Art and Folklore

SIERPC, Poland  Who could have possibly imagined that while visiting the Museum of the Mazovian Countryside here on July 30, 2008 we would encounter the very personification of one of Nobel laureate Henryk Sienkiewicz's most beloved, entertaining, shrewd and patriotic fictional characters - Pan Jan Onufry Zagloba, who appears to the delight of the reader in the 17^th century-set Polish epic classics of "With Fire and Sword," "The Deluge," and other celebrated books by the author.

After touring the many authentic and unique buildings in this amazing Mazovian skansen, located here 75 miles north-west of Warsaw, our foursome (three Polish friends and I) retreated from the hot summer sun to the 18^th century log-constructed karczma (inn/tavern), well protected by its heavily thatched roof, for necessary refreshments.

Read more: Pan Zagloba- Visiting Mazovian Countryside Museum

WASHINGTON, D.C. An Imaginary Flight Becomes A Reality. The fully booked imaginary LOT Polish Airline flight to ‘Poland The Beautiful' became airborne here in the Grand Ballroom at the Embassy of the Republic of Poland on June 6, 2008. Upon ‘landing' in Poland, a score and more of African-American students, mainly 6^th graders at the Anne Beers Elementary School, proceeded to take the many passengers on a very unique and lively cultural tour of Poland.

Polish Embassy Embraces Washington School Children. Students from the Anne Beers Elementary School in Washington, D.C., participating in Embassy Adoption Program, are featured above singing ‘Piekna Nasza Polska Cala' (Poland The Beautiful) at the Embassy just prior to their departure to Warsaw, Poland.

Read more: Poland The Beautiful: An Imaginary Flight

Poland was represented by two groups of Highlanders from Chicago area in 2007.

Siumni is a Highlander's dancing and music group. The group was created about 7 years ago in Chicago. Once a year they get together in summer during Watra (correct pronounciation: Vatra). One can see some photographs from Siumni's watra. Watrais a highlander's watch-fire. Siumni's Watra is also the occassion for the dance performances, songs and picnic. The benefits from Watra help to pay for promotion of the Polish Highlander Culture - like a travel to Trailing of the Sheep Festival, etc. Marek Ogorek and Zdzislaw Miernicki are in charge of art and performance, Andrzej Tokarz is in charge of administration and promotions. Andrzej (Andrew) Tokarz is also a member of the Polish Highlanders Alliance board. He is also a president of PTDWA described below.

Read more: Polish Highlanders in their Folk Costumes

In the first part of the article we presented several photographs of Polish highlanders in the regional costumes, see it at Trailing of The Sheep Festival in Central Idaho with Polish Mountaineers.

Here we have some pictures of other ethnic groups present in Central Idaho. Basques are always represented in big numbers since quite many Basques live in Boise region. Basques first arrive in America with Columbus. More of them came later with Spanish colonists to South America. From there some left to California to search for gold. Eventually they ended up herding sheep in California, Nevada, Oregon and Southwestern Idaho. Here is the link to the official website of the festival: Trailing of the Sheep. Below are some photographs from 2006 festival.

See Polish Mountaineers: Folk Costumes and Polish Folk Costumes in Different Regions of Poland: Past and Present

I recommend Eyewitness Travel Guide to Poland (Eyewitness Travel Guides) by Teresa Czerniewics-Umer, Malgorzata Omilanowska, Jerzy S. Majewski, DK Travel Writers

This comprehensive book about Poland, showed below, may also be useful for you:
The Rough Guide to Poland by Mark Salter, Jonathan Bousfield