The article represents the results of the research on the Southern Polabya’s ethno-political structure at the end of the 6th — in the first third of the 10th century and on the processes connected with its formation. In this context the author elucidates the historiography of the question, researches Slavic migration to Southern Polabya, determines the main ethnic and political divisions of the region at that period, studies the internal organization of political entities. Based on analysis and comparison of the archaeological and linguistic research results with written evidences the new solutions of some aspects of the researching problem are proposed.

Scald poems celebrating the Viking achievements of their heroes have long attracted the attention of scholars, especially those who have undertaken studies of Scandinavian activity in the British Isles region in the late 10th and early 11th centuries. Poems such as Hallfred Óttarsson's Óláfsdrápa, Sigvat Þórðarson's Víkingarvísur, and Óttar svarti's Hǫfuðlausn have also been seen as testaments to a particular memory of the Viking past, used by these poets in their efforts to have their work recognized as central to the creation of an ideology of power. The article presented here offers a slightly different perspective on poems celebrating the Viking achievements of Scandinavian rulers. In it, the author tries to show that the referenced poems served not only to commemorate the wartime achievements of their heroes but, above all, to emphasize their rulerly qualities. This was served, among other things, by depicting the victims of Viking attacks as rebels and villains whom the ruler tamed, rightly punishing them for their transgressions and forcing recognition of his power.

The following article constitutes an attempt at providing a comprehensive overview of the use of the malediction (a penal formula) in medieval Polish documents. Over 150 instances present in Polish diplomatic documents written before the end of the 13th century have been analyzed for the purpose of this study. The first part of the text summarizes the current state of research, while the second part is devoted to formal and ideological analysis of the malediction. The analyzed formula was a characteristic element of documents issued until the middle of the 13th century, included predominantly in documents which regulated the relationship between secular and Church authorities. The article discusses the punishments and religious content included in those documents. The most commonly used maledictions were the threats of God’s wrath and divine punishment (both by God as well as the saints). The formula was characterized by the strong presence of eschatological ideas, typical for the medieval mindset. The conducted analysis has shown that the formula of the malediction was often accompanied by apprecation (a positive sanction) — together, they were supposed to encourage both sides to honor the resolutions of the document. The source material has been contrasted with iconographic and literary sources. Additionally, the author has attempted a stylistic analysis of the formula.

During his stay in Przedbórz in September 1370, Casimir the Great went for a hunt, during which he fell off his horse and injured his left shin. He died a little more than a month later. Following his death, a question arose regarding the testament left by the monarch. Until now, the vast majority of the literature on the topic discussed its execution only in the political sense (i.e. beginning of the rule of the House of Anjou in the Kingdom of Poland), while disregarding its diplomatic aspect. Thanks to the contemporary account of The Chronicle by Jan of Czarnków we know that on the 8th and 9th of November, 1370, so immediately after Casimir’s funeral, which took place on the 7th of November, Mszczuj of Sandomierz and Jan of Kraków unofficially opened the royal documents intended for Casimir’s natural sons and Prince Kaźko of Słupsk, thus rendering them invalid. Those documents did not survive. Due to the fact that the problem has not been thus far sufficiently discussed in scholarly literature on the subject, it would be prudent to reexamine the issue of Casimir the Great’s last will and testament — both in the diplomatic context, as well as by comparing it with (almost) contem porary testaments written by Elizabeth of Poland and Florian Mokrski, the Bishop of Cracow. The article constitutes an attempt at a diplomatic analysis of Casimir the Great’s testament and an estimation of the possible form and number of the documents comprising the last will of the Polish king.

The article presents the history of the dispute regarding the tithes of the Czernięcin church in the Chełm Diocese in the 1420s. The narrative of the first part focuses on the figure of Paweł of Kłodawa, who played a significant role in those events. The article focuses predominantly on his attitude towards the benefices and prebendaries in the Kingdom of Poland as well as his efforts to secure a seat in the Poznań chapter house. The following part turns to the subject of the dispute, namely the church in Czernięcin and the villages belonging to the parish and the subject of allocating the tithes for the stipend for its rector. Then, the article moves on to the development of the dispute, which started with the trial in the Roman Curia in 1422 to end in 1424 with the verdict of an arbitration court led by the Bishop of Włocławek. This part describes also the attitude of Paweł of Kłodawa, who, in the first stage of the dispute was the prosecutor on behalf of the Bishop of Chełm just to later on seek the Czernięcin parish for himself and engage in litigation for its tithes with the aforementioned bishop. The last part introduces the context as well as the conclusions regarding the expansion of the network of parishes in the Chełm Diocese, initiated by Jan Biskupiec, as well as the plan for recovery of the tithes from the freshly reclaimed arable lands, which became a success under Zbigniew Oleśnicki from the Cracow Diocese. The example of the Czernięcin parish shows that Biskupiec had similar intentions, though his loss in the dispute with the rector from Czernięcin and the less developed network of churches made him reconsider. The article is accompanied by a reprint of the decree issued in the aforementioned trial on June 26th, 1422.

The game of chess, originating in India, came to Europe at the turn of the 10th century and gradually became popular among the more privileged, particularly the feudal aristocracy and clergy. In the 12th century, with the heyday of courtly and chivalric culture, chess became a popular pastime to the extent that the game transformed into an attribute of the social elites. A cultural analysis of the phenomenon of chess indicates unambiguously that the game, popular as a source of entertainment, was used not exclusively in the ludic context. In the article, the author focuses on the instances of the game of chess played between a man and a woman, present in several medieval narratives (12th—14th century) coming from the Latin Europe. The analysis of selected narratives allows to answer the question regarding the degree, characteristic and effectiveness of the trope of the play of chess understood as a tool in the rivalry of sexes in the context of human sexuality.

The article concerns a critical edition of one of the oldest Polish records of entry to the town charter. The records of new inhabitants of Proszowice dating 1420—1499 have been preserved in three different manuscripts kept in the National Archive in Cracow (set: Variae civitates et villae: no. 29/121, signatures 160, 166, 167). The characteristic feature of the records documenting the entry of new inhabitants in Proszowice is the scattering of the entries and their irregular placement on the empty parts of the manuscripts. It is only after collecting and ordering all the entries that it is possible to produce a list of the new inhabitants of the town. Overall, 182 entries have been found and issued which concerned the entry into the iuris civilis in Proszowice, granting the citizenship to 183 people. The register constitutes a valuable source for the study of the urban society, urban migrations, medieval economy, town charter and legal requirements for the new citizens.

Among the documents stored at the Central Archives of Historical Records in Warsaw, there exists a hitherto unstudied register of the courtiers of Jan Olbracht (1492—1501) dating 1487—1499. This manuscript constitutes an invaluable source for the study of the environment of Casimir IV Jagiellon’s successor in the period directly preceding his ascension to the throne. The article presents the figures of 47 courtiers who served the crown prince from the first half of the year 1487 until his coronation which took place on September 23rd, 1492. The list comprised predominantly of the closest advisors of the future king Jan Olbracht. The most important among the people at the crown prince’s court were: Zawisza Róża of Borzyszowice (died 1497), Jakub Szydłowiecki (died 1509), Piotr Szydłowiecki (died 1508), Krzesław Wojszyk of Wójcza (died 1539) and Mikołaj Cikowski (died 1535). The register revealed new, hitherto undiscovered information regarding the courtly duties of the representatives of many medieval noble families who have been the subjects of genealogical as well as prosopographic studies. Thus, it constitutes an invaluable source of knowledge regarding the rise to prominence of their representatives at the Jagiellonian court.

This review article discusses Edmundas Rimša's book on the seals and heraldry of Grand Duke Vytautas of Lithuania. The author, a distinguished researcher of sphragistics and heraldry of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, analyzes in detail the seals of Vytautas, paying attention to their physical features, the color of the wax, the sphragistic system and the evolution of form and symbolism. The work presents nine types of seals, their functions, and historical contexts. It also discusses the significance of land coats of arms and their influence on forming state symbols. Rimša juxtaposes his research with the existing scholarly output, especially the works of Wladyslaw Semkowicz and Zenon Piech. The review emphasizes the book's high editorial level and value as a guide to Lithuanian sphragistics and heraldry of the Vytautas era. Despite the lack of revolutionary discoveries, the work systematizes knowledge, indicates new research leads, and will be a reference for future research. The review's author only notes the lack of a more extensive analysis of seal descriptions in notarial documents. Rimša's book is essential to studying the symbols of power and administration of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.

The review, written by Jerzy Rajman, discusses Ryszard Skrzyniarz's comprehensive monograph on the Canons of the Holy Sepulchre in the Polish lands, with particular emphasis on their religious, social, educational, and cultural role from the Middle Ages to modern times. Skrzyniarz presents the origins of the order, its spread in Poland, its organizational structure, and its contribution to the development of spirituality, science, culture, and social welfare. The review's author appreciates the extensive archival search and the collected sources, noting the repetition of themes, the lack of recent literature, and a few terminological simplifications. The review also highlights valuable analyses of prepossessions, monastic schools, libraries, and Miechow's role as a center for the cult of the Holy Sepulchre and a pilgrimage center. Rajman points out some of Skrzyniarz's controversial hypotheses and minor factual errors but stresses that the book is an essential contribution to the study of the Holy Sepulchre and will be an invaluable source for future researchers. The work is considered a valuable contribution that requires further discussion and additions to the knowledge of the history of this specific monastic community in Poland.