Vršovci
Encyclopedia
Coat of arms of Oksza
Oksza - is a Polish Coat of Arms. It was used by several szlachta families in the times of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.-Notable bearers:Notable bearers of this Coat of Arms include:*Mikołaj Rej*Paweł Edmund Strzelecki*Stanisław Orzechowski...
and the Rawicz
Coat of arms of Rawa
Rawa , is a coat of arms of Polish origin. It was borne by several noble families of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Russian Empire and Ukraine.The ancestry of first bearers of Rawicz is debated...
coat of arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
(noble families in Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth was a dualistic state of Poland and Lithuania ruled by a common monarch. It was the largest and one of the most populous countries of 16th- and 17th‑century Europe with some and a multi-ethnic population of 11 million at its peak in the early 17th century...
also in Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
and Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
).
In Bohemia
First noted in the power struggles of the 10th-12th centuries in Bohemia. The Vršovci were the third most powerful political force in newly Christianized Czechia (Bohemia), after the reigning PřemyslidiPremyslid dynasty
The Přemyslids , were a Czech royal dynasty which reigned in Bohemia and Moravia , and partly also in Hungary, Silesia, Austria and Poland.-Legendary rulers:...
and the contending Slavníki
Slavník's dynasty
The Slavniks/Slavníks or Slavnikids was a powerful dynasty in Bohemia during the 10th century. It governed Zličané, one of the oldest Czech tribes. The center of the principality was the gord of Libice located at the confluence of the rivers Cidlina and Elbe...
. They were active in Bohemian conflicts with Poland, Hungary and the Kings and Electors of the Holy Roman Empire, and also in the intermittent internal conflicts common for feudally fragmented regimes of that time. The Vršovci possessed such towns as Zatec and Litomerice. They had consanguinity with the Přemyslidi and often cooperated with them. Some historians supposed that, unlike their opponents, the other two leading families of Czechia, the Vršovci could have retained some pagan beliefs in the 10th century.
The etymology of the clan name is still a subject of dispute. One version claims its origin to be Czech "fishnet" i.e. "Vrša", while another opinion would have it derived from "Vrsvs" ("Ursus"), Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
for "bear".
The Vršovci, Přemyslids and Slavníki took part in cruel power struggles that occurred in Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
on the turn of the first millennium. Vršovci and Přemyslids led by Boleslav II the Pious, fought with the rival princely clan of Slavniki. On September 28, 995 they stormed Libice nad Cidlinou
Libice nad Cidlinou
Libice nad Cidlinou is a village in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It is one of the oldest settlements in Bohemia, located 5 km southeast of Poděbrady at the confluence of the Cidlina and Elbe rivers...
in Central Bohemia and conquered the Slavníki. Among the victims were four or five brothers of future catholic saint Adalbert
Adalbert of Prague
This article is about St Adalbert of Prague. For other uses, see Adalbert .Saint Adalbert, Czech: ; , , Czech Roman Catholic saint, a Bishop of Prague and a missionary, was martyred in his efforts to convert the Baltic Prussians. He evangelized Poles and Hungarians. St...
, then bishop of Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
. According to the legends the saint was very impulsive. He damned the murderers(Vršovci). However, as some legend says the saint know how to moderate "the horse of his anger" in order to not "deviate from a bright way of the eternal life" so he escaped from Bohemia to Hungary and Poland, also legend says that he predicted the prosecution of Vršovci.
In 1003, when the Vršovci tried to dethrone Boleslav III the Red. When the expatriated duke returned to Bohemia possibly with the support of Duke Bolesław I the Brave of Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, he ordered a massacre of the Vršovci at Vyšehrad
Vyšehrad
Vyšehrad is a castle located in the city of Prague, Czech Republic. It was probably built in the 10th century, on a hill over the Vltava River...
. According to Thietmar of Merseburg
Thietmar of Merseburg
Thietmar of Merseburg was a German chronicler who was also bishop of Merseburg.-Life:...
, Boleslav slashed to death his son-in-law (Vršoviec) with his own sword during Lent
Lent
In the Christian tradition, Lent is the period of the liturgical year from Ash Wednesday to Easter. The traditional purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer – through prayer, repentance, almsgiving and self-denial – for the annual commemoration during Holy Week of the Death and...
.
In 1108 the Vršovci came into disfavour again, and were massacred by hostile Přemyslids - namely Svatopluk
Svatopluk of Bohemia
Svatopluk the Lion was the duke of Bohemia from 1107 to his assassination. He was a son of Otto I of Olomouc and Euphemia of Hungary and grandson of Bretislaus I of Bohemia....
. Many nobles were executed on Petřin Hill.
Possible further shelter or interrelations
Leter history of the family is unclear, there are two or more versions:- According to "Encyklopedyja Powszechna" vol. 6 article "Czechy" (published by Samuel OrgelbrandSamuel OrgelbrandSamuel Orgelbrand was one of the most prominent Polish-Jewish printers and publishers of the 19th century. The person to discover the works of Józef Ignacy Kraszewski.-The monumental work - publishing the encyclopedia:...
in Warszawa, 1861) whole family was perfidiously executed in 1109. - The same source suggests that it could happened that two of them escaped to Kingdom of PolandKingdom of Poland (1025–1138)The Kingdom of Poland was the Polish state from the coronation of the first King Bolesław I the Brave in 1025 to the union with Lithuania and the rule of the Jagiellon dynasty in 1385.-Early Kingdom:The basis for the development of a Polish state was laid by the Piast, which were preeminent since...
and acted from here even in 1100. Similarly, the not "better", of two versions by Kasper NiesieckiKasper NiesieckiKasper Niesiecki was a Polish heraldist, Jesuit, lexicographer, writer, theologian and preacher.-Biography:Niesiecki was born in Greater Poland to a burgher family. In 1699 he began training as a Jesuit in Kraków. From 1701 to 1704 he studied philosophy in Lublin, earning a master's degree...
(considering origin of Rawicz bearers) says that some of them were amiably received in 1108 by the King Bolesław III Wrymouth of Poland, who granted them lands in Rawa Voivodship, however Jan Długosz supports it.
If the second is true, it could be that some of Vršovci (because phonetically similar surnames were spoted among szlachta
Szlachta
The szlachta was a legally privileged noble class with origins in the Kingdom of Poland. It gained considerable institutional privileges during the 1333-1370 reign of Casimir the Great. In 1413, following a series of tentative personal unions between the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of...
of two Polish coat of arms), in the midst of nobility referred to as Oksza and Rawicz bearers (however the same Kasper Niesiecki
Kasper Niesiecki
Kasper Niesiecki was a Polish heraldist, Jesuit, lexicographer, writer, theologian and preacher.-Biography:Niesiecki was born in Greater Poland to a burgher family. In 1699 he began training as a Jesuit in Kraków. From 1701 to 1704 he studied philosophy in Lublin, earning a master's degree...
states that the "better" version of origin of Rawicz bearers is pagan Polish), probably participated in the Battle of Grunwald
Battle of Grunwald
The Battle of Grunwald or 1st Battle of Tannenberg was fought on 15 July 1410, during the Polish–Lithuanian–Teutonic War. The alliance of the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, led respectively by King Jogaila and Grand Duke Vytautas , decisively defeated the Teutonic Knights, led...
. In the historical records among 50 Polish "banners" (regiments) is one (the 26th) under the Rawicz coat of arms led by Christian of Ostrów, castellan of Kraków, also a war councillor and one of the seven chief members of King Władysław II Jagiełło of Poland's general headquarters.
Battle of Koronowo
The Battle of Koronowo was a battle of the Polish-Lithuanian-Teutonic War. It took place on October 10, 1410, near the village of Łąsko Wielkie and ended in Polish-Lithuanian alliance victory.- External links :...
, shortly after that of Grunwald. Oksza knights also participated at Koronowo, specifically Dobko Oksza and Jan Rey of Naglowic.
For the most famous Oksza bearer see: Mikołaj Rej z Nagłowic. In 1994–97, Mikołaj Rej's descendant and namesake, Nicholas Andrew Rey
Nicholas Andrew Rey
Nicholas Andrew Rey was American diplomat, businessman, United States Ambassador to Poland , affiliated with Democratic Party.-Life:...
(1938–2009), served as American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
to Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
.