The Cracovian hejnał breaks off abruptly in mid- bar. Legend links it to the Tatar invasions, when the watchman who spotted the enemy sounded the alarm. A Tatar arrow pierced his throat in mid-phrase. The tune has stayed like this thereafter. Today the hejnał marks the hours for the revellers and those in pensive mood. It sounds best at dawn, when the head is “…dazzled with wine and eternity…”
