Devil Boruta (Łęczyca)

Character and look.

Devil Boruta was presented in  many ways of characters. A popular version he is a tall noble with long, black mustache and dark eyes. People called him Black Boruta or Noble Boruta.

However, Boruta was seen in many places. For example as a big bird with large wings on the meadows or as a big fish with horns at the Bzura River. He was also met as an owl.  He robbed  nearby mills from flour. He gave it to the poor.

The symbol of devil’s presence was fire which suddenly burnt  and quickly went out.

Boruta lived in 14th century.  In 1360 when people were building the Royal Castle in Łęczyca, the king Kazimierz the Great went through Łęczyca and got stuck in his carriage in the mud. Boruta helped him. The King Kazimierz the Great gave him a castle.

Łęczyca; this wooden statue of Casimir greets visitors to the castle.

There are a lot of versions how Boruta became a devil. Probably in the 14th century in his castle the Prince of Mazowsze had to hide hoard. Since that time on  Boruta was seen in dungeons of the castle.

Boruta sometimes goes outside and he saves chest of gold. In the legends Boruta is clever and cunning. He has also superhuman powers. He usually outwid people by his devil’s trick but in a lot of legends he appears as good man who helps poor people.

Boruta as a drownman

Befind Witonia there is a pond in which drownman alives. People believe that this drownman was a ghost which swallowed drank people to the pond. He could be a mouse, a fish or a child. He is devious.

Boruta as a muddy

Boruta is famous in Łęczyca. Boruta was angry that church was being built next to his house. He was disturbing the workers and trying to distroy a church. After a few years, the God's house was built. One dark and wet night, dirty Boruta wanted to distroy one of the towers. He failed.  Since them the sign of his hand still is there.

Boruta as a noble

Until now, near the ruins of the Leczyca’s castle Boruta devil lives. People saw him many times when he was walking there. People think that now he is too old to leave his house too often. He stays in dungeons and quarts his gold. Many people tried to take his money away, but hardy no one managed to do it and survive. But anyone who dealt with Boruta was alived after it.

The noble lived next to the castle and wasn’t afraid of anything. He was good at fighting with a sword. Even neighbours started to call him Boruta and he liked it. One day that noble bet with the other people that he would rob Boruta’s money. It was midnight when he stopped in front of the entrance of the dungeons and he got scared. He was walking more confident with every step. He got to a chamber full of gold and diamonds. In the centre of the room a noble was sitting on a chair.

- Hello Master – Stanger started talking.- Who are you?
- Boruta, and you?
- I’m Boruta too but I don’t remember you as a member of my family.
 Now the noble discovered that another one was a devil.
 - Have you come for my money?- The devil asked.
- I won’t take all the money.
- You are so modest and brave. Take as much as you want and then we will have a drink.

The noble started to pack the money into his pockets and sacks.

- To your health - devil!- the noble started to toast. When he drank his alcohol, he got frightened. He started to run away with the gold. Ghosts and devil started to follow him. Luckily, the rooster started to craw and everything disappeared when the noble got out of the caves, he looked into the sacks. The money changed into the stones.

No one believed that he visited Boruta. People didn’t want to talk to him. It was said that he still called his brothers  Borutas. A year later,  he went  hunting and didn’t come back. Nobody knows what happened to him.

Boruta as a peasant

People say a story about this bad ghost. The priest from Łęczyca was praying when he was invited for a dinner. When he was walking through the meadows, he met peasant who was smiling  when he saw him and he said:
'Good evening! '
' But it is morning , not evening. ' – a suprised priest replied.
' It must be evening, beacuse it is becoming dark! '
Priest recognised who he is talking to. This is Boruta who took a treasure.

Boruta as an owl

Boruta is the name of a famous devil who lives under the Łęczyca's  castle. He is very old about  400 years old. He became rich and he has hidden himself since then.

Royal Castle in Łęczyca was built about 1350 by the king Casmir III the Great...

Later the castle served as a prison for the gentry, but for the whole period of its existence it has been officially recognized as the residence of Boruta Devil - a malicious prankster who has been accompanying the local community for generations... Łęczyca, Poland...

Nearby Łęczyca's castle the noble lived whose name nobody knew. He was very brave and he won ale the fights. He received the nickname - Boruta , because it was believed that the devil Boruta had to help him with the fights.

He was called  Grey Boruta, because he was wearing a grey cap. From that time on, nobody disturbed him, because people were afraid of him. People had Grey Boruta in high esteem. It made him feel proud of himself . Grey Boruta promised that if he found the devil Boruta, he would take his treasure away .

Grey Boruta often drank a lot of alcohol - he toasted at the devil Boruta. Grey Boruta had a lof of money, but he spent all of them quickly. So he decided to steal some treasures from the Devil Boruta's vault.

At midnight he lit a lamp and he went to the dungeons. He was going and walking around the dungeons and finally he found gold and wealth. He was very suprised, because he saw an owl - Grey Boruta knew that this owl was the image of the devil Boruta. Grey Boruta bowed down. Then he started to fill his pocket with all gold. He also packed it to his mouth and then when he was going out, the door closed and it hurt his foot . He was covered with his blood, he hardly reached his home. From that time, he had  lot of money, but he lost his health. One day neighbour killed him.

The house was empty and nobody wanted to live there, because the devil Boruta often sat on the willow and he was transfering the treasures to his castle.