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Sposoby składania przysięgi w państwie zakonu krzyżackiego w Prusach w późnym średniowieczu – zarys problematyki

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Duda M., Jóźwiak S.

Zapiski Historyczne

2014

vol. 79

issue 1

5-36

It is hard to say something certain about the origin of the earliest form of oath-taking in Prussia on the basis of the few thirteenth century sources. Forms described in the sources might have been imported from the Romance language-speaking countries, possibly through papal legates: William of Modena, Jacob of Liege and Philip of Fermo. In towns founded on the Lübeck law in the Monastic State of the Teutonic Order in Prussia in the 13th century there might have existed customs of oath-taking copied from towns of the Reich (the standing position, the less frequent kneeling position, two fi ngers of the right hand placed on the relics kept in reliquaries). A larger number of preserved sources from the Late Middle Ages (the 14th–15th centuries) may lead to a conclusion that in terms of gestures and forms of oath-taking the Monastic State had adopted practices from the Reich (with some exceptions- a lack of reliquary box) and partly from Poland. It concerns mainly the manner of touching the “sacred” (more frequently the term may have referred to a crucifix rather than to a reliquary) with two fingers (the middle and index fingers) of the right hand. The direction and chronology of spreading such practices still remain unknown. Undoubtedly, the practice of oath-taking by the clergy (with the hand placed on the Gospel Book) and by bishops (with the hands crossed on the chest) was adopted from Western Europe (the Romance speaking countries?). At least from the end of the 15th century in Prussia practices took place which differed signifi cantly from the ones occurring in Poland, the Reich or other West European countries. Such distinct practices included oath-taking expressed by touching the neck with the hand, the right hand being placed on the cross sewn on the monastic coat or fingers being raised towards the sun. Nevertheless, it is too early to define their origin. Hopefully, further intensive research over the problem (with a wider use of iconographic sources) will bring new interesting findings.

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1 Zapiski Historyczne

1 Duda M.

1 Jóźwiak S.

1 2014

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Sposoby składania przysięgi w państwie zakonu krzyżackiego w Prusach w późnym średniowieczu – zarys problematyki