( pronunciation is: YURI YUNOSHEECK).
JJ was born in Terchova (a village near Zilina) on Jan 25th, 1688
as the second son of Martin and Anna Janosik. There were hard
times for all people at the end of 17th and beginning of 18th
century. The King Leopold I had in 1699 finished a war against
Turkish invaders.
Janosik, as a soldier of Franz II Rakoczy, had fought with the
troops in a battle near Trencin City in Aug 3rd, 1708. They were
defeated by troops of General Heister.
Janosik had been for several years a soldier of the imperial
troops when he met Tomas Uhorcik in 1711 and both began stealing
and robbing.
Vrabel and Huncik (so called Turiak) from Staskov (Slovak
village),
Jakub Chliastkov from Oscadnica,
Ondas from Dlha nad Kysucou (Dlha upon Kysuca River),
Ondrej Kindis from Dlhe Pole,
Plavcik from Dunajov,
Pavol Bernatik from Nova Bystrica,
Kovalsky and Bagaj from Rakova,
Kovalcik, Holubek and Valiciak from Morava (now The Czek
Republic),
Gavora, Satora, Oresiak from Poland.
Janosik's robbing time was short - from 1711 to 1713. He took
a part in 11 actions, but without murders - it is very important
for his image. He took by surprise several merchants in the
Valley of Vah River.
He was a very special highwayman.
A legend says: he took from rich people and all was given to the
poor. (Like Robin Hood from Sherwood.)
At the beginning of March 1713 Janosik was captured by catchers,
later judged and in March 17th, 1713 was condemned to death by a
very hard kind of death - a hanging up hook.
A legend says: when he stood under the gallows he had a offer: if
he will make up a list of the same fellows as he is, he should
have a grace. As he was standing at the scaffold he declared: if
you have baked me so you also should eat me! Then he jumped up to
the hook!
The Slovak nation still loves this hero like a saviour of the
poor..... His four-meters-high statue is found in his village -
Terchova.
This report is from the Divina Basic School Reasearch Team.