Story for #Festive500 Lunch MTB Ride
This morning was freezing but sunny. Just a perfect winter weather. I decided to have the MTB ride. I rode the path on the Warta River to Rogalin. I've enjoyed this route a lot. the grasses in snow, the beautiful sun, the river with ice - all this pieces made a very special, amazing picture. My goal was to get to Rogalin - there I made a break in the garden of my favourite Palace, with ancient oaks - Lech, Czech and Rus. There is beautiful legend connected with this oaks...
Once upon a time, three brothers-princes Lech, Czech and Rus went on a hunt to the forest over the Warta River. The hunting was going smoothly, when suddenly a large herd of elks hurried out of the backwoods, led by an exceptionally beautiful stag. The riders set off in pursuit of the animal. Suddenly they got into a forest clearing, in the middle of which an impressive oak tree grew, together with a few young trees. The stag, surrounded on all sides, bent his neck and prepared to mortal combat. Suddenly Lech stopped the hunters crying:
- Halt! Do not kill! It is a holy grove!
The moose felt that the danger had passed and slowly walked away into the woods. Meanwhile, an old man with grey hair wearing a white robe came into the clearing - it was the priest of Svetovid, the guardian of the holy grove, who invited the unexpected guests to delicious mead. To commemorate this event, Lech ordered to build in this place a temple in which the old man could duly fulfil his priestly ministry. In this place a settlement called Rogalin was also established (from the Polish word "rogi" meaning "antlers") - to commemorate the meeting with the remarkable stag. The years passed....
The messengers arrived to Rogalin to Duke Mieszko with an order to destroy the statue of Svetovid; they were commanded to spread the new faith. An oak cross was put on the old temple as a symbol of the new faith. Three mighty oaks growing around the temple were left uncut only because they bore the names of the legendary rulers of the Slavs - Lech, Czech and Rus.
The legend has it that they are the same oaks that have grown in the Pank in Rogalin until today.
After a moment of reflection in Rogalin I came back home through Greater Poland National Park. It started to getting dark and raining. When I got back home I realized that I forgot to take the keys... I had to make a few kilometers more to the commercial center where my father was making the shopping. Then I could finally come back home and drink a cup of a hot tea :)
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