A Pillar-type Roadside Shrine on a Hillock in Wykno (Będków Commune)

Abstract

Tracing the history of the site, which featured perhaps a barrow, but certainly a mound, at first a boundary mound, then perhaps a burial mound, and on top of that a pillar vogue, is a mystery in itself. Attempts have been made to reconstruct possible historical events concerning this rare phenomenon, which, according to oral accounts and fairly general written sources or outlines, constituted a place separating the estates of Wykno and Będków. But it is also a possible burial site, perhaps once the abode of ethnic gods, to which the Catholic Church sought to give Catholic significance. There are several possibilities for interpreting the history and significance of this otherwise unusual site, as well as the pillar vogue occurring there.