What happened
Chojnik Castle stands on a mountaintop above a cliff known as Hell's Valley. Legend tells of Kunegunde, daughter of the castle's lord, who promised her hand to whoever could ride around the castle walls on horseback in full armour. The task was almost impossible, and knight after knight fell into the abyss – in some versions even her father died this way. At last a daring knight succeeded. When Kunegunde ran out to greet him, he declared that he would not marry a woman who had caused the deaths of so many innocent men, and rode away. Humiliated, the princess threw herself into the abyss. Ever since, on moonlit nights the ghost of a horseman – one of the victims of the cruel test – is said to appear on the walls. The story was made famous by German Romantic literature: Theodor Körner's ballad “Der Kynast” was published posthumously in 1835.
Witnesses
Folk tradition of the Karkonosze region; the legend was preserved by Theodor Körner and Friedrich Rückert, and after 1945 by Polish guidebook writers.
Explanations and hypotheses
Kunegunde does not appear in any document – she is a literary figure, and the motif of a deadly test for suitors is known from many European tales. The castle itself has a documented history: on 31 August 1675 it was struck by lightning during a storm and, after the fire, was never rebuilt. As early as the 19th century the ruins attracted spa guests from nearby Cieplice, for whom an inn was opened there – and it was then that the legend became most popular.
Legend A story handed down through generations – it can be neither confirmed nor disproved.
Sources
- Zamek Chojnik – Legendy (oficjalna strona)
- Zamek Chojnik – Historia Zamku Chojnik (oficjalna strona)
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