The poem, which we present here, comes from the debut volume of Białoszewski’s poems entitled Obroty rzeczy [How things revolve] from 1956. The works that made up this volume were created during the years 1952–1955 during the outings made by the poet together with his long-time friend and life partner, painter Leszek Soliński, in the vicinity of the Low Beskids, Bieszczady and Krosno. Apart from the cited Medieval tapestry about Biecz the works included in Obroty rzeczy were also the ones inspired by the area such as Barbara z Harczowa, Ballada krośnieńska or the Stara pieśń nad Binnarową which has been repeatedly interpreted...

Określenie smoka jako symbolu zła jest zakorzenione w Biblii – chociażby w Psalmach, gdzie potęga Boga jest opisywana w kontekście pokonywania smoków („Ty ujarzmiłeś morze swą potęgą, skruszyłeś głowy smoków na morzu” – Psalm 74,13; „Będziesz stąpał po wężach i żmijach, a lwa i smoka będziesz mógł podeptać” – Psalm 91,13). W Księdze Daniela pojawia się opowieść o zniszczeniu węża, czczonego przez Babilończyków – w dawnych przekładach, chociażby w Biblii Jakuba Wujka, zwany on był smokiem (Dn 14,23-27). No i wreszcie kluczową rolę odegrał smok w Apokalipsie: objawił się jako siła zła, czyhając na Niewiastę interpretowaną jako Matka Boska („I inny znak się ukazał na niebie: Oto wielki Smok barwy ognia, mający siedem głów i dziesięć rogów – a na głowach jego siedem diademów. I ogon jego zmiata trzecią część gwiazd nieba: i rzucił je na ziemię. I stanął Smok przed mającą rodzić Niewiastą, ażeby skoro porodzi, pożreć jej dziecię” – Ap. 12,3-4).

Skrzyneczka z kości słoniowej ze skarbca krakowskiej katedry należy do grupy zabytków wykonanych w Paryżu w 2. ćwierci XIV wieku – zabytki te dekorowane są scenami ze średniowiecznych romansów (zob. tekst Średniowieczne kobiety fatalne). Zestawienia poszczególnych epizodów uzupełniają się na zasadzie przeciwieństw: na przykład opowieści o miłości czystej zostały skontrastowane z legendami o cudzołóstwie. Szkopuł jednak w tym, że wiele średniowiecznych romansów jest tak skonstruowanych, że zamiast potępiać grzesznych kochanków, kibicujemy ich niemoralnemu związkowi.

Silver necklace made of several strands of double stranded wire. The ends of the necklace are forged in the lenticular plate form, decorated on one ornament, completed with hook and eye fastening.

The iron sword from the Mały Rynek [Small Market] Square in Kraków was discovered during the renovation of the square’s surface in 2007. So far, it is the only sword found in the archaeological research in the area of Kraków.

In the collection of the Regional Museum in Olkusz, there is a well-preserved medieval sword. It is called an executioner's sword, because local legend claims that it was used for an execution carried out in the square in Olkusz. Scientific research does not, however, confirm such a hypothesis with regard to the presented exhibit.

In the late Middle Ages, popular romances and knight poems, as well as legends from the north, had an enormous influence on court culture. On their basis, court customs developed, an essential aspect of which was an image of ideal love. This was reflected in the ceremonies glorifying the figure of a lady. The decoration of a small case from the 2^nd quarter of the 14^th century is some kind of interpretation of the medieval world-view, centred around courtly love, which — interestingly — was an ethical problem. Its moralistic and didactic themes, having literary sources, evoked good and bad examples of behaviour, building the principles of proper behaviour.

A small pouch made of a long piece of fabric sewn in half, reinforced on the sides with a silk tape, with a binding in the top part and a hole for a string used to tighten and loosen the pouch. At the bottom, there are decorative elements (tassels) consisting of gold circles made of thread and long single tassels. The whole pouch is embroidered with split stitch, long and short stitch and fishbone stitch. On one side, there are four human figures among thin trees with palmate leaves resembling oak leaves. On the other side, the same young woman is being led up a hill by the old man. Although interpretation of the scenes on the alms pouch is not certain, it is most likely they depict episodes from the story of Tristan and Iseult.  The tale of unhappy love of brave Tristan to beautiful Iseult, the wife of king Mark of Cornwall, was written down for the first time in the 12^th century and has been reappearing since then in many countries and language versions. Scenes embroidered on the pouch, enrooted in the Arthurian tradition, depict the clash of a sophisticated world of courtly ways (young and beautiful lovers) with wild forces of nature (the old men). There are only several alms pouches with similar decorations preserved until now.

The rationale consist of two wide ribbons that form the shoulder pieces, joined at the chest and at the back with large circular shields, to each of which, a pair of slightly narrower ribbons that go diagonally outwards is connected. All parts are covered with small pearls which serve as a background for decorations embroidered with gold thread. In the middle of each shield, inside four concentric circles, there is a standing figure of the Lamb of God with a halo round his head and a vexillum on a crossed flagpole. long the ribbons, separated by narrow strips, there are capitalised inscriptions.The ends of the hanging ribbons are sectioned with couples of strips and include shields with the emblems of the Kingdom of Poland (White Eagle) and the Kingdom of Hungary (Anjou). They are placed in such a way that whether you see the rationale from the front or the back, the Eagle is on the left and the Anjou coat of arms is on the right ribbon. All edges of the rationale are trimmed with a narrow stripe, while the edges of the ribbons are trimmed with long gold tassels. Threaded pearls decorating the rationale were fixed in strings to a linen base reinforced underneath with a thick stiffening. The lining was made of red damask. Several types of yellow thread was used for the embroidery: drawn cored wires – smooth, twisted into ropes, lamellae (plates) and the so called bullion. All stripes, letters, vignettes and the Lamb of God are embroidered on a relief base made of thread. Red-and-gold as well as blue-and-gold lamé was used for the background in the coats of arms.

The bronze original is located in the National Gallery in Prague. Once, it was in the third courtyard of the Prague Castle, where a bronze copy is now located. The original was probably created in 1373 and was funded by the Bohemian King and Roman Emperor Charles IV of Luxembourg, who was at the peak of his power at the time.