The Gryfici also Świebodzice was a medieval

Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken *Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin screenwr ...

knightly family. They occupied a dominant position among the

nobles 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 characteristi ...

Lesser Poland Lesser Poland, often known by its Polish name Małopolska ( la, Polonia Minor), is a historical region situated in southern and south-eastern Poland. Its capital and largest city is Kraków. Throughout centuries, Lesser Poland developed a s ...

in the 12th and 13th century.

History

The family name comes from the emblem ''Gryf'' (a

Griffin The griffin, griffon, or gryphon (Ancient Greek: , ''gryps''; Classical Latin: ''grȳps'' or ''grȳpus''; Late Latin, Late and Medieval Latin: ''gryphes'', ''grypho'' etc.; Old French: ''griffon'') is a legendary creature with the body, tail ...

) of their

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central ele ...

. In particular for the period before the 14th century they are also called ''Świebodzice'', because of their

battle cry A battle cry or war cry is a yell or chant taken up in battle, usually by members of the same combatant group. Battle cries are not necessarily articulate (e.g. "Eulaliaaaa!", "Alala"..), although they often aim to invoke patriotic or religious ...

: ''Świeboda'', (freedom, liberty). Jan Długosz connected the family with the House of Griffins. According to some historians, the Gryfici family, the House of Griffins and the

House of Sobiesław The Samborides () or House of Sobiesław () were a ruling dynasty in the historic region of Pomerelia. They were first documented about 1155 as governors (''princeps'') in the Eastern Pomeranian lands serving the royal Piast dynasty of Kingdom of ...

are descendants of a branch of the

Piast dynasty The House of Piast was the first historical ruling dynasty of Poland. The first documented Polish monarch was Duke Mieszko I (c. 930–992). The Piasts' royal rule in Poland ended in 1370 with the death of king Casimir III the Great. Branch ...

and their progenitor was one of the younger brothers of

Bolesław the Brave Boleslav or Bolesław may refer to: In people: * Boleslaw (given name) In geography: * Bolesław, Dąbrowa County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, Poland * Bolesław, Olkusz County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, Poland * Bolesław, Silesian Voivodeship, ...

- Świętopełk.

Notable members

* Jaksa z Miechowa (died 1176) – crusader, ''możnowładca'' (

magnate The magnate term, from the late Latin ''magnas'', a great man, itself from Latin ''magnus'', "great", means a man from the higher nobility, a man who belongs to the high office-holders, or a man in a high social position, by birth, wealth or ot ...

) in Lesser Poland (according to some historians he is the same person as

Jaxa of Köpenick Jaxa of Köpenick (sometimes ''Jaksa'' or ''Jacza of Copnic'', pl, Jaksa z Kopnika or Jaksa z Kopanicy, Jaksa being an early Sorbian and/or Polish form of ''James'') ( fl. 1151–1157) was a prince of the West Slavic Sprevan Duchy of Kopanica. ...

, Prince of the

Sprevane The Sprevane or Sprevani (; Slavonic: ''Sprevjane'') were a Slavic tribe who lived around the river Spree, where Berlin is now, in the Brandenburg area of eastern Germany. They were first recorded in 948 and again in 965 as living in the territo ...

Cetwiński, Marek (1980). Rycerstwo Śląskie do końca XIII w. Pochodzenie. Gospodarka. Polityka. Wrocławskie Towarzystwo Naukowe. p. 70.), son-in-law of

Piotr Włostowic Herb ŁabędźPiotr Włostowic ( 1080 – 1153), also known as Peter Wlast or ''Włost'') was a Polish noble, castellan of Wrocław, and a ruler (''możnowładca'') of part of Silesia. From 1117 he was voivode (''palatyn'') of the Duke of Poland B ...

* Janik (died after 1167) – Bishop of Gniezno *

Mikołaj Mikołaj is the Polish cognate of given name Nicholas, used both as a given name and a surname. It may refer to people: In Polish (or Polish-Lithuanian) nobility: * Mikołaj Firlej (died 1526), Polish nobleman, Hetman, diplomat, and expert of sou ...

(died 1202) – Voivode of Kraków, commander of the forces of Lesser Poland at the

Battle of Mozgawa Mieszko IV Tanglefoot ( pl, Mieszko IV Plątonogi) (c. 1130 – 16 May 1211) was Duke of Kraków and High Duke of Poland from 9 June 1210 until his death one year later. He was also Duke of Silesia from 1163 to 1173 (with his brother as co-ruler) ...

* (died 1230/1231) – Voivode of

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 ...

* Teodor (died 1237) –

Voivode Voivode (, also spelled ''voievod'', ''voevod'', ''voivoda'', ''vojvoda'' or ''wojewoda'') is a title denoting a military leader or warlord in Central, Southeastern and Eastern Europe since the Early Middle Ages. It primarily referred to the me ...

of Kraków *

Klemens z Brzeźnicy Klemens is a masculine given name derived from Clemens. It may refer to the following people: * Klemens of Brzeźnica (died 1241), Polish nobleman, Voivode of Opole and Castellan of Kraków * Klemens Janicki (1516–1543), Polish poet * Klemens v ...

(died 1241) –

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 o ...

of Kraków, died at the

Battle of Chmielnik The Battle of Chmielnik occurred on 18 March 1241 during the Mongol invasion of Poland. It ended in the defeat of the Polish armies of Sandomierz and Kraków provinces. The Mongols were able to move unimpeded, and plunder the abandoned city of K ...

* Jan Klimontowic (died after 1243) – castellan of Cieszyn and

Toszek Toszek (german: Tost) is a small town in southern Poland. It is situated within Gliwice County in the Silesian Voivodeship (province), and its population was estimated at 3,600 inhabitants in 2019. History The beginning of the settlement and fo ...

* Andrzej z Brzeźnicy (died 1244) – Bishop of Płock * Klemens z Ruszczy (died 1256) – castellan and Voivode of Kraków, closest associate of Bolesław V the Chaste * Wierzbięta z Ruszczy (died after 1310) – castellan and Voivode of Kraków * Wierzbięta z Branic (died 1424) – Stolnik of Kraków

Branches

* House of Branicki * House of Mielecki

Bibliography

* A. Małecki, Studya heraldyczne, t. I, Lwów 1890, pp. 268-285, t. II, Lwów 1890, pp. 46-67 * L. M. Wójcik
Ród Gryfitów do końca XIII wieku. Pochodzenie — genealogia — rozsiedlenie
"Historia" CVII, Wrocław 1993.

References

{{Poland-noble-stub

History

Notable members

Branches

See also

Bibliography

References