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Ann Cleeves | all galleries >> OTHER THEMED GALLERIES >> BELL TOWERS > HEJNAL BELL TOWER
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12-NOV-2009

HEJNAL BELL TOWER

Krakow - Poland

The Krakow fire department maintains six tower watchmen trumpeters who, in pairs, share the 24 hour watches from the top of the taller tower of the church of St Mary in the Market Square. The trumpeters take turns playing a tune called the 'Hejnal' which is heard four times on every hour, 365 days a year. This is a nearly unbroken tradition since 1241 when a trumpeter had an enemy arrow shot through his neck while in the process of sounding an alarm from the top of the city wall, to warn the town of approaching Tatar invaders. To commemorate this act, all subsequent trumpeters are reputed to have abruptly broken off the melody which the shot trumpeter is said to have been playing at the time. The sudden break in the melody is still made today in his memory


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