Barysz, a village located next to Buczacz, for many generations, belonged to the family of Szawłowski. Kolberg came here for the first time in 1867; later he visited in 1871, as well as in 1876 and 1877; each time he resided in the manor of Róża and Stanisław Szawłowski.

In the Kolberg’s archive there are many mentions about Barysz:

“In Barysz there is a wall of the old distillery. The peasants say that someone steals the bricks from it; however, everything which is taken during the day is brought back at night by some mysterious power. This is why the wall looks as if it was untouched”.

“When Barysz was setting up, people found an oak in the form of a plough. They cut it and ploughed fields with the twin cattle. Since then, every epidemic omits the town (apart from cholera)”.

“In Barysz near Buczacz, some red roots of willows and grasses can be seen in the stream. People say that this red colour is the blood of people from the times of wars with Tatars, and that the grass grew up from the blood of victims”.

In Barysz and its surroundings, people tell the following story:

“When God created birds, he forgot about one little detail in a nightingale, namely, he forgot to give him a hole at the back. In consequence, it was impossible for the nightingale to go to the ball at eagle’s house; since he would not have been able to take part in the feast. Fortunately, the nightingale met a tick who was so polite that he borrowed a nightingale his own hole (a tick is still believed to be devoid of the hole). The nightingale was so extremely pleased with the possibility to use the hole, he did not want to give it back. The poor tick is demanding his property until today. This is why a nightingale sings mostly at night; since the night would be the best time for a tick to take back his treasure. The nightingale has to be on a constant lookout to protect his hole”.

The song about the black sheep, one of the most popular songs in Poland, comes from Barysz.