In 2023, we had the pleasure of supporting Dr Maciej Talaga in creating film materials for his project Biady: Folk Wrestling from North-Eastern Poland.
Maciej Talaga is an archaeologist specialising in the Late Middle Ages in Central Europe, medieval warfare, and movement research in medieval martial arts. He is also a freelance translator, researcher, and historical fencing practitioner. He runs the blog Sprechfenster, where he explores the behind-the-scenes aspects of fencing in Poland and Europe. Professionally, he is affiliated with the Faculty of “Artes Liberales” at the University of Warsaw.
Dr Maciej Talaga
Biady – What Are They?
Biady (known as bziady in the Kurpian dialect) are a traditional form of folk wrestling, primarily practised in north-eastern Poland, in the regions of Kurpie, Białystok, and Łomża. It was a contest in which participants wrestled on grass, sand, or soft soil, relying on strength, agility, and physical skill.
Biady played an important role in male peer groups, serving as both a form of competition and a way to settle disputes. On a spiritual level, it was seen as a test of a pious man’s physical strength in a fight against evil—legend has it that the devil himself often failed to defeat the wrestlers. Biady took place after the harvest or while herding cattle, acting as a form of entertainment and sport that brought rural communities together.
How Far Back Does the Tradition of Biady Go?
The origins of biady are unknown, and traces of them before the 20th century are difficult to find, which may suggest that the tradition is relatively recent. However, it is known that the custom faded as rural life changed due to urbanisation, modernisation, and electrification. The introduction of television also played a significant role, replacing traditional communal activities. Eyewitness accounts indicate that biady disappeared in the 1960s around Łomża, later in the Biebrza wetlands, and in Kurpie during the 1980s.
Our association has a special connection to Kurpian folk culture due to family ties. We have visited Kurpie Zielone many times, and in 2024, we carried out a Master-Apprentice project on the tradition of making Kurpian Easter palms.
The Biady Project
What began as a series of conversations with local residents quickly evolved into an extensive research project. As part of this initiative, Maciej Talaga and his team organised workshops, lectures, and filmed documentation. The results of their work include numerous publications, academic articles, and documentary films, all available on the project’s Facebook page: Projekt Biady / The Biady Project.
The project was supported by the Excellence Initiative – Research University (in Polish: Inicjatywa Doskonałości – Uczelnia Badawcza, abbr. IDUB) programme at the University of Warsaw, which helped to widely promote the research findings.
Kurpian Wrestling on Screen
Thanks to funding from IDUB, the project gained momentum. In 2023, a one-hour video documentary was produced, introducing viewers to the history and techniques of biady. Available online, the film not only documents the research but also serves as an inspiration to revive this tradition. It features interviews with local wrestlers and showcases various techniques, holds, guards, and takedowns. Dr Talaga also draws comparisons between biady and similar wrestling traditions in other cultures, such as those in Scotland and Bulgaria, analysing both differences and similarities in grappling techniques.
Filming took place in July 2023 at Oliwa Park in Gdańsk and the Dom Zarazy Neighbourhood Centre. The documentary was produced by Anna Kępa, a WICI member, professional photographer, and video creator.
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