Heynal (from the Hungarian. Hajnal "morning") is a signal of the exact time, which is heard every hour from the tower of the Mariacki Church in Krakow . Earlier (from the XIV century ) - a signal of a fire or an enemy attack threatening the city, which was sent by guards from the highest tower of the church.
History
The word "heinal" of Hungarian origin is translated as "morning": earlier this signal, in addition to the functions mentioned, served as a call to wake up.
Now, in accordance with tradition, the signal is given by the trumpeter, who appears every hour at the top of the tower of the Mariacki Church and the blowing heinal to all corners of the world.
In 1926, transmission microphones were installed on the church tower. And, if heinal is heard only in Krakow every hour, then at noon it is already spread throughout Poland: it is broadcast by the first national radio program. Now this melody is the call sign of the Krakow Astronomical Observatory as a signal of the exact time.
In connection with the delivery of such a signal, a legend arose in Krakow: once a trumpeter, seeing an approaching enemy cavalry, began to sound an alarm, but fell, struck by a Tatar arrow piercing his throat. The timely warned citizens managed not only to repulse the attack, but also captured rich trophies, and the Heynal has since ended on the very note on which the life of a hero warrior broke.
Heynal is one of the symbols of Poland - the Polish hornsman Corporal Emil Čech sounded his melody on May 18, 1944 in honor of the victory over German troops in the battle of Monte Cassino .
And on June 11, 2000, Hainal was listed in the Guinness Book of Records as a melody played by approximately 2,000 trumpeters who came from all over the world.
Heynal in literature
In the detective of Joanna Khmelevskaya “ Everyone is Suspected, ” the Heynal that sounds at noon helps to restore the chain of events accompanying the murder of one of the heroes: “It was not so easy to correlate time with the living Tadeusz. We remembered that Leszek returned from the city just when the heinal sounded, and he, as you know, was broadcast on the radio at exactly twelve. And at half past eleven Jadwiga asked me what time it is. The late Stolyarek scandalized in our room about his death between the issue of Jadwiga and Leszek's return.
Heynal is mentioned in Bulat Okudzhava ’s song “Farewell to Poland,” addressed to Agnieszka Osetskaya : “When a trumpeter ascends over Krakow with a pipe - I grab hold of a saber with hope in my eyes ... A killed trumpeter blows unceasingly over Krakow, his love is immeasurable, his love is immense, an alarm pure ... "
Links
Listen to Heynal .