is a folklore mountain sprite of the Giant Mountains (Riesengebirge, in Czech - Krkonoše), a mountain range along the border between the historical lands Bohemia and Silesia. He is the subject of many legends and fairy tales in German folklore.

Apparently, mountain and forest sprite has been taking place in the people's subconscious since the 15th century. The character of “Krakonos” is a typical example of how people's imagination associates its heroes with specific localities. His properties express the mountain nature, so he is a sort of mountain incarnation. He is able to be a giant and a sprite – the contrast between the bigness and the smallness, he reigns over the wind and the weather, he is able to cause a windstorm, to provoke thunders and bolts, and especially when someone offends him. He preserves mountain nature, medicinal plants and roots, he owns all mineral treasures and he hates when people want to get them for themselves.

Other legend says that the giant Krakonos lives somewhere up on the bleak windswept plains. He's usually portrayed as a bearded, pipe-smoking character with big felt hat, with enormous power to do both good and evil in the mountains. His name in German - "Ruebezahl" means "the one who counts turnips", and there's a legend that he once kidnapped the princess Emma, and carried her up to his lair in the mountains. To stop her mind wandering to thoughts of escaping, he left her with an order to count his turnips.
Some people agree that Krakonos is a personification of the forces of nature. (The people who first settled here often had to face sudden, unexpected changes in the weather, so sudden, that they were hard to explain rationally.)
Krakonos is regarded by czech people as fair-minded ruler of these mountains.
He comes into usual contact with other people, he can reward those who behave well, he even gives worthless trinkets that change into gold afterwards. He plays a trick on people, but he is even able to punish them by misguiding them in order to get them lost.

The "respect" to this mythical figure reflects also in the presented statue which dominates fountain placed main square of town Turnov in North Bohemia. The square as well as the fountain bear the name of the figure - i.e. "Krakonošovo námestí" (square) and "Krakonošova kašna" (fountain).

Time Period: Middle Ages Approximate Date of Epic Period: Middle Ages Epic Type: Mythical Exhibit Type: Figure, Statue, 3D Art

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