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FOLKS AND POEMS

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VIEVS

Kashubians Writers � Florian Ceynowa � Augustyn Necel � Aleksander Majkowski � Alojzy Nagel � Jerzy Bandrowski

� Aleksander Majkowski - 1876 -1938 - a Kashubian writer, poet and journalist. He was also the editor of Gryf(a Kashubian magazine) and the author of the greatest Kashubian novel - "The Life and Adventures of Remus" He was born in Kościerzyna and after high school he began studying medicine. Later on he got married in Warsaw and had four children. In 1914, Majkowski was drafted to the Prussian Army, he served as a doctor in Poland, Romania and France. During the war, he wrote a diary and two novels -"The. Pomeranians” (unfinished) and "The Life and Adventures of Remus". Because of personal and health problems he concentrated on literary work. Two last years of his life were very busy. He worked on "The Kashubian Grammar" (imcomplete)and "The History of the Kashubs". Also, he put a lot of effort into his guide to Kashubia. An English transation of "The Life and Adventures of Remus" was published in 2008.

�Florian Ceynowa - 1817 -1881 was a doctor, a writer and a linguist. He spent plenty of time studying Kashubian Language, culture and traditions. Ceynowa awakened Kashubian self-identity, opposing germanisation. He wanted to create an introduction of Kashubian standards in grammar, pronunciation and spelling. Ceynowa published Kashubian texts with their translations in other Slavic languages.

� Jerzy Bandroski was born in 1883 and died in 1940. he was a Polish writer, journalist and English translator. Beetwen 19151919 he was in Russia where he published patriotic brochures for soldiers. After he was back to Poland he lived in Lviv and then in Poznań. During WW 2 he was displaced by the Germans, moved to Cracow and soon after that he died. He visited Jastarnia in 1926 and stayed until 1927. He lived at a fisherman's house. David Długi was a very sociable person who was eager to tell interesting stories about the life and work of local fishermen. He wrote a trilogy based on those stories. The first book was published in 1927 and was calleb "On Polish Wave" The second book "Zolojka" was published in 1928 and the last one, "Sosenka z wydm" was published in 1930. In 1951 all his books were removed from the libraries and censored.

� Alojzy Nagel was born in 1930 in Kielno, near Wejherowo and died in 1998 in Gdynia. He was a Kashubian poet and prose writer and also an author of short stories for children. In 1943 he lost his mother and in 1945 his father was shot. He and his two sister were looked after by their aunt. In 1950 to avoid the army, he joined a monastery and started studying the teology but had to leave the order in 1952 because of health and hearing problems. After his aunt died, he returned to Kielno, where he lived in a house that was falling apart. Because of his poverty he was placed in a care home in Puck and then Wejherowo. He never had a family and he retired in 1983. In 1968 he got a Remus Award and in 1970 the first volume of his poems was published. It contained thirty poems. Between 1977 -1988 four volumes of stories for children were published. From 1992 Nagel started publishing religious poems and translating New Testament into Kashubian.

� Augustyn Necel was born in 1902 in Chłapowo and died in 1976 in Władysławowo. He was called the Kashubian Sienkiewicz. He was a fisherman but also the most prolific Kashubian writer. He went to a German school but learnt Polish from books and newspapers. When he was 14 years old he started working as a fisherman. Necel got married in 1929, had 4 sons and 3 daughters. His first novel "Boats with red sails" was published in 1954. Since then he wrote five popular books about actual life on the coast. Apart from that he wrote plenty of novels on different subjects, for example about the war , fishermen's life or Kashubian immigrants to America. Augustyn Necel was very hard-working, talented and ambitious but his style of writing had plenty of adversaries , who accused him of writing about Kashubians in Polish or making up stories that he claimed that actually happened.

Alozjy Nagel "Don't forget" I beg you, dear children. Don't forget Kashubian language. Your grandfather spoke Kashubian, Your father understood Kashubian. So what's going on with you, children? I need to say - something very wrong. Either a girl or a boy They can hardly speak any good Kashubian. Children, there is no need to be ashamed. Even when you are surrounded with strangers. Don't be embarrassed about your ancestors' language. Our language - a great treasure, More valuable than a hundred of others.

Augustyn Necel in his book "Out of the frying pan into the fire" describes the life of Kashubian Immigrants, fishermen and farmers, who left their homeland looked for good luck and happiness in the New World. Here is a fragment of the book: "-I have already paid for my ticketsaid Muża - but I'm back here because I have forgotten to take the bag of sand that I had taken from the beach in Kuźnica. - John, have you taken any sand? - asked Sophie. -I have from my best field where I harvested wheat. - So you're a Kain - said Muża to John. -Why is my husband a Kain? - asked Sophie. - Because the people of Hel Peninsula consider all farmers the descendants of Kain. Even on the peninsula not everyone is equal. People from Jastarnia think they're the best fishermen and their village is the capital of the peninsula. We in Kuźnica say -We are the best sailors. Chałupy belongs to Władysławowo and both villages are inhabited by Kains because they all have something to do with farming. - Why do you dislike them so much? - Why would we like them? The priest in Jastarnia says it's wrong to dislike them but we don't really listen to him because he knows nothing "

Aleksander Majkowski "Pomeranians” „My Pomeranians silent, forged Like an ancient monument from Scandinavian boulders. Ravaged with lightings of historical storms. Grey with parasite moss , a shelter for amphibians. I would like to destroy you like a shot from a steamy cloud And build an eternal temple from your debris And elevate the forehead of your tower to wards Pole star And bewitch a horal that always flows in your walls. You are a festive spring of my dreams and the sleepless night of my deepest worry. You are my doubt and the strenght of faith. You protrude like ancient tomb under which a famous hero sleeps buried And amphibian visit you when grey mosses grow. ”

"A Man Should Be Grateful" A man should thank God. But do we? He stopped talking, stood for a second and thought. - No. A man doesn't thank God. But hey, we will. He slowly started walking towards the dunes, from behind which he could hear a scarf but clear songof the sea. While walking he touched the rough warm bark of a pine tree with his hand said. -See, it thanks and you thank and even that stupid crow thank but a human being doesn't. But does he know. "

Kashubian notes

I LICEUM OGÓLNOKSZTAŁCZĄCE im. Stefana Żeromskiego w Pucku Marek Muża