LASOWIAKS - PEOPLE OF THE FOREST

            The name Lasowiacy was derived from the place of residence among the forests of the Sandomierz Primeval Forest. However, it is still unknown whether this term was given to the inhabitants of the Forest by others, or whether they called that themselves. The prevailing view is that the term "Lasowiacy" was not a natural name given by the inhabitants themselves. Initially, this was the term used to describe the poor people living in the depths of the forest and logging the forest. This name had a negative color, which was the result of the belief that trees and forests are living creatures, which is why those who engaged in mass logging were perceived negatively. It was a contemptuous term. This changed only when the living conditions of the inhabitants of the Sandomierz Forest improved significantly and the population category that was defined in this way ceased to exist. However, the name itself for the people inhabiting the regions of the Sandomierz Forest remained in the mind, but it gained a different meaning - it was a term for relentless people, resistant to difficult living conditions.

            Some cultural researchers believe that the name "Lasowiacy" was given to the forest population by the researchers themselves, and the inhabitants do not identify themselves with it. However, it is difficult to clearly define which position is closer to the truth.

            It should also be noted that in various places of the Sandomierz Forest there were other terms which the inhabitants called themselves, e.g. Lasowiacy, Lasowiaki, Lesioki, Leśnioki, Borowce, Masuria.

SOURCE:

"Źródła kultury ludowej Puszczy Sandomierskiej" edited by Krzysztof Ruszel, Kolbuszowa 2014.

Franciszek Kotula, "Z Sandomierskiej Puszczy", Krakow 1962.