Ancient Cult Sculptures of Ślęża

On the slopes of Ślęża and in Sobótka stand granite statues that researchers link with the Celtic cultural sphere and usually date to the La Tène period, around 400–200 BC. The best known are the Bear on the summit and the Maiden with a Fish in a roofed shelter by the trail. Many bear a carved diagonal cross, and the whole mountain is regarded as a former centre of a solar cult.

A sacred mountain

Ślęża was a cult centre of local tribes whose beginnings go back to the Bronze Age and which declined with Christianisation in the 10th–11th centuries. On and near the summit there are remains of stone ramparts about 12 m wide, as well as statues: the "Maiden with a Fish", the "Monk", the "Mushroom" and two "Bears". They are carved from pale biotite granodiorite, known as Strzeblów granite. Researchers associate the diagonal cross with a solar cult, although on some sculptures it may have been added only after Christianisation or in the 20th century.

The Bear on the summit

About 148 cm long and around 100 cm high, the statue schematically shows an animal standing on four legs – a bear or a wild boar. It was found by a road near Strzegomiany, probably not in its original location. It has been known at least since the 18th century, when it lay on its side; by 1853 it was standing upright, and in 1903 it was moved to the summit of Ślęża. Today it stands under a sycamore near the Church of the Visitation. Villagers from Strzegomiany reportedly pelted it with stones, shouting "Here's a piglet for you, boar" – nobody knows why. The bear's silhouette was included in the coat of arms of Sobótka designed in 1960.

The Maiden with a Fish and the second bear

On the northern slope, at about 495 m above sea level, the Maiden with a Fish and a second, damaged bear stand together in a roofed shelter beside the trail. The "maiden" is a headless figure in a pleated robe, holding upright with both hands a fish – probably a trout or salmon – about 1.4 m long. Despite the name, it most likely depicts a man. Today it measures about 2.2 m; originally it was at least 3 m tall. It was discovered in a rock rubble field in 1733 by Gottfried Heinrich Burghart, and the contrapposto stance of the legs reveals the influence of Greek sculpture.

The Monk and the Mushroom

The Monk stands in Sobótka on ul. Armii Krajowej, between the car park and the "Pod Wieżycą" hostel; it was moved here from near the village of Garncarsko. The Mushroom – probably the lower part of a human figure – is also in Sobótka.

Tripto tips

The easiest way to see the sculptures is on a single hike from Sobótka. The Monk is about 10 minutes from the car park on ul. Armii Krajowej, the Maiden with a Fish and the second bear stand beside the trail beyond Wieżyca, where the yellow trail joins the red one from Sobótka, and the Bear waits on the summit (718 m). Up Ślęża from Sobótka and back is about 8 km and just under 3 hours on foot. The statues are protected monuments: do not climb on them and do not revive the old custom of throwing stones.