Topór ( Polish for "

axe An axe ( sometimes ax in American English; see spelling differences) is an implement that has been used for millennia to shape, split and cut wood, to harvest timber, as a weapon, and as a ceremonial or heraldic symbol. The axe has ma ...

") is a Polish coat of arms. It was used by several '' szlachta'' (noble) families in

medieval Poland This article covers the history of Poland in the Middle Ages. This time covers roughly a millennium, from the 5th century to the 16th century. It is commonly dated from the Fall of the Western Roman Empire, and contrasted with a later Early Modern ...

and under 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 Poland and Lithuania ru ...

History

The topór

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in its ...

is said to be one of the oldest Polish szlachta emblems, if not the oldest. Its use dates back to at least as far as a seal of the late 13th century. Before the

Union of Horodło The Union of Horodło or Pact of Horodło was a set of three acts signed in the town of Horodło on 2 October 1413. The first act was signed by Władysław II Jagiełło, King of Poland, and Vytautas, Grand Duke of Lithuania. The second and thir ...

(1413) approximately 220 Polish szlachta families - mostly in and around

Kraków Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland until 1596 ...

, Lublin and

Sandomierz Sandomierz (pronounced: ; la, Sandomiria) is a historic town in south-eastern Poland with 23,863 inhabitants (as of 2017), situated on the Vistula River in the Sandomierz Basin. It has been part of Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship (Holy Cross Prov ...

- used this symbol. Under the Union the coat of arms was represented by Maciej z Wąsocza, the Voivod of Kraków, and by Jan Butrym, a Lithuanian boyar who represented Lithuanian noble families. After the union another 150 families in Lithuania adopted the topór coat of arms. Due to its antiquity it was sometimes referred to as "''Starża''", an Old-Polish word denoting great age.

Blazon In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct the appropriate image. The verb ''to blazon'' means to create such a description. The vi ...

Gules,

argent In heraldry, argent () is the tincture of silver, and belongs to the class of light tinctures called "metals". It is very frequently depicted as white and usually considered interchangeable with it. In engravings and line drawings, regions to ...

. The crest is in the form of an axe embedded in the

helm Helm may refer to: Common meanings * a ship's steering mechanism; see tiller and ship's wheel * another term for helmsman * an archaic term for a helmet, used as armor Arts and entertainment * Matt Helm, a character created by Donald Hamilton * ...

. In Latin: ''(Topor). Thopor siue Bipennis alba in campo rubeo (...)''

Notable bearers

Notable bearers of this coat of arms have included: * Family of Okulicz *

Jan Jerzy Grabowski Jan Jerzy Grabowski (before 1767 – 1789) of the Topór coat of arms was a Polish noble, general (from 1782), marshal of the Słuck Confederation (1767). He was twice married: first to Joanna Gruszczyńska and secondly to Elżbieta Szyd� ...

* Cyprian Norwid *

House of Ossoliński A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...

Jerzy Ossoliński Prince Jerzy Ossoliński h. Topór (15 December 1595 – 9 August 1650) was a Polish nobleman ('' szlachcic''), Crown Court Treasurer from 1632, governor (''voivode'') of Sandomierz from 1636, ''Reichsfürst'' (Imperial Prince) since 1634, Cro ...

** Franciszek Maksymilian Ossoliński ** Anna Teresa Ossolińska ** Józef Kajetan Ossoliński ** Jan Zbigniew Ossoliński ** Krzysztof Ossoliński * House of Starza Szolayski ** Adam Prince Starza Szolayski ** Wanda Princess Starza Szolayska ** Gerda Starza Szolayska ** Szołajski * House of Tęczyński ** Zbigniew Tęczyński ** Jan Magnus Tęczyński * House of Tarło ** Teofilia Tarło ** Zygmunt Tarło ** Jan Tarło ** Andrzej Tarło ** Pawel Tarło **

Jadwiga Tarło Jadwiga (; diminutives: ''Jadzia'' , ''Iga'') is a Polish feminine given name. It originated from the old German feminine given name ''Hedwig'' (variants of which include ''Hedwiga''), which is compounded from ''hadu'', "battle", and ''wig'', "fig ...

** Stanisław Tarło ** Jan Karol Tarło **

Barbara Tarło Barbara may refer to: People * Barbara (given name) * Barbara (painter) (1915–2002), pseudonym of Olga Biglieri, Italian futurist painter * Barbara (singer) (1930–1997), French singer * Barbara Popović (born 2000), also known mononymously ...

Eustachy Trepka Eustachy Trepka (born around 1510, died October 17, 1558) was a Polish Lutheran theologian, pastor, and translator. Trepka's family had its origins near Sieradz and Wielkopolska. According to some sources his family was nicknamed ''Nękanda'' wi ...

Józef Zabiełło 150px, Topór coat of arms Józef Zabiełło h. Topór (; c. 1750 – 9 May 1794 in Warsaw, Poland) of was a nobleman ('' szlachcic'') in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. Great Łowczy of Lithuanian from 1775, konsyliarz of Permanent ...

* House of Bogdanowicz *Family of Zemła and Zemło ennobled 1413 in the Union of Horodło for taking part and courageous fighting 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 ...

1410. * House of Matuszewski ** Szymon Piotr Stefan Matuszewski

Gallery

Aristocratic variations file:POL COA Ossoliński.svg, file:POL COA Dzierzbicki.svg, file:POL COA Grabowski.svg, file:POL COA Morski.svg, file:POL COA Ossoliński hrabia.svg, file:POL COA Zabiełło.svg, file:POL COA Jakubowski baron.svg, Standard variations file:POL COA Deciusz.svg, file:POL COA Gumowski.svg, file:POL COA Jakubowski - odmiana Topora.svg, file:POL COA Jakubowski - odmiana Topora II.svg, file:POL COA Morawicki.svg, file:POL COA Paczeński.svg, file:POL COA Paczeński II.svg, file:POL COA Topór odmienny.svg, file:POL COA Topór II.svg, file:POL COA Topór III.svg, file:POL COA Topór IV.svg, file:POL COA Topór V.svg, Coat of arms of cities and gminas file:Krajenka herb.svg, file:POL Opole Lubelskie COA.svg, file:POL Rymanów COA.svg, file:Stawiski Herb.svg, file:POL Chyrów COA.svg, file:UKR Toporów XVIIw COA.png, file:POL gmina Klimontów COA.svg, file:POL gmina Końskowola COA.svg, file:POL gmina Zaklików COA.svg, file:POL gmina Żegocina COA.svg, Coat of arms with the topór symbol file:POL Krzeszowice COA.svg, file:POL Leszno COA.svg, file:POL Wągrowiec COA.svg, file:POL powiat wągrowiecki COA.svg, file:POL Żabno COA.svg, file:POL Mosty Wielkie COA.svg, file:POL gmina Białołęka COA.svg, file:POL gmina Białośliwie COA.svg, file:POL gmina Liszki COA new.svg, file:POL gmina Łańcut COA.svg, file:POL gmina Mielec COA.svg, file:POL gmina Mircze COA.svg, file:POL gmina Nawojowa COA.svg, file:POL gmina Sterdyń COA.svg, file:Gmina tarlow herb.svg, file:POL gmina Wilczyce COA.svg, file:POL gmina Zabrodzie COA.svg, file:POL gmina Zębowice COA.svg, file:POL Limanowa COA.svg, file:POL gmina Nowe Brzesko COA.svg, file:POL gmina Trzcinica COA.svg, Paintings with the coat of arms topór file:Jerzy ossolinski.jpg, Portrait of

with coat of arms in upper left File:Franciszek Maksymilian Ossolinski (1676-1756).jpg, Portrait of Franciszek Maksymilian Ossolinski with coat of arms on the shield (right bottom corner) File:Jan Zbigniew Ossolinski.jpg, Portrait of Jan Zbigniew Ossolinski with coat of arms in upper right File:Jan Tęczyński.PNG, Jan Magnus Tęczyński with coat of arms in upper right Elżbieta z Pileckich Granowska.PNG, Topór on the painting of Elizabeth Granowska, 1779 Other file:JKRUK 20080815 SZCZAWORYZ KOSCIOL EPITAFIUM JAN TARLO DSC05556.JPG, The epitaph of Jan Kanty Tarło (1790-1855) in Szczaworyż, Church of St. James file:Ossoliński family Coat of Arms.PNG, Coat of arms of the Ossoliński family on the St. Antoni Padewski Church in

Warsaw Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officia ...

file:Ujazd Krzyztopor 051004 1458.jpg, The ruins of Krzyżtopór Castle in Ujazd (topór coat of arms on the right side of the gate)

External links

* *

Bibliography

* Kasper Niesiecki: Herbarz polski. T. 9. 1839-1846 * Franciszek Piekosiński: Heraldyka polska wieków średnich. Kraków: Akademia Umiejętności, 1899 * Józef Szymański: Herbarz średniowiecznego rycerstwa polskiego. Warszawa: PWN, 1993 * Bartosz Paprocki, Jan Kazimierz Turowski: Herby rycerstwa polskiego przez Bartosza Paprockiego zebrane i wydane r. p. 1584. Kraków: Wydawnictwo Biblioteki Polskiej, 1858. * Stanisław Teodor Chrząński: Tablice odmian herbowych. Juliusz Karol Ostrowski, 1909, s. V. * Tadeusz Gajl: Herbarz polski od średniowiecza do XX wieku : ponad 4500 herbów szlacheckich 37 tysięcy nazwisk 55 tysięcy rodów. L&L, 2007, s. 363. . * Barbara Trelińska: Album armorum nobilium Regni Poloniae XV - XVIII saec. Herby nobilitacji i indygenatów XV - XVIII w.. Lublin: 2001, * Stanisław Dziadulewicz: Herbarz rodzin tatarskich w Polsce. Wilno: Stanisław Dziadulewicz, 1929

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Topor coat of arms Polish coats of arms