THE ELEMENTS THE MAGIC SWORD
THE ELEMENTS
THE MAGIC SWORD
Kayetan
His story was described by Janusz Korczak in the book ”Kaytek the Wizard”. As a child, Kayetan discovered his sorcery powers but when he was trying to learn more powerful spells, he got stuck in a magical glass castle for more than 50 years. When he finally broke free, he established a group of superheroes consisting of magically created clones of the most eminent Polish scientists and artists.
Maria
Maria is a clone of Maria Skłodowska-Curie, the Polish scientist twice awarded the Nobel Prize: first in physics, and then in chemistry for the discovery of two new elements: radium and polonium.
Fryderyk
Fryderyk is a clone of Fryderyk Chopin, Poland’s most eminent composer. As a superhero, he proves that even music can be an effective weapon in the fight against threats from outer space.
Nicolas
Nicolas is a clone of the astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus, who “stopped the Sun and moved the Earth,” and also revolutionised the perception of the Solar System structure with his work ”On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres”. Nicolas possesses the extremely useful Power of the Sun.
Krystyna
Krystyna Skarbek is an agent who spied for the Allies during World War II and worked with British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. She meets Kayetan during his time travel and decides to help him.
Staszek
Staszek is a clone of Stanislaw Lem, the world-famous science-fiction writer, and looks after the Earth Defender Squad’s base. In the Squad, he serves as a specialist on alien civilisations.
Ignacy
Ignacy is a clone of Ignacy Jan Paderewski, the composer, pianist, and politician who contributed significantly to the creation of an independent Polish state after the end of World War I. Paderewski was a pioneer of cultural diplomacy. The superheroes can always count on his advice.
Marian
Marian is a clone of the Polish cryptologist Marian Rejewski, who broke the code of the Enigma, the German cipher machine of World War II. He acts as a high-tech specialist in the Squad.
Northolt Airport (page 11)
Northolt Airport—a Royal Air Force station in West London, where the 303rd “Tadeusz Kościuszko Warsaw” Fighter Squadron was based from 1940. Polish pilots played a significant role in the air Battle of Britain, demonstrating valour and superb flying skills. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill said of them: “Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.”
The Battle of Grunwald (page 15)
The Battle of Grunwald—one of the greatest battles of the medieval era in Europe, which took place on 15 July 1410. The army of the Teutonic Order, supported by Western European knights, fought with the combined army of Poland and Lithuania. The battle ended in a decisive victory for the Polish–Lithuanian army, and is still considered one of the most important events in Polish history. It was described in the Henryk Sienkiewicz’s novel ”The Knights of the Cross”, or ”The Teutonic Knights” (”Krzyżacy”), which was turned into a film adaptation in 1960.
The Battle of Monte Cassino (page 22)
The Battle of Monte Cassino—one of the bloodiest battles of World War II, fought from January to May 1944 near the monastery of Monte Cassino in Italy. British, American, Canadian, and New Zealand forces attempted to conquer the hills, which were well fortified by strong German troops. Polish soldiers joined the fighting in May 1944 and suffered huge losses, but they forced the German troops to withdraw, thus opening the way for the Allies towards Rome.
Wierzynek’s Banquet (page 26)
Wierzynek’s Banquet—an event that took place in September 1364 during the congress of European monarchs and princes who had come to Kraków at the invitation of the Polish king Casimir III the Great. The Kraków merchant Mikołaj Wierzynek invited these guests to a unique feast, with its organisation and lavishness leaving a great impression on European rulers. Participants at the reception received wonderful gifts from the host, and news about Kraków spread to the farthest corners of Europe.
Copyright © Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland
Publisher: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland Department of Promotion and Cultural Diplomacy Warsaw, 2024
Script: Maciej Jasiński
Graphics: Arkadiusz Klimek, Jacek Michalski
Cover design: Rafał Szłapa
ISBN 978-83-68207-06-4
Printed and bound in Poland by SINDRUK, Opole, www.sindruk.pl
