Zerwikaptur is a Polish coat of arms. It was used by several

gentry Gentry (from Old French ''genterie'', from ''gentil'', "high-born, noble") are "well-born, genteel and well-bred people" of high social class, especially in the past. Word similar to gentle imple and decentfamilies ''Gentry'', in its widest c ...

families in the times of 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 ...

. A legend about the origination of the coat of arms is used in the novel ''

With Fire and Sword ''With Fire and Sword'' ( pl, Ogniem i mieczem, links=no) is a historical novel by the Polish author Henryk Sienkiewicz, published in 1884. It is the first volume of a series known to Poles as The Trilogy, followed by '' The Deluge'' (''Potop'' ...

'' by Henryk Sienkiewicz, whereby a character Longinus Podbipięta managed to cut off the heads of three knights bearing the goat's head on their arms with a single swing of his huge sword. Therefore he named his sword "Zerwikaptur", literally meaning "

coif A coif () is a close fitting cap worn by both men and women that covers the top, back, and sides of the head. History Coifs date from the 10th century, but fell out of popularity with men in the 14th century."A New Look for Women." Arts and ...

-snapper", and later got the coat of arms of this name. In fact, Zerwikaptur originated well before the times of the novel.

External links

* Zerwikaptur Coat of Arms & the bearers. Zerwikaptur {{poland-heraldry-stub

See also

External links