Grazhina is a young beautiful Litvinka, the daughter of the “majestic Riga ruler”. Grazhina marries the Novogrudok prince Litavor. The subjects of the prince are admired by the beauty and harmony of the young princess. Grazhyna “could still be proud that the prince is not taller than she is.” Princess shares her husband’s enthusiasm for hunting. In a bearish tough skin and in a trot-cap, she, riding a Zhmud horse-fighting horse, hunts along with Litavor. Dressed in a man’s dress, Grazina reminds her husband: “Sometimes with a retinue returning, Grazhina deceived the common man’s eye, Litavor like that quite… Then not the prince, but his servant humbly rendered servants”. But the princess’s happiness is overshadowed. She learns that her husband has concluded a disgraceful contract with the Crusaders. (The action of the poem unfolds in the era of the struggle of the inhabitants of the Lithuanian and Belarusian lands with
the Teutonic Order). Grazhina begs her husband to think better and not to call enemies on Lithuanian soil. But Litavor is angry with his wife’s interference in his affairs, he remains adamant. Then the brave woman makes another decision. Under the cover of night, wearing the armor of the prince, she with a small squad stands to meet the crusaders. Near the city, a deadly battle begins. A handful of daredevils oppose the enormous strength of the enemy. Subjects with astonishment look at their “prince”, who even holds the sword in a different way than usual. Nobody even suspects that the wife of Litavor – Grazhin – fights shoulder to shoulder with them. Crusaders are actively advancing, and it is already beginning to seem that the outcome of the battle is predetermined. However, after learning about what happened, Prince Litavor collects his entire squad and rushes to the aid of his wife. The Crusader detachment is defeated, but Grazina receives a mortal wound: “He is seriously wounded by the German Grazin bullet, the blood runs, the princess perishes innocently…” According
to the folk tradition, the heroes who died the death of the brave in battle were burned at the stake. In the raging flame, prepared for the burial Grazhina, entered Litavor with the body of his wife in his arms. So he redeemed his guilt before his people, before Grazhyna Poem is not associated with folklore, but Grazhyna’s image is close to folk images. Like Gražyne, the heroes of folk legends entered into an unequal battle with evil, dark forces and perished in the fatherland. Mickiewicz finishes the poem in the following words: heroes of folk legends entered into an unequal battle with evil, dark forces and perished for the motherland. Mickiewicz finishes the poem in the following words: heroes of folk legends entered into an unequal battle with evil, dark forces and perished for the motherland. Mickiewicz finishes the poem in the following words:
