Sleza - a house of ancient Gods
Mar
5th
Thirty kilometers southwest of Wroclaw , in a lowland area, the Ślęża massif arises.
The name of the mountain is probably derived from the Old Slavic word “ślęg” what means a swampy place, often wrapped in fog. This corresponds to the climate of this area. The Ślęża (718 meteres) is the highest summit of the Ślęża massif and a place of great importance to early pagans.
Legend says that the Ślęża came into being as a result of a battle between angels and devils, which resulted in blocking the devils’ entry to hell.
Centuries ago, the Ślęża was a site of the pagan cult of the local tribes. This is why this mountain was believed to be a kind of Silesian Olympus in those times. The beginnings of life and culture of the local tribes is dated in the Bronze Age (ca. 700 BC) and the pagan culture declined when Christianization began in the 10th and 11th centuries. The cult center on the Ślęża was primarily dedicated to the sun god. Besides the sun cult, local tribes revered trees, the moon, stars, and atmospheric phenomena (rains, storms, and winds).
Remainders of that period are several pagan monuments and mysterious shafts piled up around the Ślęża, Radunia, and Wieżyca mountains.
The Ślęża massif is currently regarded as a very scenic area and is visited by many tourists every year. They like celebrating the coming of the New Year on top of the mountain and spending free time with family and friends. However, if anyone walks alone in the environs of the Ślęża and deviates from the main route, he can come across the old places of the pagan cult and feel the spirit of centuries past when pagan culture existed.
