A Tartar on Horseback

This figure is a reference both to historical events (the 13^th-century Tartar invasions) and half-legendary stories about the city being saved by rafters from Zwierzyniec. In times past, the Lajkonik would participate in each Corpus Christi procession, walking alongside members of the rafters’ guild. When, in the late 18^th century, figures in “weird” and “risible” outfits were forbidden from participating in this Catholic celebration, the Lajkonik Festival was moved to the day closing the octave of Corpus Christi (i.e. the Thursday of the week after the feast). Today, the prancing Lajkonik stops traffic in the streets of Kraków, and being touched by his mace is said to bring good luck and prosperity. Since 2014, the Lajkonik Festival in Kraków has been included in the national list of intangible cultural heritage.

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