The study deals with the topic of Czech-Polish relations in the context of broadside ballads production (especially pilgrim) as exemplified by Orel’s printing house in Frýdek. The study focuses on the question of how the popularity of the pilgrim sites located in the territory of
present-day Poland (Częstochowa and Kalwaria Zebrzydowska) reflected in Orel’s printing house editorial-publishing strategy. The study also deals with the topics of the existence of Czech and Polish variants of religious (especially pilgrim) songs, Orel’s other Polish-language output, and the printing house’s ties to other printing enterprises in the region of Upper Silesia.
The half-popular compositions traditionally referred to as broadside ballads are a specific type of source. Some of them reflect Biblical, legendary and historical events in Egypt and the Near East. Although the factual importance of such ballads in not great, they have some informative value, because their texts mirror the attitudes and opinions of the lower social classes, in this case clearly influenced by the antithesis of Christianity and Islam, or also Judaism. They show that the authors of broadside ballads kept alive deep-rooted stereotypes, mainly the stereotype of Turks as pagans and tyrants. and Michal Klacek.