Przyjaciel ( Polish for "

Friend Friendship is a relationship of mutual affection between people. It is a stronger form of interpersonal bond than an "acquaintance" or an "association", such as a classmate, neighbor, coworker, or colleague. In some cultures, the concept of ...

") also known as "de Pryjatel" and "Amicus" is a Polish coat of arms. It was used by several ''

szlachta The ''szlachta'' (Polish: endonym, Lithuanian: šlėkta) were the noble estate of the realm in the Kingdom of Poland, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth who, as a class, had the dominating position in ...

'' (noble) families under the

Kingdom of Poland The Kingdom of Poland ( pl, Królestwo Polskie; Latin: ''Regnum Poloniae'') was a state in Central Europe. It may refer to: Historical political entities * Kingdom of Poland, a kingdom existing from 1025 to 1031 * Kingdom of Poland, a kingdom exi ...

and the

Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, formally known as the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and, after 1791, as the Commonwealth of Poland, was a bi-confederal state, sometimes called a federation, of Crown of the Kingdom of ...

History

The coat of arms has its source in the following historical event during the reign of the Polish King,

Bolesław IV the Curly Bolesław IV the Curly (; 1122 – 5 January 1173), a member of the Piast dynasty, was Duke of Masovia from 1138 and High Duke of Poland from 1146 until his death. Early life Bolesław was the third son of Duke Bolesław III Wrymouth of Polan ...

(Kędzierzawy) (1125-1173), Duke Henryk, Prince of Sandomierz, the king's brother, was waging war against the still pagan Prussians, in 1164, and was killed in a battle. The knight Mirosław, who hailed from the east, as his name suggests, and who was in the service of the king and king's brother, Henryk, broke through the enemy lines with his men, in order to retrieve Henryk's body and valuable armor, but was killed himself in the process. For Mirosław's steadfast loyalty, in the memory of his bravery, King Bolesław of Poland bestowed this coat of arms and lands to Mirosław's descendants.

Blazon

A shield of blue color, with a heart in a vessel, pierced from top to bottom by an arrow, helmet with five ostrich feathers, and the blue and yellow fringe, signifying the ancient colors of knight Mirosław's ancestral origins.

Notable bearers

Notable bearers of this coat of arms have included: *

Józef Dowbor-Muśnicki Józef Dowbor-Muśnicki (Iosif Romanovich while in the Russian military; sometimes also Dowbór-Muśnicki; ; 25 October 1867 – 26 October 1937) was a Russian military officer and Polish general, serving with the Imperial Russian and then Pol ...

, military officer and commander * Józef Epifani Minasowicz, publisher, poet, translator, journalist and editor * Tadeusz Wolański, archaeologist and researcher of inscriptions in the Etruscan language * Medard Downarowicz, political activist and minister * Andrzej Downarowicz, pod starosta and judge * Tadeusz Downarowicz, member of the

Great Sejm The Great Sejm, also known as the Four-Year Sejm ( Polish: ''Sejm Wielki'' or ''Sejm Czteroletni''; Lithuanian: ''Didysis seimas'' or ''Ketverių metų seimas'') was a Sejm (parliament) of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth that was held in War ...

Bohdan Pawłowicz Bohdan Pawłowicz (February 2, 1899 - May 28, 1967) was a Polish writer, journalist, radio broadcaster and a Polonia activist. He was also a scout, an emigration officer, a military man, a professor of Polish literary history and a globe-trotte ...

, writer, journalist, radio broadcaster, military officer, Polonia activist * Jurowski family :pl:Jurowscy

Gallery

file:POL COA Przyjaciel II.svg, Przyjaciel II (families: Lisiecki, Hryniewicz, Mackiewicz, Wojciechowicz) POL COA Grabowski IV.svg, Grabowski IV (variation) POL COA Downarowicz.svg, Downarowicz (variation)

External links

* Przyjaciel Coat of Arms, altered one and bearers *

Bibliography

* Juliusz Ostrowski, Księga herbowa rodów polskich. Warszawa 1897 * Tadeusz Gajl: Herbarz polski od średniowiecza do XX wieku : ponad 4500 herbów szlacheckich 37 tysięcy nazwisk 55 tysięcy rodów. L&L, 2007. .

References

Polish coats of arms {{poland-heraldry-stub