Rawa (Rawicz), is a coat of arms of Polish origin. It was borne by several noble families of

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 ...

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War ...

and

Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inva ...

. The ancestry of first bearers of Rawicz (the Rawici clan) is debated. Version supported by Polish chronicler

Jan Długosz Jan Długosz (; 1 December 1415 – 19 May 1480), also known in Latin as Johannes Longinus, was a Polish priest, chronicler, diplomat, soldier, and secretary to Bishop Zbigniew Oleśnicki of Kraków. He is considered Poland's first histo ...

points out branch of Czech (Bohemian) Vršovci clan, version supported by Polish heraldist

Kasper Niesiecki Kasper Niesiecki (31 December 1682 – 9 July 1744), also known as Kacper Niesiecki, was a Polish heraldist, Jesuit, lexicographer, writer, theologian and preacher. Biography Niesiecki was born in Greater Poland to a burgher family. In 1699 ...

(as better) says that their origin is

pagan Paganism (from classical Latin ''pāgānus'' "rural", "rustic", later "civilian") is a term first used in the fourth century by early Christians for people in the Roman Empire who practiced polytheism, or ethnic religions other than Judaism. I ...

Polish. Lot of families were later legally adopted into the clan or

ennobled Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. The characterist ...

with this coat of arms, some misattributed to the clan by similarity of arms, names or by simple error or usurpation. Nowadays it (or its modification) is used as coat of arms of several Polish settlements.

Blazon

Main version (in others colours may differ): Shield Or (gold) with a bear (probably '' ursus arctos'')

Sable The sable (''Martes zibellina'') is a species of marten, a small omnivorous mammal primarily inhabiting the forest environments of Russia, from the Ural Mountains throughout Siberia, and northern Mongolia. Its habitat also borders eastern Kaza ...

(black) facing dexter (right) with a maiden on its back. The maiden, vested in royal attire

Gules In heraldry, gules () is the tincture with the colour red. It is one of the class of five dark tinctures called "colours", the others being azure (blue), sable (black), vert (green) and purpure (purple). In engraving, it is sometimes depict ...

(red) and a crown Or, with flowing hair and hands upraised a little and expanded, all proper. Out of the crest coronet, between two antlers proper, a bear facing dexter. His left arm in front is lowered, and another one holds a rose on a stem, all proper, which the bear carries to his snout.

History

Power struggles in Bohemia: damnation, prosecution and salvation

The Vršovci (whose branch was probably the root of some Rawicz bearers) took part in cruel power struggles that occurred in Bohemia on the turn of the first millennium. Together with Přemyslids led by Boleslaus II the Pious they rivalised with Slavniki clan. During the struggles five members of rival Slavniki clan: Soběbor, Spytimír, Pobraslav, Pořej, and Čáslav were murdered. They were brothers of Czech

missionary A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Tho ...

and bishop st.

Adalbert of Prague Adalbert of Prague ( la, Sanctus Adalbertus, cs, svatý Vojtěch, sk, svätý Vojtech, pl, święty Wojciech, hu, Szent Adalbert (Béla); 95623 April 997), known in the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia by his birth name Vojtěch ( la, ...

( cs, Svatý Vojtěch, pl, święty Wojciech). In 995 he damned the murderers(Vršovci). In historical records Czech duke Svatopluk of Přemyslids clan is accused of ordering to kill Mutyna and two his sons: Bożej and Boraszek also Unisław and Domisław (all of them belonged to the Vršovci family) during similar power struggles thirteen years later. Being horrified by those events some of Vršovci fled to Poland, where they were received with honours by king Bolesław III Krzywousty who gave them lands in the duchy of Masovia, that were foundation of future Rawa Voivodeship.

Origin of Polish Rawici

Rawicz is an old coat of arms, one of the oldest used in Poland. According to the legend it was imported from

Lorraine Lorraine , also , , ; Lorrain: ''Louréne''; Lorraine Franconian: ''Lottringe''; german: Lothringen ; lb, Loutrengen; nl, Lotharingen is a cultural and historical region in Northeastern France, now located in the administrative region of Gra ...

(where it is first mentioned in 1003) prior to 1109. According to a legend, the symbol was brought to Lorraine from England, where it was awarded to the descendants of

Canute the Great Cnut (; ang, Cnut cyning; non, Knútr inn ríki ; or , no, Knut den mektige, sv, Knut den Store. died 12 November 1035), also known as Cnut the Great and Canute, was King of England from 1016, King of Denmark from 1018, and King of Norwa ...

. The ancestry of first bearers of Rawicz (the Rawici clan) is debated: * version supported by Polish chronicler

points out one of branches of Czech (

Bohemia Bohemia ( ; cs, Čechy ; ; hsb, Čěska; szl, Czechy) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. Bohemia can also refer to a wider area consisting of the historical Lands of the Bohemian Crown ruled by the Bohem ...

n) Vršovci clan, Early history of Vršovci is described by

Cosmas of Prague Cosmas of Prague ( cs, Kosmas Pražský; la, Cosmas Decanus; – October 21, 1125) was a priest, writer and historian. Life Between 1075 and 1081, he studied in Liège. After his return to Bohemia, he married Božetěcha, with whom he had a so ...

in "Chronicle of Bohemians". * version supported by Polish heraldist

(as better) says that their origin is

Polish.

Participation in the Battle of Grunwald

In 1410 Rawicz bearers took part in the

Battle of Grunwald The Battle of Grunwald, Battle of Žalgiris or First Battle of Tannenberg was fought on 15 July 1410 during the Polish–Lithuanian–Teutonic War. The alliance of the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, led respec ...

. Among 50 Polish gonfalons (regiments) one (the 26th) took the field under Rawa coat of arms and was led by Christian of Ostrów,

Kraków Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula, Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland un ...

castellan A castellan is the title used in Medieval Europe for an appointed official, a governor of a castle and its surrounding territory referred to as the castellany. The title of ''governor'' is retained in the English prison system, as a remnant ...

. He was also a war councilor, one of the seven chief members of General Headquarters of

Władysław II Jagiełło Jogaila (; 1 June 1434), later Władysław II Jagiełło ()He is known under a number of names: lt, Jogaila Algirdaitis; pl, Władysław II Jagiełło; be, Jahajła (Ягайла). See also: Names and titles of Władysław II Jagiełło. ...

. In addition, one of the Rawicz bearers is marked for his military valour in the Battle of Koronowo that occurred shortly after the Grunwald. This knight's name was Christian of Goworzici, Rawa coat of arms. ''(Jan Długosz, Annales seu cronici incliti regni Poloniae)''

Legend

According to the legend, an

English king The monarchy of the United Kingdom, commonly referred to as the British monarchy, is the constitutional form of government by which a hereditary sovereign reigns as the head of state of the United Kingdom, the Crown Dependencies (the Bailiw ...

died without leaving a properly perfected testament, so his last will was expressed from the world beyond. He left a crown and all immovable property to his son, and all movables – to his daughter. Being instigated by his councilors, the Prince decided to fulfill his father's will nominally. He ordered to drive a black bear (which undoubtedly was a unit of king's movable property) to a Princess' bedchamber. In case of Princess' death that seemed inevitable, the King's wish would be fulfilled and Princess' failure to manage the movables would be proven. However, the Princess did not only tame the beast but even rode out her chamber on its back, upraising her hands and calling for justice. Her brother made sure that truth and heaven take sister's side. He asked her pardon and married her off to a

Duke of Lorraine The rulers of Lorraine have held different posts under different governments over different regions, since its creation as the kingdom of Lotharingia by the Treaty of Prüm, in 855. The first rulers of the newly established region were kings of ...

, with all due property as a portion. As a keepsake Princess gave her descendants a coat of arms with a girl riding a bear depicted on it. This coat of arms was called "Rawicz". It symbolizes ability to overcome difficulties with honour, to change confusion into victory. This legend is stated in a well-known Polish armorial "Orbis Polonus" assembled by

Szymon Okolski Szymon Okolski (1580–1653), also known as Simon Okolski, was a well-known Polish–Lithuanian historian, theologian, and specialist in heraldry. His own clan and coat of arms were that of Rawicz. He was born in Kamieniec Podolski, died in L ...

in 1641–1643. <3

Notable bearers

Notable bearers of this coat of arms include: * Andrzej Gawroński – Polish bishop * Jan Grot – Polish bishop * Aleksander Jakub JasiewiczGenealogy of Kaczyński family
/ref> – grandfather of

Lech Kaczyński Lech Aleksander Kaczyński (; 18 June 194910 April 2010) was a Polish politician who served as the city mayor of Warsaw from 2002 until 2005, and as President of Poland from 2005 until his death in 2010. Before his tenure as president, he pre ...

(

President of Poland The president of Poland ( pl, Prezydent RP), officially the president of the Republic of Poland ( pl, Prezydent Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej), is the head of state of Poland. Their rights and obligations are determined in the Constitution of Pola ...

) and

Jarosław Kaczyński Jarosław Aleksander Kaczyński (; born 18 June 1949) is a Polish politician who is currently serving as leader of the Law and Justice party (known by its Polish acronym PiS), which he co-founded in 2001 with his twin brother, Lech Kaczyński, ...

(former

premier Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier. A premier will normally be a head of governm ...

of Poland), father of :pl:Jadwiga Kaczyńska * Krzysztof Kosiński ( uk, Криштоф Косинський) –

Hetman of Ukrainian Cossacks Hetman of Zaporizhian Cossacks is a historical term that has multiple meanings. Officially the post was known as Hetman of the Zaporizhian Host ( uk, Гетьман Війська Запорозького, ''Hetman Viyska Zaporozkoho'').Mytsyk, ...

* Stefan Kossecki-Polish army Officer *

* Antoni Jan Ostrowski – one of commanders of Polish

November Uprising The November Uprising (1830–31), also known as the Polish–Russian War 1830–31 or the Cadet Revolution, was an armed rebellion in the heartland of partitioned Poland against the Russian Empire. The uprising began on 29 November 1830 in W ...

* Kazimierz Ołdakowski – prewar director of Fabryka Broni *

Tomasz Adam Ostrowski Count Tomasz Adam Ostrowski (21 December 1735 – 5 February 1817) was a Polish nobleman (szlachcic), politician, spokesman, statesman and ''Count'' since 1798. Tomasz became Colonel of the Crown Army in 1765, Chamberlain of King Stanisław ...

* Władysław Ostrowski –

Marshal Marshal is a term used in several official titles in various branches of society. As marshals became trusted members of the courts of Medieval Europe, the title grew in reputation. During the last few centuries, it has been used for elevated o ...

of the

Sejm The Sejm (English: , Polish: ), officially known as the Sejm of the Republic of Poland ( Polish: ''Sejm Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej''), is the lower house of the bicameral parliament of Poland. The Sejm has been the highest governing body of ...

during November Uprising * Adam Petrovich Ozharovsky (russian: Адам Петрович Ожаровский) – a Russian general of Polish descent *

Piotr Ożarowski Piotr Ożarowski (; 1725 – 9 May 1794 in Warsaw) was a Polish noble (szlachcic), politic and military commander. Member of the infamous Confederation of Targowica, he reached the offices of Great Crown Hetman and castellan of Wojnice. Early su ...

* Stanisław Przyjemski – Grand Marshal of

the Crown The Crown is the state in all its aspects within the jurisprudence of the Commonwealth realms and their subdivisions (such as the Crown Dependencies, overseas territories, provinces, or states). Legally ill-defined, the term has differ ...

( pl,

Marszałek Marszałek ( en, Marshal, , be, Маршалак, ) was one of the highest officials in the Polish royal court since the 13th century and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania since the 15th century. He was the oldest-ranking of all court officials and w ...

wielki koronny) * Julian Ursyn-Niemcewicz *

Jerzy Zdziechowski Jerzy Zdziechowski (27 August 1880 – 25 April 1975) was a Polish politician, economist and economical activist, author of economical works. Zdziechowski was born in Rozdół, Podolia Governorate. During the years of 1917 and 1918 he was one of ...

Kazimierz Zdziechowski Kazimierz Zdziechowski, also known under pseudonyms Władysław Zdora, Władysław Mouner, (1878–1942) was a Polish landowner, prose, prose writer, publicist, literary critic and novelist. Brother of Marian Zdziechowski, Polish philologist and ph ...

Marian Zdziechowski Marian Zdziechowski (30 April 1861, Nowosiółki, Minsk Governorate – 5 October 1938, Wilno) was a Polish philosopher, Slavist, publicist and cultural historian. He was a critic of fascist and communist totalitarianism, and was considered a ...

* for others see notable people of Rawicz coat of arms on Polish Wikipedia * articles about notable Russian noble families of cognate coat of arms on Russian Wikipedia * Dylan Biedrzycki – Master of Mishkeegogamang First Nation and Future Chief (Half Breed)

External links

* Rawicz Coat of Arms, altered one, bearers

Sources

*
Bartosz Paprocki. Herby rycerstwa polskiego. II ed. Krakow, 1858. pp. 539–550
*
"Herbarz polski Kaspra Niesieckiego S.J." vol. VIII 97–100

Jan Nepomucen Bobrowicz Jan Nepomucen (de) Bobrowicz (12 May 1805 – 2 November 1881) was a Polish virtuoso guitarist, composer, music editor, and publisher. Franz Liszt called him "the Chopin of guitar". Life Bobrowicz was born in Kraków. He studied the guitar in ...

Leipzig Leipzig ( , ; Upper Saxon: ) is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. Leipzig's population of 605,407 inhabitants (1.1 million in the larger urban zone) as of 2021 places the city as Germany's eighth most populous, as ...

1841 * , partly
Obshchiy Gyerbovnik dvoryanskih rodov Vsyerossiyskoy Impyerii (Общий Гербовник дворянских родов Всероссийской Империи)
1797–1917

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rawa Coat of Arms Polish coats of arms