Castle on the hill

“I tried to imagine what it had been like centuries ago when the castle stood here … The fortress was made of sandstone and hidden among trees. Strongly fortified, surrounded by an earthen wall and wooden palisades, and finally by a moat. The earthen wall was later on replaced by a stone wall. A flag was flowing above the tower. A white swan painted on it, stood on its firm, widely spaced legs. Ironically, an ancient symbol of beauty and perfection looked predatory on the red background of the flag. The bird’s wings were lifted as if it was preparing for flight. It was the coat of arms of the Skrzynski family – the most famous, or I should rather say infamous, owners of the castle.”

A medieval castle, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

 

The Swan – the code of arms of the Skrzynski family, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons