Trygław glacial erratic in Tychowo

The glacial erratic in Tychowo is the largest of its kind in Poland. The rock has a perimeter of 50 m, it is 13.7 m long, 9.3 m wide and 7.8 m tall. The rock is buried 4 m deep in the ground. The volume of the rock is around 700 m3 and it weighs around 2,000 t. The dark grey gneiss rock was carried to Tychowo from Scandinavia by a glacier (the scratches on its surface, signs of being dragged, point to this fact). The rock was named after a god worshiped by the Baltic Veneti who used to live in the region. At the time the god was referred to as Trygław, Trygłów or Trzygłów. The three heads of the god symbolized its authority over the Earth, heaven and the underground world. The god was paid homage and offered sacrifice consisting of the fruits of the earth. There is a legend associated with the rock which says that an old Veneti priest buried a gold statuette of Trygław under the rock to protect it from being destroyed by Christians. If the legend is true, there is still a gold statuette hidden under the rock. An interesting thing is that when one knocks on the rock in two particular places, it emits a dull sound and nobody knows what can be hidden inside. In 1847 the Germans, who referred to the rock as ‘the large stone,’ placed a wooden cross with a figure of crucified Jesus Christ on top of the rock.

In front of the cross they placed an inscribed plate funded by Hans Hugo von Kleist-Retzow from Kikowo and Hugo von Kleist-Retzow from Tychowo. The inscription on the plate says: ‘Idolatry and sin had made darkness descend on the country before Jesus brought light and life through his death. He placed Trygław underneath the rock and trapped him. And now he guides his children towards God the father’. In 1954 the rock was classified as a natural monument. At present, every year on All Saints’ Day the rock is used as an altar during a Mass for the dead. The rock may be viewed from a close distance. The cemetery is accessible to everyone.