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Accepted Paper
Paper short abstract
The aim of this paper is to present Polish folk narratives from the 19th - early 20th centuries concerning stone statues resembling human figures and and their connections with the natural landscape.
Paper long abstract
The aim of this paper is to present Polish folk narratives from the 19th - early 20th centuries concerning stone statues resembling human figures and and their connections with the natural landscape. Many legends on this subject suggest that they were created under the influence of a spell cast in anger by a dissatisfied person—for example, upon a wedding procession or a lazy girl. The greatest number of such tales has been recorded in Kashubia, though they also appear in mountainous regions. Stone figures are also present in magic tales, such as those about the quest for the water of life and people turned into stone after looking back despite a prohibition.
Narratives about stone people, sometimes linked to specific locations, can be associated with two phenomena. Firstly, with stone figures made by humans for cult purposes, and secondly, for instance, with natural mountain formations—granite shapes formed under the influence of climate. While today the causes of both types of stone formations are known, in the past folk stories provided explanations through the intervention of nature and/or the power of a word spoken at the wrong moment. The connection between rocks and humans or humanoid beings is also reflected in the names of stone figures, such as Prussian women, giants, or pilgrims.
Haunted landscapes: landforms and water bodies from a geo-folklore perspective
Session 2 Tuesday 16 June, 2026, -