A Polish song about the Swedish-Polish War in 1598. In this year, the Catholic Sigismund Vasa, legitimate hereditary king of Sweden, (and also elective king of Poland), was forced to lead a military expedition against his native country, Sweden, to suppress the rebellion led by his Protestant uncle, Duke Karl. The ambitious Duke had been appointed Regent of Sweden, but took advantage of Sigismund's protracted absences in Poland to initiate a revolt. He exploited Sigismund's Catholicism to pose as the heroic defender of Protestantism in Sweden (which had already experienced a Lutheran reformation under previous Vasa kings). Sigismund's expedition was a failure; his far more ruthless uncle crushingly defeated him at the Battle of Stångebro. Sigismund fled to Poland soon afterwards, and lost his Swedish crown. The usurping uncle became king, and cruelly suppressed Sigismund's supporters, executing many leading noblemen who had fought for their rightful monarch. Karl's son, Gustavus Adolphus, would later achieve fame as the Protestant champion in the Thirty Years War.
I admit I do not understand Polish at all; but I love this song! I think the music fits the mood of these stirring events very well!
1 comment:
Another sad story about monarchs. Religion is only a garment for the wild ambition of usurpers to crown...Nice song too!
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