The Bochnia mine has an unusual keeper, a good spirit...

All the time, we are under the watchful eye of Skarbnik (Treasurer), the guardian and keeper of the Bochnia mine.

Skarbnik can appear in any place at any time. The range of his power in the shafts ends at the edges where the sunlight comes in.

He warns miners and tourists of impending danger, helps with work and keeps you safe when you wander.

When he appears in selected places in the mine, the miners hear clattering or knocking or small rocks falling in the shaft. In the past, Skarbnik warned miners about danger, helped them, and in return he only expected the miner he saved to one day return that favour to another person. Skarbnik did not and does not give out money, although, sometimes he did reward miners for their good work with gold or new deposits of beautiful pure salt.

He helped all miners, for example those who, ran out of things –water, of oil for their lamp, of strength to work, or who got lost in the labyrinth of salt pathways.

Miners who did not follow or do not follow the rules that apply while working in the mine (who whistle, curse, laze about, sleep, who don’t help colleagues, are dishonest, show no respect to superiors, who mistreat animals) risk Skarbnik's wrath.

Skarbnik left those miners to wander in the deceptive mines for years, sometimes for as long as 100 years.

Following rules was very important in the mine. They made everyone feel safe. Breaking the rules could mean putting oneself and one's colleagues in danger; the miners' fear of Skarbnik was one of the most effective factors in bringing order to the mine. The sense of Skarbnik's presence was and is very important in the mine. It makes us all feel safe.

Remember: you're in Skarbnik's kingdom, let’s look around, maybe we will see at least a passing shadow of our guardian somewhere ;)...