Category Archives: Poles

Polonistic Pantheonic Thoughts

PublishedSeptember 29, 2018 Post authortorino

A few notes on Polish mythology that seem to escape people commenting on the topic. There is zero evidence for a God named Perun in Poland or in Polabian lands. While there certainly was such a deity at Kiev and Novgorod, many people, suspect that this is a Slavic translation of the function of Thor. In Polish and Kashubian, the name persists meaning thunderbolt as piorun. That is all that means. In eastern Slavic lands, the word for thunderbolt is grom. However, “grom” is a derivative of various words meaning “large” or “many” such as ogromny (gigantic) or gromada (flock, gathering). Piorun on the other hand always meant thunderbolt. Indeed, I strongly suspect that not only the name of Mount Pirin but also the name of Pyrennes has something to do with Piorun. In fact, the Greek (and Venetic) word for a “fork” has a pyorunian etymology. Because of these “softer” sounding versions of the name, I strongly suspect that piorun was the original name and Perun is a version taken off of the Baltic tribes (shortening Perkunas). None of this, however, proves that there was a God by that name, except, again, in Eastern Slavic lands during the reign of the Scandinavians. Note too that place names referring to piorun are likely to be place names where a thunderbolt struck. Finally, remember that Procopius refers to Eastern Slavs (albeit pre-Varangian) and does not name Perun either. In fact, he says that Slavs worshipped the maker of lightning not specifically thunderbolts. There is a reference not entirely clear to the Lithuanian or Baltic Perkunas but then in order to get to Slav lands the Varangians must have passed through the Baltics so they may have picked up a name from them and the concept they brought themselves. Of course, there is plenty of evidence for an IE thunder god but piorun was the name for the atmospheric effect which then in the Baltic form might well have gotten transferred to the Scandinavian Thor but again only in Ukraine/Novgorod. Of course, this is speculation but however it might have been in the East, in Poland no such evidence of Piorun worship exists. In fact, Joachim Bielski writes: “They [Poles] venerated too Piorun” but adds almost apologetically “especially Ruthenia/Russia [did] just as also Strib, Chorz, Mokosh” which makes it clear that he got this from Nestor. While Ruthenia was partly part of Poland at the time, it is clear that in today’s terms he meant Ukraine.

There is zero evidence too for a God named Svarog in Poland. Svarozic was worshipped by the Redarii but that’s about it. Whether that meant the son of Svarog or simply referred to “fire” as Brueckner thought, I can’t tell but no cult of Svarog or Svarozic existed in Poland. The references to Swarzedz, Swarozyn and the like may simply, as with pioruns, refer to heat or svar unless proven otherwise. It is also noteworthy that there is also almost zero evidence for a God named Svarog (Svarozic – as fire – does appear at least once somewhere in Ukraine) even among the Eastern Slavs. The only mention of Svarog (as opposed to Svarozic) comes as a gloss written by some scribe or commentator on the John Malalas Chronicle in precisely one manuscript (probably from Bulgaria). The famous Nestor pantheon says nothing about Svarog (though obviously does talk about Perun). Thus, all we can say is that Svarozic was worshipped in Polabia and Svarog may have been understood as a God among at least some Eastern Slavs. However, there is plenty of evidence of what Gods the Poles celebrated and those include: Yassa, Lada and Nia. Secondarily, also Dzidzilela (think “tits” and lulaj – no kidding), Devana as well as Marzanna (think also Goddess of the sea – Morana). Perhaps also Pogoda and Pogwizd. And that’s it. Jessa or Yassa is not just a thunder God. He is the God of Light (Jasny Pan and, I suspect, Jasna Gora also has a connection to Yassa). This name is cognate with plenty of IE names, especially, of course, with the Aesir and Asagarta. I will say that because Swarga or Svarga Loka (location, place, Loki!), conceptually ties with the sky (Sanskrit svár, súvar) and the Sun, it seems that that concept is closer to Yassa than that of the thunderbolt (but perhaps there were two Gods in IE – the Sky God and the Thunder God – Jason and Paron or Godoin and Peron). There is also the cryptic Biblical reference which hints that the Biblical God may have both a sky and a thunder (but in any case a similar) origin (yava after all means – in Slavic – the “conscious existence” and the word sounds extremely IE as demonstrated by some of the Anatolian languages and the various -ovo, -ava suffixes strewn about Europe). I also suspect that, were we to look among the Eastern Slavs for Yassa, we would find him not in Perun but in Chors which name would have originally been a Yari but via a Baltic intermediation would have become Yars, Yors then Chors. (Another crazier alternative is Horus-Re…). In other words, I would give Jan Dlugosz a lot more benefit of the doubt than most ethnologists and anthropologists have done so far. The man did not make this stuff up.

Closter Tyniec A.D. 1230

PublishedSeptember 19, 2018 Post authortorino

The following comes from the Diplomatic Codex of the Tyniec Abbey (also the location of the Walgierz Wisuav drama). It is a papal letter of Gregory IX (May 7th, 1230) to the Brzesk Abbot, Zwierzyniec Premonstratensian (Norbertine) prior and the prior of the Cracow Dominicans to deal with the excesses of Cracow school students that they committed near the Tyniec monastery scandalizing the brethren. Maksymilian Kawczyński connected this with the Yule celebrations known from the Heimskringla but one does not need to look beyond Slavic lands to see similar entertainments – compare with the earlier letter of Innocent III and the Croatian customs:

“Gregorius episcopus servus servorum dei dilectis filiis… abbati de Bresk et… de Zverincia Praemonstratensis ordinis et… sanctae trinitatis ordinis fratrum praedicatorum prioribus Cracoviensis dioecesis salutem et apostolicam benedictionem. Abbas et conventus Tinciensis sua nobis insinuatione monstrarunt, quod scholares, qui Cracoviae commorantur, imitantes quandam pravam et detestabilem consuetudinem, quae in illis partibus inolevit, in ipsorum monasteriis, festo nativitatis dominicae et per dies aliquos, qui sequuntur, comissationibus et ebrictatibus, cantilenis, ludibriis et abominationibus aliis insistentes usque ad effusionem sanguinis rixantur ad invicem, bona ipsorum diripiunt ac alias ludificationes committunt horribiles et obscoenas, unde monasteria ipsa laedunt enormiter, fratrum quietem perturbant et corda ipsorum plurimum scandalizantur. Quia igitur ex iniuncto nobis officio domus dei zelus nos comedit et, ne opprobria exprobrantium sibi super nos cadere dignoscantur, discretioni vestrae per apostolica scripta mandamus, quatenus scholares eosdem a talibus, monitione praemissa, per censuram ecclesiasticam sublato apellationis obstaculo compescatis. Quod si non omnes his exsequendis potueritis interesse, duo vestrum ea nihilominus exsequantur. Datum Laterani nonis Maii, pontificatus nostri anno quarto.”

“To the abbot and convent of Tyniec, we bring to your attention that students that stay in Cracow, imitating the wrong and detestable custom that exists in their country in their monasteries, on the day of the birth of the Lord and on other days that follow, engage in orgies and drunkenness, songs, mockeries and other abominations and brawl with one another solely to spill blood, destroying their goods as well as committing other horrible and obscene mockeries, thereby inflicting enormous suffering on the monastery, disturbing the monks’ peace and providing offense to the hearts of many of the monks.”

A Priori

PublishedSeptember 14, 2018 Post authortorino

Lentia was a river or a place in what is today’s Germany. The name is supposedly Celtic. The Teutons changed it to Linz and hence we now have Linzgau. Linzgau is just north of the Bodensee (Lacus Venetus). When the Teutons powered into those lands they took over portions of Noricum and portions of what used to be Suevia. The Suevia name remained – now as Suavia – later Swabia. But the inhabitants now became the Alemanni – a Teuton name. So what does this have to with Lentia?

There is the always very interesting Ammianus Marcellinus who mentions the Alamannic tribe of the Lentienses and their king Priarius (in Book XV, chapter 4 and Book XXXI, chapters 10 and 12):

Lentienses Alamanni a Constantio Aug. pars caesi, pars fugati.
Et Lentiensibus, Alamannicis pagis indictum est bellum conlimitia saepe Romana latius inrumpentibus…
et iam Lentiensis Alamannicus populus, tractibus Raetiarum confinis…
quibus avide Lentienses acceptis…
inter complures alios audaces et fortes rege quoque Priario interfecto, exitialium concitore pugnarum…
hocque urgentibus aliis super alios nuntiis cognito, Lentienses aerumnis populi sui ad internecionem paene deleti…
Isdemque diebus exagitatus ratione gemina Valens, quod Lentienses conpererat superatos…

The above references are the only mentions that we know of such a tribe. They appear in 355 A.D. and disappear by 378 A.D.

And yet…

almost 500 years later, in the Bavarian Geographer, we have the following statement Lendizi habent ciuitates XCVIII. This is commonly understood as a reference to a Suavic tribe of the Lendians (Lędzianie). This tribe also appears in Josippon (Lz’njn), De administrando imperio (Λενζανηνοί) and Masudi (L’ndz’n’h).

Further, if Lentia really refers to a river (Linzer Aach) and it was the river that gave the name to the Lentienses, this itself would be unusual for a Teutonic tribe. For a Suavic tribe not so much though…

Lędzianie‘s name supposedly comes from lęda meaning, in Suavic, a fallow piece of land. For the Linzgau see here.

For Prior, well for every Prior there is the Posterior or, should we say, Pazterior.

Polish Gods Part V – Erquickendes Morgenrot or Zarze Zarycze Trzy Szyestrycze Polonice

PublishedSeptember 8, 2018 Post authortorino

Aleksander Brueckner, for all his faults, did a tremendous job in preserving aspects of Polish culture. As one example, we have the following brief incantations/spells which he discovered lettered in on an otherwise empty page in an old 15th century manuscript. For a recent study of these and other medieval Polish incantations see Mariusz Leńczuk’s article.

The first piece is a mention of the three sisters who are the morning “stars” or auroras (jutrzenki or zorze). Zorza (though in Old Polish below spelled with an “a” as a zarza) could also refer to the planet Venus. Obviously, Orion’s Belt could stand in for the number three though not for the concept of dawn presumably? Or could it? In late summer, Orion’s Belt can be visible at dawn. (For an interesting potential connection to the bright snow patches of the Saami see here). Notice too that someone (the original writer?) seems to have added a rhyming Polonice in reference, perhaps, to the three sisters.

The second is a poem or story of the mother – theoretically the Christian Mother of God – who goes over (or onto, or by) the sea in search for a cure for her son. While so walking she encounters Jan – referred to as Saint John – but perhaps instead this is the traverling Jas who may well be cognate with Janus.

Finally we have an incantation regarding… butter which Brueckner interpreted as some sort of a love spell/charm.

In stellas una no[n] una… [?]

[?]

Zarze zarycze trzy szyestrycze Polonice

Item Poszla mathka boza po morzu szbyrayacz zlothe pyanky
podkal ya szwanthy yan
a gdze gydzesz mathuchno
yda szynaczka swego leczycz

[?]

Item Pwszkyego masla yako przesz thego livdzye bycz nyemoga thako aby thy nyebyl przesz mnye

In stellas una no[n] una… [?]

[?]

Zorze, the little Zorze, the three [Polish?] sisters
And the mother of God went over the sea to collect golden foam [and] she met Saint John
And where are you going [good] mother [he asked]
I am going to treat my son

[?]

And

[P?]russian butter, for because of it people cannot be, so too, you, by reason of me, should not be

A Royal Visit to Bald Mountain A.D. 1468

PublishedSeptember 6, 2018 Post authortorino

A visit by King Casimir Jagiellonian to the Benedictine Abbey at Bald Mountain sheds interesting light on quasi-pagan practices that took place there as late as the 15th century. A royal edict describes how the abbey’s Benedictine monks were ticked off by the fact that during the Green Week, that is the Pentecost, local villagers would throw a party right by the abbey. The sounds of trumpets, drums and pipes would create a tremendous noise while the locals engaged in shameful entertainments and, as the party got going, even formed dance circles. In the evening, the villagers would build fires. The local abbot Michael complained that alongside of these suspect jovialities there frequently occurred all kinds evil deeds including theft and murder and, of course, everyone’s all time favorite – debauchery. The monks’ daily and nighttime prayers were naturally greatly disturbed by all this commotion. The villagers did not, of course, possess any official permits complained the abbot. He then asked the visiting king to curtail these sinful practices. The king did so and established official – royally sanctioned – market festivities during Pentecost as well as on Saint Lawrence’s Feast Day – that is the 10th of August. These, however, would take place not near the abbey but at the foot of Bald Mountain in the town of Nowa Słupia. Further, the king granted the monks the right to tax such festivals as well as gave them a monopoly on liquor sales (save only wine) during such days “so as to provide for the welfare of the abbey such that it should ever more fervently pray to the Lord for the well being of King and Country.” It is noteworthy that the Sun is about the same altitude in the sky both during Pentecost (beginning of May) and on Saint Lawrence’s Day. The midpoint between these days falls on summer solstice. No doubt that it was such festivities that gave rise to later stories of witches’ “sabbaths” taking place at Bald Mountain.

Sometimes these parties got slightly out of hand

The following text comes from the Codex diplomaticus Poloniae quo continentur privilegia regum Poloniae but supplemented by the writings of the Polish priest-historian Józef Gacki.

For more on Bald Mountain see here.

Słupiae—die 4 menais Decembris 1468 anno.

Nundinas, quae superioribus singulis annis in Monte Calvo exercentur, ordinis tranquillitatisque publicae causa, Rex Casimirus Jagellonides in oppidum Słupie transfert (1).

In nomine domini amen. Cum gestorum inimica obliuio singulaque volvuntur sub tempore e memoria plerumque excutit ac detergit, si non fuerint stili artificio et testium annotacione perennata: proinde nos Cazimirus dei gracia Rex Polonie nec non terrarum Graccouie Sandomirie, Siradie, Lancicie, Cuiauie, Magnus dux Lithuanie, Russie, Prussieque, nec non Culmensis, Elbingensis, et Pomeranie dominus et heres, ad perpetuam rei memoriam significamus tenore presencium quibus expedit vniuersis presentibus et futuris; quomodo venerabilis ac relligiosus Michael Abbas sancte crucis montis calui, deuotus noster dilectus, sua nobis narracione monstrauit, quod singulis annis superiori tempore transactis, in monte caluo monasterii sui pro festo pentecosthes ad tenendas nundinas seu forum annale, nulla priuilegiorum firmitate roboratum, populi multitudo sexus utriusque assolet de consuetudine confluere, ubi tubarum, timpanorum. fistularum, aliorumque musicorum generum exercicia adhibentur, Chorearum ceterorumque jocorum plausus exercentur, multa insuper furta, homicidia, alieque enormitates et deordinaciones plerumque committuntur, que cultus diuini obsequis diurnis et nocturnis sepenumero magno sunt impedimento unde deordinata et enormia huius modi scandala ab illo loco in quo nomen domini assidue inuocatur tollere ас prouida prospectione summouere (?) cupientes, quatenus et locus ipse honestate debita prosequatur et fratres illius monasterii optata quiete in suis oracionibus quibusuis summotis impedimentis paciantur, prefatas nundinas seu forum annale in dicto monte caluo amplius et de cetero exercendum inhibemus prefato abbati et suis pro tempore successoribus mandato nostro Regio committimus, ut taies enormes deordinaciones scandalososque Conventus (sic) pro dictis diebus, in quibus spiritus sancti gracia pocius est imploranda fieri prohibeant ducturas, propinacionesue cereuisiarum aliorumque potagiorum non admittant, tuguria insuper pro premissis exercendis in dicto monte caluo construere nulla racione permittat, sola dumtaxat taberna excepta que illic antiquitus est locata aut erecta, quam in primeuo statu et condicione uolumus permanere. Ne autem hominibus dictas nundinas exercere uolentibus negociandi aut mercandi, uendendi uel emendi facultas adimi uideatur, ipsas siue forum annale in oppido Słup sub monte caluo ante dicto sito, bis in anno, uidelicet pro diebus festi Pentecostes et pro festo beati Laurencii martiris nec non per totam octauam festorum predictorum singulis annis indiximus, statuimus, et posuimus, indicimusque, ponimus et statuimus perpetuo et in euvm tenore preeencium mediante, ab omnibus mercatoribus, uectoribus et populis cuiuscumque status condicionis, sexus, aut preeminencie existant, more ciuitatum et aliorum oppidorum Regni nostri celebrandi et realiter exercendi, decernentes presentis scripti patrocinio, ut quicumque homines, ad huiusmodi nundinas seu annalia fora pro festiuitatibus Pentecosthes et Laurencii predictis, ad sepedictum oppidum Słup gracia emendi, uendendi, et res pro rebus commutandi accesserint in accedendo et recedendo securitate nostra plenaria et nostrorum successorum pociantur, nisi tales sint quos iura non tueutur et quibus merito fidedignorum consorcia denegantur. Volentes insuper dicti monasterii montis calui condicionem facere meliorem, ut inde uberioribus fratres eiusdem gracie nostre presidiis subportati, altissimum pro nobis ac statu reipublice feruencius studeant exorare, prefato Michaeli abbati et suis pro tempore successoribus racione foralium a quolibet curru panni onerato per unum grossum, ab aliis uero curribus institorum siue mercimoniorum per medium grossum tollendi ac recipiendi tempore huiusmodi nundinarum plenam et omnimodam concedimus facultatem ciuitatum tamen et oppidorum nostrorum Regalium mercatoribus, vectoribus, ac negociatoribus duntaxat exceptis quos ad dictorum foralium solucionem nullatenus uolumus obligari. Interea autem forensium extranearumue cerrevisiarum (sic) ducturam ac propinacionem, uino duntaxat excepto in ipso oppido Słup pro temporibus prescriptarum nundinarum prohibendi ac tuendi memorato abbati ac suis successoribus plenam potestatem impartimur, ita tamen, ut de hiis et aliis necessariis pro hominibus forum annale huiusmodi celebrantibus et exercentibus prouidere eademque abs defectu ministrare teneantur ac debebunt. Harum quibus sigillum nostrum est subappensum testimonio litterarum.

Actum in Słup dominico die ipso sancta Barbare uirginis, anno domini millesimo quadringentesimo sexagesimo octauo; presentibus Generosis, strenuis, ac nobilibus Nicolao de Chransthow Vexillifero Cracoviensi, Petro Donyn de Prawcovicze succamerario (2) Paulo Jasszensky subdapifero Sandomiriensi, Nicolao Dzialinskij et Nicolao Cosczielieckij curiensibus nostris, ceterisque ad premissa fidedignis. Datum per manus Venerabilis Alberti de Zichlin custodis Sandomiriensis, nec non Gneznensis, Graccouiensis, Vladislaviensisque, et Posnaniensis Ecclesiarum Canonici, ас Regni Polonie uicecancellarii, sincere nobis dilecti.

Relacio eiusdem Venerabilis Alberti.

(1) Ex eodem libro manuscrípto, qui jam sub a. 1351 descriptus erat, tabula a Leone Rzysczewscio deprompta. De oppido Słupie monasterii in Monte Calvo locati proprio, ibidem.

(2) Sandomiriensis sub, camerarius fuit.

Of Sneaky, Creeping, Thieving Little Creatures

PublishedSeptember 1, 2018 Post authortorino

Sometimes when I look at the moronic stuff that is written in Slavic academic literature, I begin to wonder whether low-IQ folks somehow unable to find employment end up synecured at Slavic universities.

Take the word skrzat which means as much as a little woodland elf or a little hidden household creature, in the sense of a hearth protector. The word, attested, in all Slavic languages is, derived, from the German Schratt, traced to the Old High German scrato (also, schrat, schrate, schretel(in)). Trouble is that the word is not present in most Slavic languages but it is not present in other Germanic languages. So how is a word present in all Slavic languages derived from a word present in some Germanic languages? I mean, if the reverse were true, then our professors would have (usually correctly) concluded that the word is of Germanic origin. But, as already discussed, there is no parallelism here at all. The reason that Slavic scholars are willing to adopt these ridiculous positions is because they have extremely low self-esteem (which, in turn, might have something to do with their low IQs).

But, they say, there are Germanic words that are cognate! Really? Let’s see:

Well, there is skratti – this Icelandic word that means a “demon”. Ok, what kind of a demon? Big, little, appearing at nighttime? We do not know because the word expresses no meaning whatsoever. It itself is derived from Old Norse skratti (same) which means? No one knows but it is derived from the Proto-Germanic *skrattuz which is supposed to mean: “to shrink, wither, dry out, crinkle, wimple.” That might make sense if you think of a skrzat as an old, wrinkly face but the trouble is that *skrattuz is just made up. No such word, much less its meaning, has ever been attested. The word is just made up (hence the “*” symbol).

There is also scrat – an English which means as much as “to scratch” or “rake”. I suppose you can tray to rationalize an old wrinkly face as having been scratched but that is a bit of a stretch. Moreover, that English word is, supposedly, related to the Swedish kratt which does not mean a goblin or any creature but simply, again, a “rake”. The only thing that is interesting here is that the English version – if it is really derived from the Swedish – suggests that adding an “s” or “z” to a verb was a Germanic, as well as Slavic, phenomenon (compare grac > zgrac or pieprzyc > spieprzyc). (But we will go back to this kratt momentarily in its Estonian version).

What else? How about the Gothic skreitan? Except that that means “to shred,” “to tear.” There is no evident connection to any goblins. Swedish skräda? That means “to mince.” In other words, much the same as to shred.

What about Slavic languages?

Well, we have skřítek which, in Czech, means a small, hidden, creature. Unlike the Germanic words, the name is completely explainable from Slavic as someone who is “hidden” from the Slavic kryty and hence > skryty. A “little” hidden person is, therefore, endowed with the -ek suffix and, thereby, becomes a noun.

But if “i” does not work, how about the “a” versions? Well, there is the Polish kraść meaning “to steal”. He stole is written skradł. Here I would like to take a detour and return to kratt from above. It turns out that kratt means “a creature which steals various items” for its owner… in Estonian. Crazy? Well, how about, a connection to the Scrittifini – (hidden Finni/Veni?) a people that keeps showing up in the area of Poland in almost every ancient geographical description of the area.

But there is another candidate with explanatory power – skradać się – which means “to sneak”, “to creep”, “to slink.”

The point is that any one of these etymologies is sufficient to explain precisely the meaning of skrzat:

hidden
stealing
sneaking

little creature. (Note too that in both Germanic and Slavic languages the creature is little such that the word is synonymous with that concept).

This too makes much more sense. When the Scandinavians came down from, well, Scandinavia, they were – likely – largely young warriors without women. The Venetic women they captured would tell their children about the little skrzats.

Innocent III Against the Ludi (1207)

PublishedAugust 26, 2018 Post authortorino

In 1207, Pope Innocent III (Pope 1198-1216) issued an order to Henry Kietlicz, the archbishop of the Polish Gniezno province, and to his team, in which letter the Pope called the Polish clerics attention to the introduction, especially during the Christmas feasts held by deacons, priests and sub-deacons, of masks and theatrical games into churches, and ordered the discontinuance of the practice. Innocent III’s decretal was included as part of the permanent canon law in the Decretales of Gregory IX in 1234.

You can read more about this in Edmund Kerchever Chambers’s “The Medieval Stage” volume 1, (pages 274-335 regarding the so-called “Feast of Fools”) or look at the more recent scholarship by Meg Twycross and Sarah Carpenter in their “Masks and Masking in Medieval and Early Tudor England.” feastoffools

The order seem to have been originally printed in L.G.O. Feudrix de Bréquigny & F.J.G. La Porte du Theil’s Diplomata (Diplomata, Chartae, Epistolae et alia Documenta Ad Res Francicas Spectantia, etc. volume II, ed. 1791, pp. 1037-8). It was then reprinted in the Diplomatic Codex of Greater Poland (Codex diplomaticus majoris Poloniae volume I, ed. 1877, document number 55, page 58). From there, because of the potential that such practices were rooted in pre-Christian paganism, Karl Meyer reprinted the order in his Historic Sources of Slavic Religion (Fontes historiae religions slavicae).

There is a question, of course, whether and to what extent these practices were pagan or were merely variations on the Christian feasts. Although the letter was sent to the archbishop of Gniezno, there is also a question as to whether the letter referred to practices that the Papacy found specifically in Poland or that were found all over Europe (indeed, it was perhaps because of the universality of its application that it found its way into the Decretales of Gregory IX). On that topic you can read (in Polish) the excellent article by Maksymilian Kawczyński “Regarding the Beginnings of Polish Poetry” (O początkach poezyi polskiej, Kwartalnik Historyczny, 1889).

All that said, it seems that the customs were reported on to the Pope by the archbishop himself during his visit to Rome (Ad nostram siquidem noveritis audientiam pervenisse) and similar “Christmas” practices were reported in Poland many times over as in:

Constitutio Synodalis Uniejoviensis (1326)
Cracow Diocese Statutes (1408)
Synodal Statutes of Bishop Andrew of Poznan (circa 1420)
Sermons of Michał from Janowiec (late 15th century)

The letter is also rather clear as to who exactly was doing all this “caroling”. It was the children of various priests who led these plays and excesses. In fact, it seems that priests back then had many children and it was these priest clans that led the plays and festivals dressed up in “monstrous” masks. Whether these festivities were merely “mockeries” of Christian rituals and dignitaries (archbishop Kietlicz?) or were instead something more, perhaps relics of pagan customs, is an open question.

We present the order here based on the from found in the Diplomatic Codex but also show its source (that is the Diplomata print of Bréquigny and du Theil). Some of the translation comes from the Twycross and Carpenter book. The green text indicates the portion of the secrete that comes from the Meyer reprint and is translated immediately below.

“…Due to their [that is, the clerics’] insolence, sometimes theatrical entertainments are made in these same churches, and not only are monstrosities [in the form] of terrifying apparitions [masks?] introduced to [produce] misguided shows, but also in the three feasts of the year which follow immediately after the Nativity, deacons, priests and subdeacons in turn, indulging in demented mockery, by the unseemly intoxication of their gestures [made] in full view of the public, bring the honor of the clergy into disrepute, [and] who should rather have been soothingly preaching the word of God at such time… However fun these playful customs or rather corruptions [may be], strive to root them out thus from your churches, for you are the guardians of the temple of worship and of the holy order.

Innocent III Pope (January 5,1207)
Letter to the Archbishop of Gniezno
Epistula ad archiepiscopum Gneznensem

Innocentius Pp. III 1207 Jan. 8, Rome apud s. Petrum; interdicit archiepiscopo Gneznensi et suffraganeis eius, ne publice uxoratos admittant ad ecclesiasticas dignitates, simulque mandat, ludibria publica in ecclesiis extirpent.

“… Gneznensi archiepiscopo et suffraganeis eius. Cum decorem domus Domini et locum tabernaculi glorie sue diligere vos oporteat, accurata vobis est sollicitudine precavendum, ne in commissis vobis ecclesiis illa temere presumantur, que vel in eis lampadem religionis extinguere, vel munditiam videantur ministrorum Domini maculare. Ad nostram siquidem noveritis audientiam pervenisse, quod quidam in vestris diocesibus constituti, publice cum mulieribus contrahentes ecclesiasticas non verentur suscipere dignitates, et nonnullarum ecclesiarum canonici, quorum lumbos iuxta verbum evangelice veritatis deceret esse precinctos ac in eorum manibus lucernas bone operationis ardere, usque adeo luxurie sordibus putruerunt, quod nec etiam ignominiam suam velint turpitudinemque velare, quin immo filios ex infami generatione susceptos, ad ministerium altaris, quo se reddunt indignos, indignius secum trahunt; ac si non satis in opprobrium ordinis clericalis eorum incontinentia foret cognita, nisi natorum, in publicum deductorum loquentiumque testimonium, contra ipsos esset ostensione sedula comprobata. Cumque in ecclesiis in quibus huiusmodi clerici locum habent multa enormiter attententur, dum in eisdem fermentata patrum et filiorum, nepotum etiam et affinium parentela inordinate ministrat, quia videlicet amore predominante carnali reverentia spiritualis tepuit inter ipsos, unde nequaquam unus quodlibet facere propter alium pretermittit: per insolentiam eorundem [sc. clericorum] interdum ludi fiunt in eisdem ecclesiis theatrales, et non solum ad ludibriorum spectacula introducuntur in eas monstra larvarum, verum etiam in tribus anni festivitatibus que continue Natalem Christi sequuntur, diaconi, presbyteri ac subdiaconi vicissim insanie sue ludibria exercentes, per gesticulationum suarum debacchationes obscenas in conspectu populi decus faciunt clericale vilescere, quem potius illo tempore verbi Dei deberent predicatione mulcere. Quia igitur ex officio nobis iniuncto zelus domus Dei nos comedit et opprobria exprobrantium ei super nos cadere dignoscuntur, fraternitati vestre per apostolica scripta mandamus, quatenus, ne per huiusmodi turpitudinem Ecclesie inquinetur honestas, eos qui sunt publice uxorati non admittatis de cetero ad ecclesiasticas dignitates, et admissos repellatis ab eis quas non possunt sine pravo exemplo et gravi scandalo retinere. Filiis quoque canonicorum, prebendas in eisdem conferri ecclesiis non sinatis quarum sunt canonici patres eorum: cum indecorum sit, ut in altaris officio illegitimus filius impudico patri ministret, in quo unigenitus Filius eterno Patri pro salute humani generis victimatur. Prelibatam vero ludibriorum consuetudinem vel potius corruptelam, curetis ab ecclesiis vestris taliter extirpare, quod vos divini cultus et sacri comprobetis ordinis zelatores. Datum Rome apud sanctum Petrum VI Idus Ianuarii, anno nono.“

Hannibal of Capua’s Letter to Paolo Emilio Sfondrati

PublishedAugust 25, 2018 Post authortorino

Hannibal of Capua (aka Annibale di Capua), the bishop of Naples spent some time in Poland as the papal nuncio between 1586 and 1591. He produced copious correspondence reporting back to HQ regarding all sorts of matters. One of the letters to the Vatican Secretary of State at the time – Paolo Emilio Sfondrati – contains a description of certain pagan practices in Poland. The correspondence was copied from the so-called Chigi archive in Italy by Professor Stanisław Smolka in 1888 and was later mentioned by the Polish historian priest Jan Nepomucen Fijałek. As far as I can tell the text of the letter has not been published but Fijałek’s description has been and it goes like this:

“…even at the end of the XVI century the papal nuncio Hannibal of Capua was reporting to the secretary of state Sfondrato about a superstitious rite that was practiced in Poland at that time in which a straw doll was made in the shape of a dragon to represent an evil spirit which was then thrown down from the church belfry on – if we are not mistaken – Ascension Day.”

In later times, a similar custom was reported in Cracow where a straw figure of “Judas” would be dropped from the church bell tower and thereafter abused.

Did the Ukrainians Found Poland?

PublishedJuly 23, 2018 Post authortorino

In all the debates about the Piast dynasty one theory has always seemed missing. We’ve had the following proposed as the (non-Polish) dynastic founders:

Scandinavian vikings from the North
Slav escapees from Great Moravia from the South
Rest-Germanen either from the West or local true remnants
possibly viking escapees from the East

But there are three interesting things about the Eastern direction. First:

Polanie tribe – what about the Polanie tribe? The Eastern Polans are attested in Nestor and then we suddenly have a Polanie dynasty starting about 1000 A.D.? While the idea of “dwellers in the fields” may be innocent enough, the name itself as a tribal designation does not appear among Slavic tribes, except in those two instances. Moreover, while Kiev sat on the edge of the steppe-forest zones, Gniezno of the Polanie would have been sitting in the middle of vast forests. It would make no sense to label the people living there as Polanie.

And then:

Nest – the capital of the Piast state (and before that a major burgh) was Gniezno, meaning “nest”. But there is another important “nest” location and that is Gnyozdovo (also one of the sites of the Katyn massacre) which was a site of a Slav-Varangian Rus town for quite a while.

Then, importantly:

Timing – importantly, Kiev where the Polans are said to have dwelt fell to the Rus sometime between 882 (traditional date) and about 900. At the same time, the first “new wave” grods of the Piasts in Greater Poland appear at the turn of the 10th century.

Weaker points? Well, Gnyozdovo may have been in the land of the Krivichs and not of the Polanie and the name itself is not attested till the 1600s. Those facts, however, are not disqualifying for the theory. For one thing, the settlement at Gnyozdovo dates way back before the first time the name itself appears.

But what about Nestor? He mentions Polanie in Ukraine and in Poland but does not draw a connection. Had he known about the connection, would Nestor have mentioned it? Well, maybe that could have given his Rurikid dynasty somewhat of a claim on Poland. But it would also have given the “exiles” a far more potent claim on Kiev. In other words, if the true rulers (or even some of their servants) had been expelled by the Rus, then there was a possibility that they might come back. Mentioning such a connection would then not be very expedient. As is, Nestor’s descriptions of the Kiev Polanie are sparse and general as he appears intent to focus not on the locals but on the local rulers who he clearly considers to be foreigners to the country,

(If this were true, then Boleslaw the Great’s excursion to Kiev could be seen as a sort of an attempted reconquista. Of course, this argument could also be made about any other of his expeditions to Bohemia, Lusatia, and so forth.)

Legendary Comics

PublishedJuly 22, 2018 Post authortorino

A reader points out that there are some terrific comic books out there put out, it seems, in the ’80s that cover various Polish legends. These include, the story of Krak and Wanda, of Popiel and finally of Piast the Wheelwright.

These stories came out in Polish but with side-by-side translations in (depending on the version) English, German, Russian and French.

This is the beginning of the story of “The Wawel Dragon and Queen Wanda”:

And here we have “König Popiel und die Mäuse”:

And finally, we have “Piast le Charron”:

The series apparently continued with more historical tales of “Mieszko I and His Son Boleslaw the Brave,” that is, Chrobry, of “Boleslaw the Wrymouthed” and “Wladyslaw the Short.”