Beneath Wawel Castle in Kraków lies a cavern that has shaped Polish folklore for centuries. Known as Smocza Jama, or the Dragon’s Den, this cave is said to have housed a fire-breathing creature that demanded tributes and terrorized the early city before meeting a strangely explosive end. In this episode, Nat and Aly dazzle very special guests Cassidy & Amanda (Drinking The Koolaid Podcast) with the origins and evolution of the Wawel dragon myth, the strange alchemical lore tied to Wawel Hill, and the ancient architecture that many believe was built to seal something powerful underground. They explore medieval texts, mismatched historical accounts, random sidetracked tangents that have nothing to do with the ep, and modern theories about energy lines beneath the castle! Is Smocza Jama a relic of myth or evidence of a creature that never fully left? Join us as we step inside one of Europe’s oldest monster stories and uncover what really waits in the dark beneath Wawel Castle! TIME STAMPS 00:00:00 HOOK & INTRO 00:09:41 WAWEL CASTLE 00:13:58 MIRACLE MADE AD 00:15:30 THE DRAGON’S LAIR 00:19:20 THE TALE OF SMOCZA JAMA 00:40:00 THE LAND FOREVER SCARRED  00:44:20 GATHERING OF KINGS SPIRITS 00:50:33 THE TOMB CURSE 00:55:51 PIGEON LEGEND 01:00:30 VAMPIRE GRAVEYARD 01:03:00 FOSSIL SMOC WAWELSKI 01:10:00 CLOSING THOUGHTS AND THEORIES 01:13:20 SECRET PASSWORD AND DONOR SHOUTOUTS! THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED!! Find out more about this week’s advertisers below! Go to https://TryMiracle.com/HAUNTED to try Miracle Made sheets today. You’ll save over 40%, and when you use promo code HAUNTED, you’ll get an extra 20% off plus a FREE 3-piece towel set. __ Other Important Stuff: Check out Drinking The Koolaid Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/7E6RZKVlfXhDe9ghyw8Ypp?si=f73c1cb2c00349b6 Join the Patreon today! https://patreon.com/letsgethaunted    LGH Link Tree: https://linktr.ee/letsgethaunted Buy Our Merch: https://www.letsgethaunted.com    Check out the photo dump for this week’s episode: https://www.instagram.com/letsgethaunted   Send us fan mail: PO BOX 1658 Camarillo, CA 93011 Send us your listener stories: www.letsethaunted.com *SPECIAL THANKS TO RYAN FOR HELP WITH EDITING~ SLAY* —— SOURCES: [1] https://www.greatvaluevacations.com/travel-inspiration/haunted-krakow-old-town⁠⁠ [2]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smocza_Jama [4]https://krakow.travel/en/artykul/115/the-legend-of-the-wawel-dragon [5]https://culture.pl/en/article/seances-dragons-chakras-krakows-magical-past [6]https://www.kattravel.com/krakows-timeless-tales-legends-that-shape-the-heart-of-poland [7]https://emilysguidetokrakow.com/2019/07/18/polish-traditions-6-krakowian-legends/⁠ MUSIC: [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6UU2FyLHiw KEYWORDS : Wawel Castle, Wawel Dragon, Smocza Jama, Polish folklore, Krakow legends, European cryptids, medieval myths, dragon mythology, haunted caves, paranormal history, ancient energy sites, ley lines Poland, castle mysteries, Let’s Get Haunted, LGH podcast, monster lore, unexplained phenomena, Slavic mythology, dark history Poland, underground caverns, pigeons, Krak the cobbler, Poland, Haunted, Mythology, Polish Monarchy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices