Saint John's Eve *** Noc Świętojańska *** Sobótka *** Wianki *** Wiła Wianki *** Brathanki

Graj, Panu, Graj!

KLIKNIJ TUTAJ

CLICK HERE

New Christmas CD

Saint John's Eve *** Noc Świętojańska *** Sobótka *** Wianki

Amazon.com Widgets

The maidens would throw herbs to the fire, in hopes that it would protect them from evil. To demonstrate their agility, the young men would jump over fires.

At midnight the search for the elusive fern’s flower would begin as the “unmarried” ran into forest.

If you found the flower of fern, the wishes of life may be fulfilled. A lucky man returning with the flower would wear the flowered wreath of his engaged on his head

After Poland embraced Christianity in 966, its ancient traditions were replaced with Catholic ones. In the 14th century, the bishop of Poznan banned celebrations held on the eves of holy days. However the pagan rituals were often linked to Catholic feast days. Respectful of the Church, the celebration was moved ahead to the night of St. John the Baptist—June 24th being Sobótka, his feast day.

The night of merrymaking—also known as St. John’s Night or “Noc Świętojańska" —is still observed in parts of Poland and some Polish communities in the United States. It has its roots in pre-Christian pagan rituals that honored two important elements: fire and water. It is also a feast celebrating the Sun as a source of light and warmth on the longest day of the year, usually June 23.

The ancient tradition is to burn bonfires, bathe in open waters at sunset, and sing and dance until midnight.

Young maidens dressed in white, with wreaths of yellow and white wild flowers upon their heads would set afloat candled wreaths on the rivers, in hopes that a fitting mate would find the wreath when fishing and fall in love with them. The rite is known as “Rzucanie Wianków” (throwing of wreaths). In Slavic tradition the wianek is a symbol of unmarried state—maidenhood.

A gdy ona te wianki nad Wisłą wiła przyszedł do niej rycerzyk młody

Mila ach miła- tak rzecze do niej

I udała się z tym młodym rycerzykiem w świat daleki

I udała się z tym rycerzykiem w świat

I udała się z tym młodym rycerzykiem w świat daleki

I udała się z tym rycerzykiem w świat

Gm Cm Gm

I nie uszło nic więcej jak dziewięć miesięcy siedzi ona nad Wisłą

- płacze

G D7 G

I nie uszło nic więcej jak dziewięć miesięcy siedzi ona nad Wisłą

- płacze

Em G D D7 G

Miłość ach miłość zdradziłaś Ty mnie

Em G D D7 G

Miłość ach miłość zdradziłaś Ty mnie

I rzuciła się z rozpaczy do tej falującej wody

I rzuciła się z rozpaczy do tej wody

I rzuciła się z rozpaczy do tej falującej wody

I rzuciła się z rozpaczy do tej wody

Wiła wianki

Performed by Brathanki*

* BRATHANKI is a popular Polish folk-rock group. They combine Polish, Hungarian and Czech folk elements with rock music. Their recoding of Wiła wianki is more upbeat than the complete version (provided on this page) which concludes with the young mother attempting to end it all by throwing herself into to Vistula River in despair.

Polonia Music Videos

St. John’s Night: a night of merrymaking

Wiła Wianki