BARBORA’S GHOST

BARBOROS ŠMĖKLA

Karalienė Barbora buvo Didžiojo Lietuvos kunigaikščio Žygimanto Augusto žmona, kunigaikščio Jurgio Radvilos duktė, pirmiau ištekėjusi už Trakų vaivados Stasio Goštauto, bet greit pirmasis jos vyras mirė ir ji paliko jauna našlė…………..

English Translation by Gloria O’Brien

Queen Barbora was the wife of Lithuania’s Grand Duke Žygimantas Augustas, the daughter of Duke Jurgis Radvila, first married to S. Goštautas, vaivada of Trakai, who soon died and left her a young widow. Žygimantas Augustas, living in Vilnius, fell in love with her and they were secretly married. The marriage was held secret for a long while, as his father, King Žygimantas, was against it, as were all the Polish nobles. To avert suspicion, Žygimantas Augustas lived in Vilnius, sending Barbora to the Radvila estate in Dubingiai. Soon after, his father King Žygimantas, died, and Žygimantas Augustas brought Barbora to Vilnius and publicly announced she was his wife. Although Žygimantas Augustas was chosen to be King, the Polish nobles were unwilling to acknowledge Barbora their Queen, fearing her influence on the King might incline him to favor the Lithuanian nobles over them. They especially feared the powerful Radvila family.

But Žygimantas Augustas overcame all obstacles, and Barbora was crowned Queen of Poland. But they were able to enjoy their happiness for just a short time, before Barbora fell gravely ill. Some historians suspect the old queen, Bona Sforza, who disliked her Lithuanian daughter-in-law, of having her poisoned. Feeling unloved in a country strange to her, Barbora asked that, upon her death, her body should be returned to her native land for burial in Vilnius Cathedral.

The year was 1551, and on the afternoon of May 8, Queen Barbora raised her stiffening hands, embraced her husband’s royal neck and, pressing her cold lips to his, breathed her last and gave up her soul to God.

There was no end to the King’s grief. Just as earlier, during her illness, he never stepped away from her side, so now, no-one was able to tear him away from her corpse.

Fulfilling her last wish, the King decided to bring her body back to Vilnius. He did not want Cracow to be her last resting place, as he himself said, “Since they would not be cordial to Her Royal Majesty while she lived, they shall not have her nor see her in death”.

The sorrowful journey was long. The King rode his horse next to the wagon that carried her coffin, never leaving, and when the procession neared a village or town, he would dismount and walk. Approaching Vilnius, they were met by a procession led by the bishop. Crowds filled the streets and mournful bells tolled from all the church towers. The palace, cathedral and four churches where requiem services were being held, were all draped in mourning. After the funeral obsequies held in a cathedral filled to overflowing, Barbora’s remains were laid to rest in the crypt of the royal chapel, next to the King’s first wife, the young Elžbieta.

After his wife’s funeral, the King could not be soothed; he had no interest in anything. He passed long days in her chambers, remembering their happiness together, her beauty, her passion, her angelic goodness. He surrounded himself with souvenirs and remembrances, her clothing, her jewels, her handiwork, and re-read her letters to him, full of love and devotion. He refused to believe that he would never again set eyes on his Barbora, and, in company with most others of that age, believing in magic and sorcery, he hoped to call her soul back from the other side. And so, he determined, at all costs, to somehow cast his eyes on at least the shadow of his beloved.

Magicians from far and wide were invited to the castle, but none would agree to an attempt to call up the Queen’s ghost. Finally, Žygimantas Augustas was visited by the master of master magicians – Tvardauskas – and, having heard the King’s request, he thought for a long while, then answered:

“Gracious lord, I have been given the ability to call up the spirits of the dead from the other world, and can satisfy your desire, but only if you accept my strict conditions. I must warn you, gracious lord, that you must look with a cool and unemotional eye on all that I show you, and that you must not move or stir from your chair. Otherwise, I cannot answer for the safety of your life or your very soul”.

The King, his hope of seeing his wife thus refreshed, agreed to all conditions.

Tvardauskas requested the exclusive use of a chamber in the castle, and required a few days time to prepare; the King assigned him a tower chamber on the bank of the Neris. On the appointed day and hour, Žygimantas Augustas presented himself, as instructed, alone, without his customary escort.

The walls of the small chamber had been draped with black cloth, covered with mysterious hieroglyphs. On a small table against one wall, smoke rose from four incense burners, and a comfortable soft chair stood alongside, for the King. The prevailing darkness was faintly relieved by the flames of two stout wax candles set into black candelabra.

A small table covered by a black and silver cloth stood in the middle of the room; on this lay the magician’s wand, and next to that, an ancient book covered in black leather, its parchment pages filled with spells, conjures and invocations, and formulas for calling up devils and dead souls.

Somewhat dizzied by the general atmosphere, Žygimantas Augustas obediently sat and waited while Tvardauskas donned a long, black, wide-sleeved robe, then opened the book and began to intone the words of a spell, calling upon the dead Barbora, once more to walk upon the earth and show herself to her loving husband.

Clouds of white smoke erupted from the incense; a strange tension in the atmosphere increased. Gazing through the smoke, the King forgot the entire living world.

At length, out of the dark mist, a womanly shape appeared, and it seemed to Žygimantas Augustas that he saw his beloved Barbora. The white, transparent specter stood with its hands lowered, its face turned toward the King, displaying a tender longing, its eyes burning with love.

Forgetting his promises, the King with outstretched arms sprang forward to embrace his beloved, but Tvardauskas held him back, and the image vanished.

Žygimantas Augustas fell back into his chair, buried his face in his hands, and wept most bitterly.

Source:

From “Vilniaus Legendos”

Compiled by Stasys Lipskis and published by “Žuvėdra”

in Lithuania, 1998

This article was printed in Lithuanian Heritage Nov 2008

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