Sunday, January 13, 2019

Jan II Kazimierz White Eagle from 1649

king in chainmail and karwasze (vambrace)

Salvete Omnes,
 perusing Polish FBC (digital libraries)  I came across a publication, at the Lower Silesia library, of an elaborate panegyric  titled Primum Tributum Rei Literariae [...] Joanni Casimiro Polonorum [entire title here] from 1649 dedicated
Jan II Kazimierz coronation

to our new king Jan II Kazimierz of the Vasa Royal House.
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Nota bene this new king was elected amidst the Zaporozhian Cossacks rebellion and the rebels allied with the Crimean Tatar invasion of the central provinces, in short entire realm calamities abounded.
 Thus not a small role was played by the rebels leader hetman Bohdan Chmielnicki who influenced the election of this scion of the Jagiellon, Vasa and Hapsburg houses.
Kings's reign was nothing but conflicts, wars,  invasions (infamous Deluge )and eventually more rebellion. But this took place later, the post-election period was full of hope and expectations. He truly was a warrior king, and his life was full of contradictions, including being a prisoner in France' famous cardinal Richelieu (perhaps pour future king met the the Three Musketeers - :) ), and after his abdication a quest of honour at the French court of Louis XIV.

Jan Kazimierz French prison 1638-40AD

In this short volume there is a beautiful full page illumination, at the inception of this publication, showing the White Eagle with the coats of arms of all provinces and states under our king's rule (Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth - including the Ducal Prussia- and parts of Silesia).

simplified Vasa coat of arms with withy on the chest of White Eagle
Valete

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