Legends are often written about old cities. Often eerie, but almost always instructive. Events in them are usually associated with specific streets, parks and castles. And if, wanting to find such places, you undertake to study the images on the money of the world, then you can be sure that you will be successful.
Wolverine "hunting grounds"
The reverse side of the out-of-circulation Polish 10,000 zloty banknote depicts a deserted alley drowning in the predawn twilight. Its far end, illuminated by a dim gas lamp, drops off at the walls of an ancient castle. At the same time, trees devoid of foliage, as if frozen in tense anticipation, only enhance the ghostly atmosphere of the landscape.
This is a fragment of the painting "Planty Park at Dawn" by a native of the Austrian Empire Stanislav Wyspianski (1869-1907). Planty is the name of the city park around the historic center of Krakow.
It is difficult to say what the banknote artist was guided by, changing the original color scheme in such a way that the viewer at the landscape has a slight sense of anxiety. Perhaps this is a kind of hint at the complex aura of the depicted place. Because the medieval structure in the background is nothing more than the Wawel Royal Castle. And he, they say, has sheltered more than one mysterious entity within his walls.
On the hill where the castle stands, archaeologists to this day find the remains of people who died a violent death. Their restless souls have not left Wawel for centuries. But the ghost of the wolverine is considered the most creepy otherworldly inhabitant of the castle. Rather, it is a kind of invisibility, casting a shadow resembling this animal in outlines. Rumor has it that an evil demon in the form of a terrible beast wanders around on dark nights, attacking lonely travelers. That is, the towers and walls presented on the banknote are included in the range of a ghostly predator. According to legend, the appearance of a mysterious monster marked the birth of the future Grand Duke of Lithuania, and later the King of Poland, Vladislav II Jagiello (1362-1434). The invisible man casting the shadow of a wolverine then staged a pogrom in the castle and in the poultry yard, and then disappeared as suddenly as he appeared.
In the world of money, there is at least one more banknote that causes a feeling of inexplicable discomfort. This is Guatemala's 2009 commemorative note of 200 quetzals. The drawing on it, by the way, was also borrowed from an artistic canvas (painting by Mariano Valverde "Moonlit Night over the Ruins").
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Mystical Prague
However, the glory of the most mystical city belongs to the capital of the Czech Republic. Many of its sights ended up in the national currency. Take, for example, the Vysehrad Fortress (founded in the 10th century), as if hanging over the deep Vltava south of the center of Prague. She was featured on a 1,000 kronor note.
According to the writer and connoisseur of folklore Popelka (Maria) Bilianova (1862-1941), only on Vysehrad paranormal activity was recorded in several dozen places.
What have not been seen there! And processions of spirits to the cemetery, where many leaders of the Czech Republic rested; and dances of ghostly maidens; and the fiery man in the casemates; and the White Lady in the Bell Tower; and the Gray Granny in the underground chapel; and the Black Dog with burning eyes. And even a black carriage with a headless coachman, drawn by headless horses and accompanied by a headless dog!
The legend about the most dangerous local ghost - the French major is also connected with the Vysehrad fortress. This major commanded a detachment that broke into Prague among the first (the city was occupied in 1741), but was mortally wounded and could not enjoy the fruits of victory. They say that even today you can see him walking along the ancient walls. In the old days, an evil spirit literally raged in the fortress: it strangled the guards, frightened the breeders and even tried to push people into the river. The poor soldiers didn't know what to do. They shot at the ghost and stabbed him with their sabers. But the bullets and blades did not cause any harm to the native of the other world. Some of the veterans of the military campaigns turned gray, some began to stutter, and some were so scared that they were already thinking of deserting.
But one day a certain Austrian lieutenant appeared in the garrison, who, when he met a ghost, was not afraid. And he took and greeted him as a senior in rank. The French major broke into a smile. And then he patted the Austrian on the shoulder and disappeared into thin air. Since then, he has not scared anyone.
The Charles Bridge
Most often, the stories on Czech money were dedicated to the Charles Bridge - the most popular tourist attraction in Prague. Today you can see the bridge empty only at dawn. They say that it was then that the belated Prague ghosts still rustle with half-rotted shrouds between the dimming lights in the fog on the stone crossing. Because from 10 in the morning and until darkness on the Charles Bridge there is no crowd of tourists.
The history of this bridge is ancient. The flood of 1342 destroyed its 500-meter stone predecessor, which was considered the longest in Europe. This was a real disaster for the Prague trade, and the King of Bohemia, Charles IV, ordered the construction of a new crossing over the Vltava. The court astronomer calculated a suitable time for the start of construction. The formula derived by him looked like this: 1-3-5-7-9-7-5-3-1. And it meant 1357, July 9, 5 hours and 31 minutes. But everyone understood perfectly well that one formula would not be enough. And without good cement, the new bridge faces the fate of the old one. Someone suggested mixing wine and raw eggs with cement. I liked the idea. And carts with unusual "building components" reached Prague from all over the country.
Not without funny incidents. Residents of one region, having decided that the eggs on the road could break, instead of raw ones, they sent to the capital … boiled ones.
On both sides of the famous stone ferry there are 30 statues of various saints. However, the most interesting one is not on the bridge, but next to it on the shore. In all its details, it can be seen on the well-known to collectors 100 crowns of 1940. By the way, in the same place, if you wish, you can see its true location - this is a barely noticeable vertical line closer to the center of the farthest of the bridge arches. The sculpture is not just a medieval knight, but the legendary character of the Czech legends of Brunsvik. It is thanks to him that a lion is depicted on the country's coat of arms. In his right hand, the warrior, clad in armor, holds a sword, and the left rests on a heraldic shield. Brunswick traveled a lot around the world. And once he witnessed the battle of the king of beasts with a seven-headed monster. The knight helped the maned predator to defeat the dragon,and since then the lion has become his faithful friend. By the way, Brunswick's golden sword was known as magic. It was enough to say the spell "Everybody's head off their shoulders!", As he himself dealt with the enemies. And, according to legend, this Czech Exská Libur is walled up in one of the pillars of the Charles Bridge.
Magazine: Secrets of the 20th century №8. Author: Rolf Meisinger