Buława

The buława (') is a type of ceremonial mace used in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth as a symbol of high military authority, primarily by hetmans but also by kings, who were the supreme commanders of the armed forces. The buława was the most important emblem of a hetman's power, though not the only one; it was accompanied by a baton known as a regiment, a buzdygan, and the so-called hetman’s sign.

The buława consisted of a solid head connected to a shaft. It was introduced to Poland from Hungary during the reign of Stephen Báthory.

The word «buława» entered both the Polish and Ruthenian languages from the Turkic

nomads’ term for a mace, most likely through the Cumans, who had been in contact with the Slavs since the 11th century. The traditional symbol of military authority in Poland was the buzdygan—a type of mace with a flanged head. The buława appeared early, already in the 13th century, but it became a symbol of military authority much later, and established as such during the reign of Stephen Báthory, Prince of Transylvania, who was elected King of Poland in 1576. In Transylvania, the buława had been a symbol of vassal authority granted by the Ottoman sultans. Upon Báthory’s accession to the Polish throne, however, it took on a new meaning. This coincided with the formalization of the hetman’s office, which had existed since the mid-15th century but became a lifetime appointment only in 1581.

Word «buława» referred both to a weapon used in combat and to ornamental versions that served a purely decorative function and symbolized military authority. The term ''buława'' often denoted the hetman’s office itself, people spoke of the "Great Buława" and the "Field Buława," referring respectively to the offices of the Grand Hetman and the Field Hetman. Moreover, a verb derived from the word, ''buławić'', was used as a synonym for "to command."

The buława was the primary emblem of a hetman’s authority. However, there were no formal restrictions or limitations on its use. It was also wielded by regimentarz, commanders temporarily replacing hetmans, as well as by powerful magnates who commanded their own private armies. With the establishment of the office of the Hetman of the Zaporozhian Host, originally subordinate to the Grand Crown Hetman, he too was granted the right to use the buława. The custom persisted even after the Cossack hetmans gained independence from Poland.

Ukraine

In the Ukrainian language, a ''булава'' (bulava) is a mace or club, in both the military and ceremonial senses. The ''bulava'' was one of the Ukrainian Cossack ''kleinody'' (): Bohdan Khmelnytsky bore a ''bulava'' as Hetman of the Zaporizhian Host (in office: 1648 to 1657).Definition of ''kleinody'' in the ''Handbook of the History of Ukraine''
- " ..Б. Хмельницький вже з 1648 носив срібну позолочену булаву, прикрашену перлами та ін. дорогоцінним камінням. Булава була й ознакою влади кошового отамана Запорізької Січі."

Historically the ''bulava'' was an attribute of a hetman, an officer of the highest military rank, and of the Hetman or the military head of a Cossack state (Cossack Hetmanate).

The Ukrainian People's Republic of 1917-1920 referred to the General Staff of the Ukrainian People's Army as the "General Bulava".ГЕНЕРАЛЬНА БУЛАВА - в період українських національно-визвольних змагань 1917-21 - одна з назв Генерального штабу Армії Української Народної Республіки.

A ceremonial ''bulava'' is now an official emblem of the president of Ukraine, and is housed in Ukraine's Vernadsky National Library.

Ukrainian military heraldry often features ''bulava''-images, particularly as a part of rank insignia for generals and admirals, as well as an element of the insignia of the Ministry of Defence and of the NSDC.

Gallery

File:Jan Zamoyski.jpg, Hetman Zamoyski, in crimson ''delia'' and blue ''żupan'', holding hetman's ''buława''
File:Rydz Smigly Bulawa1.jpg, Edward Rydz-Śmigły (right) receiving marshal's ''buława'' from Polish President Ignacy Mościcki, Warsaw, 10 November 1936
File:Bulawa.PNG, Coat-of-arms (two crossed ''buławas'') of a Polish hetman
File:Bulawa of Field Crown Hetman Marcin Kalinowski.PNG, ''Buława'' of Crown Field Hetman Kalinowski
File:Булава Богдана Хмельницького.jpg, ''Bulava'' of Hetman of Ukraine Bohdan Khmelnytsky, 17th century
File:Mace of Hetman Philip Orlik, 18th c.jpg, ''Bulava'' of Hetman of Ukraine in exile Pylyp Orlyk, 18th century
file:Bulawas.jpg, Toy ''bulavas'' in a Kyiv market
File:Drevnosti_RG_v3_ill086c_-_Bulat_Bulawa_Moscowian.jpg, 17th-century Russian bulat steel ''bulava''
File:Volodymyr Zelensky 2019 presidential inauguration 12.jpg, Volodymyr Zelenskyy lifting presidential ''bulava'' during the 2019 presidential inauguration of Ukraine

See also

* Baton (military)
* Pernach
* Polish heraldry
* RSM-56 Bulava
* Sengol

References

Bibliography

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Bulawa
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Ukraine state insignia
Marshals of Poland
Presidency of Ukraine
Military organization of Cossacks
Ceremonial maces