A megalithic sculpture of Ślęża granite in Sobótka, entered in the register of archaeological monuments.
The Monk, also called the Skittle, is a megalithic sculpture of Ślęża granite standing in Sobótka, on Armii Krajowej street, at the foot of Mount Ślęża. It is 2.5 to 2.7 metres tall and is one of the stone statues that have been associated with this area for centuries.
Secondarily carved marks of an oblique cross are visible on the base and on the top of the statue. The material is local Ślęża granite.
The sculpture originally stood near the former village of Garncarsko. The exact time of its creation is unknown - it is thought that it may date from the pre-Slavic or Celtic period. For a time it lay toppled over. In 1937 an offering of boiled potatoes was discovered next to it. In the 1950s the statue was moved to Sobótka, where it still stands today.
Researchers consider two possible functions of the stone. It may have served a cultic role, linked to a phallic cult, or served as a milestone - it stood, after all, one third of the way between Wrocław and Świdnica.
The Monk is entered in the register of archaeological monuments of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship under number 140/454/Arch/1969, with an entry date of 3 June 1969.
The sculpture stands at the foot of Mount Ślęża and close to neighbouring Wieżyca. In Sobótka itself, it is worth visiting the Stanisław Dunajewski Ślęża Museum in Sobótka, which tells the story, among other things, of the stone statues of this area.
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