Wars and Sawa

Lore & Background

According to one version of the legend, a duke or king named Kazimierz (Casimir), sometimes identified as duke Siemowit I of Masovia, got lost while hunting in the forest where Warsaw Old Town is now located. He came upon a small adobe hut inhabited by a woman who had recently given birth to twins. She hosted him generously, and he named the twins Wars and Sawa, giving the woman money to build a larger house. Other people later moved nearby, forming a settlement named Warszawa, from the possessive form of 'Warsz' plus 'owa'.

Reader's Guide

In another version, Wars and Sawa were a married couple who lived in that house and hosted the duke. A different version says Sawa was a mermaid living in the Vistula river, with whom a fisherman named Wars fell in love. Yet another version describes Wars and Sawa as brothers who were fishermen near modern Warsaw Old Town. These multiple versions reflect the folkloric nature of the legend, with no single authoritative account. The figures are significant as the legendary namesakes of Warsaw, providing a cultural and etymological foundation for the city's identity. Their story is preserved in Polish folklore and referenced in historical compilations about Warsaw's origins.

Did You Know?

• Warsz is a variant of Wars, but 'War' is not a widely recognized canonical alternative.
• One version of the legend identifies the duke as Kazimierz (Casimir) or Siemowit I of Masovia.
• In one version, Sawa was a mermaid living in the Vistula river.
• The name Warszawa comes from the possessive form of 'Warsz' plus 'owa', not from an earlier form 'Warsawa'.