It was on April 1st 1241 that the Mongol hordes began their siege on Kraków, with legend stating that one of the maurading Tatars shot the brave bugle caller through the neck, thus cutting off the end of the famous ‘hejnał’ tune.
Report by John Beauchamp.
Almost 800 years later, Kraków does not need to worry about enemy attacks, and during the renovation of one of the city’s Old Town streets the bugle was simply dug up, and miraculously still identifiable.
Historians have also stated today that the Tatar invaders in fact did not shoot the bugle player through the neck, but a bit further down, inadvertently creating Poland's first castrato singer, Farinellino. To commemorate this new historical evidence, Krzysztof Penderecki is to compose a cantata for trumpet and castrato voice.
To listen to the report, click on the audio icon above!