Ryt pogrzebowy w Polsce w XVI wieku. Część 1. Pogrzeby królewskie

Abstrakt

FUNERAL RITES IN POLAND IN THE 16TH CENTURY. PART 1. ROYAL FUNERALS

Being part of a thesis on the funeral rites in Poland in the 16th century prepared under supervision of Professor Danuta Quirini-Popławska, the article has been written in an attempt to compile, categorize and compare information concerning royal funerals in Poland during the Renaissance. As an introduction to the theme of the 16th-century ceremonies, a genesis of the funeral rites has been provided as well as an overview of the ancient (Greek and Roman) and the Slav funerals; pagan rites substantially influenced Christian mortuary rituals, especially in the Renaissance period with its rediscovery of antiquity. Next the modifications have been highlighted that were introduced to the Christian funeral liturgy and rites from the earliest times until the 16th century. The description of the funeral ceremonies of Polish rulers of the Renaissance era has been preceded by a look back to earlier days to present royal and princely burials before the 16th century; Renaissance funerals were presumably based on the tradition of former funerals of Polish sovereigns, although the sources are scarce in this respect. The earliest complete account of a burial of a Polish king was provided by Polish chronicler Janko of Czarnków, who described the funeral ceremony of King Casimir the Great. The pattern for royal funeral was later repeated until 1548. An attempt has also been made in the article to consider possible emulation in Polish funerals of foreign patterns, in particular those borrowed from the House of Valois of France and the House of Anjou of Hungary, and to explain the effect of the views predominant in the Renaissance era in terms of a change in man’s attitude to death on modifying the course and form of the royal funerals. The central section of the article comprises descriptions and a comparison of the course of three 16th-century funeral ceremonies: of King Sigismund I the Old, of King Sigismund II Augustus, and of King Stephen Báthory. Apart from the kings’ funerals, funeral ceremonies of selected queens and princesses who died in the corresponding period have also been outlined. The article was based on period chronicles, which offer vast information about royal funerals. The most informative are accounts from participants in the ceremonies, such as envoys, papal nuncios, residents at the royal court and other individuals, reprinted in 19th-century publications. The article ends by presenting the changes introduced to the mortuary ritual in the 17th century as a consequence of the Council of Trent, namely shifting the focus of the entire ceremony to the liturgy.