House of Griffin

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"Gryfici" redirects here. For Polish noble family, see Gryfit family.
House of Griffin
House of Piast[1][2] or Gryfit family[3]
Country
Founded12th century
FounderWartislaw I
Final rulerBogislaw XIV
Titles
  • King of Denmark
  • King of Norway
  • King of Sweden
  • Duke of Pomerania
  • Duke of Pomerelia
  • Prince of Rügen
Dissolution1660

The House of Griffin or Griffin dynasty

Bogislaw XIII
and the last Griffin, died in 1660.

Name of the Dynasty

The dynasty is known by two names, Pomerania, after their primary fief, and Griffin, after their coat of arms, which had featured a griffin since the late 12th century: the first verifiable use of the griffin as the dynasty's heraldic emblem occurred in a seal of Casimir II, Duke of Pomerania, which showed the imaginary beast within a shield, and was attached to a document dated 1194.[11][12] The name Pomerania comes from Slavic po more, which means "[land] along the sea".[13]

Origins and branches

The origins of the Griffins are not clear. Most theories derive them from either local

family of Świebodzice from the south province of Poland named the Lesser Poland, who also used a griffin as their coat-of-arms and who in turn might also have been a cadet branch of the Piasts. At any rate, chronicler Gallus Anonymus in his Gesta principum Polonorum calls the Griffins "close cousins" of then-contemporary Bolesław III of Poland
, directly implying a close dynastic relationship with the Piasts.

In the 17th century, the Griffins derived their roots from legendary beings from Sorb mythology called Gryphus or Baltus.[14]

The first known members of the Griffins were the brothers

Swantiborides branch
of the Griffins, notable as castellans of Pomeranian cities, was Wartislaw (II) Swantiboriz.

Family tree

Gryf
Swietopelk I
† 1113
Wartislaw I
† 1135
Ratibor I
† 1156
Kasimir I
1130-1219
Bogislaw I
1130-1187
Swietopelk II
Wartislaw II
1160-1184
Bogislaw II
1177-1220
Kasimir II
1180-1219
Bogislaw III
1190-1223
Barnim I
1217-1278
Wartislaw III
1210-1264
Ratibor II
1210-1238
Bogislaw IV
1255-1309
Barnim II
1277-1295
Otto I
1279-1344
Wartislaw IV
1290-1326
Barnim III
1300-1368
Swantibor I
1351-1413
Bogislaw VII
1355-1404
Kasimir IV
1351-1377
Wartislaw VII
1363-1394
Bogislaw VIII
1364-1418
Barnim V
1369-1402
Wartislaw VI
1345-1394
Bogislaw VI
1350-1393
Otto II
1380-1428
Kasimir V
1380-1435
Bogislaw IX
1400-1457
Barnim VI
1365-1405
Wartislaw VIII
1373-1415
Joachim
1424-1451
Wartislaw IX
1400-1457
Barnim VIII
1406-1451
Swantibor II
1408-1432
Otto III
1444-1464
Wartislaw X
1435-1478
Erik II
1420-1474
Bogislaw X
1454-1523
Barnim IX

1501-1573
Philipp I
1515-1560
Barnim X

1549-1603
Philipp II
1573-1618
Franz
1577-1620
Bogislaw XII
1580-1637
Georg II
1582-1617
Philipp Julius
1584-1625

Wartislaw I to Bogislaw IV and Otto I

  1. Wartislaw I († between 1134 and 1148)
    1. Mieszko III
      of Poland and Eudoxia of Kiev
      1. (I) Ratibor (* 1160; † 1183) ∞ Salome, daughter of
        Mieszko III
        of Poland and Eudoxia of Kiev
      2. (I)
        Bolesław IV
        . of Poland
      3. (II) Bogislaw II. (* um 1177; † 1220) ∞ Miroslawa (†1233), Daughter of Mestwin I of Pomerelia and Swinislawa
        1. Woislawa († 1229)
        2. William of Lüneburg and Helene of Denmark
          (II) Margarete of Brunswick
          (III) Mathilde (Mechthild) († 1316), Daughter of Otto III, Margrave of Brandenburg
          and Beatrix of Böhmen
          1. (I) Anastasia (* 1245; † 1317) ∞ Henry I of Mecklenburg (1230–1302)
          2. (II) Bogislaw IV (*1258; † 1309) → Pomerania-Wolgast (see section below)
          3. (III) Barnim II (* about 1277; † 1295)
          4. (III) Otto I (* about 1279; † 1344) → Pomerania-Stettin (see section below)
          5. (III) Miroslawa († 1328) ∞ Nikolaus I of Schwerin
          6. (III) Beatrix († 1300 or 1315) ∞ Henry II of Werle
          7. (?) Dobroslawa ∞ Jaczo of Salzwedel
      4. (II) Casimir II (* c. 1180, † 1219) ∞ Ingardis of Denmark
        1. Wartislaw III(* c. 1210; † 1264) ∞ Sophia
        2. Elisabeth († 1222)
      5. (II) Dobroslawa (* before 1187, † c. 1226)
    2. Casimir I. (* after 1130; † 1180) ∞ Pritolawa
  2. Ratiborides
  3. Swantibor →
    Swantiborides

Bogislaw IV to Bogislaw X (Pomerania-Wolgast, -Barth, and -Stolp)

  1. Wizlaw II of Rügen and Agnes of Brandenburg
    1. (II) Euphemia of Pomerania (1289–1330) ∞ Christopher II of Denmark
    2. (II) Margareta (1287–1337) ∞ (I) Nikolaus of Rostock († 1314), (II) John of Ścinawa († 1365)
    3. (II)
      Wartislaw IV
      (* before 1290; † 1326) ∞ Elisabeth of Lindau-Ruppin (?)
      1. Casimir III of Poland and Aldona of Lithuania
        (II) Adelheid of Brunswick-Grubenhagen,[15] daughter of Ernest I of Brunswick-Grubenhagen and Adelheid of Everstein
        1. (I)
          Siemowit III of Masovia and Eufemia of Toppau
        2. (I)
          Elisabeth of Pomerania (* 1347; † 15.2.1393)[15] ∞ Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor[15]
        3. (I) Daughter 2
        4. (II)
          Wartislaw VII (* 1363/64; † 1395)[15] ∞ Maria of Mecklenburg,[15] daughter of Henry III of Mecklenburg
          1. Henry IV (England)
            .
          2. John of Pfalz-Neumarkt
            1. Christopher III of Denmark
        5. (II)
          Bogislaw VIII (* c. 1364; † 11.2.1418)[15] ∞ Sophie of Holstein
          1. Siemowit IV of Masovia and Alexandra of Lithuania
            1. Sophia (* c. 1435; † 24.8.1497)[15] ∞ Eric II, Duke of Pomerania-Wolgast[15]
            2. Alexandra
        6. (II)
          Barnim V (* 1369; † 1402/04)[15]
        7. (II) Margareta
      2. Barnim IV (* 1325; † 22.8.1365)[15] ∞ Sophie, daughter of John II of Werle
        1. Wartislaw VI (* c. 1345; † 1394) ∞ Anna, daughter of John I, Duke of Mecklenburg-Stargard
          1. Barnim VI (* c. 1365; † 1404) ∞ Veronica of Hohenzollern
            1. Eric IV
              1. Bogislaw IX
                of Pomerania-Stolp
                1. Bogislaw X
                  (* 1454; † 1523)
                2. Casimir VII. (VI.) (* c. 1455; † 1474)
                3. Wartislaw XI (after 1465–1475)
                4. Barnim († 1474)
                5. Elisabeth, Priorin in Verchen abbey († 1516)
                6. Sophia, (* 1460, † 1504) ∞ Magnus II of Mecklenburg
                7. Margarete († 1526), married to Balthasar of Mecklenburg
                8. Catherine (ca. 1465–1526), ∞ Duke Henry IV of Brunswick and Lunenburg (1463–1514), Prince of Wolfenbüttel
                9. Mary, Äbtissin of Wollin († 1512)
              2. Elisabeth († 1465), widow of Joachim of Pommern-Stettin, daughter of John of Brandenburg-Kulmbach
                (II) Magdalena of Mecklenburg, widow of Count Burkhard of Barby
                1. (I) Swantibor († 1464)
                2. (I) Ertmar († 1464)
              3. Elisabeth
              4. Christoph
            2. Barnim VII (* um 1390; † 1450)
            3. Elisabeth, Äbtissin of Kammin
          2. Eric IV of Saxe-Lauenburg
            1. Barnim VIII. (* c. 1406, † 1451) ∞ Anna of Wunstorf
              1. Agnes (1434–1512) ∞ (I) 1449 Frederick of Altmark (the Fat)
                (II) 1478 George II of Anhalt-Zerbst
          3. Sophie ∞ Henry I of Brunswick
        2. Bogislaw VI
        3. Elisabeth ∞ Magnus I of Mecklenburg
      3. Wartislaw V
    4. (II) Jutta (1290–1336), Äbtissin in Krummin abbey
    5. (II) Elisabeth (1291–1349) ∞
      Eric I of Saxe-Lauenburg

Otto I to Otto III (Pomerania-Stettin)

  1. Otto I (* c. 1279; † 1344) ∞ Elisabeth (*1281), daughter of Gerhard II, Count of Holstein-Plön and Ingeborg of Sweden
    1. Henry II, Duke of Brunswick-Lunenburg (Grubenhagen)
      1. Otto
      2. Casimir III (* before 1348; † 1372)[15]
      3. Swantibor I (III) (* ca 1351; † 21.6.1413)[15] ∞ Anna of Hohenzollern, daughter of Albrecht of Nuremberg
        (the Pretty)
        1. Otto II (* c. 1380; † 27.3.1428)[15] ∞ Agnes, daughter of John II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Stargard and Wilheida of Lithuania
        2. Bernard I, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (Celle)
          (II) Elisabeth († 1451), daughter of Eric I, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (Grubenhagen)
          1. (I) Joachim the Elder (* um 1424)
          2. (I) Anna († 1447) ∞ John V of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
          3. (I)
            Barbara of Saxe-Wittenberg
            1. Otto III (* 29.5.1444; † 10.9.1464)[15]
        3. Albrecht
        4. Margareta
      4. Bogislaw VII (*before 1355; † 1404)[15]
    2. Mechthild († 1331) ∞ John III of Werle († 1352)

Bogislaw X to Bogislaw XIV

  1. Casimir IV. of Poland
    1. Sophie of Pomerania (* 1498, † 1568) ∞ Frederick I of Denmark
    2. Joachim I of Brandenburg and Elisabeth of Denmark
      .
      1. (I) Bogislaw (* 1514)
      2. (I) Phillip I (* 1515; † 1560) ∞ Maria († 1583), daughter of John of Saxony
        1. Georg (died early)
        2. Erich (died early)
        3. John Frederick (* 1542; † 1600)
        4. Francis of Brunswick-Lüneburg
          1. Philip II (* 1573; † 1618) ∞ Sophia, daughter of John II, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg
          2. Christian I of Saxony
          3. Bogislaw XIV (* 1580; † 1637) ∞ Elisabeth, daughter of John II, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg and Elisabeth of Brunswick-Grubenhagen
          4. Ulrich (* 1589; † 1622) ∞ Hedwig of Brunswick († 1650)
          5. Anna ∞ Ernest of Croy and Aerschot
            1. Ernest Bogislaw of Croy
        5. Julius of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel
          1. Hedwig Maria
          2. Elisabeth Magdalena
          3. John George of Brandenburg
            .
        6. Barnim X (IX)
        7. Casimir VI (IX) (* 1557, † 1605)
        8. Amalia (died unmarried)
        9. Margaret ∞ Duke
          Francis II of Saxe-Lauenburg
        10. Anna ∞ Ulrich of Mecklenburg-Güstrow
      3. (I) Margaret (1518–1569) ∞ Ernest III of Brunswick-Grubenhagen
      4. (II) Georgia (* 1531; † 1574) ∞ Stanislaus Latalski Count of Latochin
    3. Anna (* 1492, † 1550) ∞ George I of Silesia of Silesia-Liegnitz
    4. Barnim (* before 1501, † before 1501)
    5. Barnim IX
      (* 1501, † 1573)
    6. Elisabeth († before 1518)
    7. Otto (* before 1503, † before 1518)
    8. Casimir VIII (* 1494, † 1518)
    9. Christopher; probably an illegitimate son, as Junker Christopher, Tochof of Schwerin

Branches

Ratiborides

Members of the Ratiborides (Ratiboriden) branch were most probably descendants of Ratibor I, a brother of Wartislaw I.[10]

  1. Ratibor I
    1. Bogislaw, ∞ (I) N.N.; (II) a daughter of Mieszko III of Poland[10]
      1. (I) Bogislaw (III), ∞ another daughter of Mieszko III of Poland[10]
      2. (II ?) Ratibor II (either half-brother of Bogislaw III or cousin)[10]

Swantiborides

The Swantiborides (Swantiboriden) were related to the Griffins, but the link remains unclear. Probably they descend from Swantibor, a Pomeranian duke overthrown in a rebellion and expelled to Poland in 1105/06. This Swantibor might have been a cousin of Swantopolk, a Pomeranian duke defeated by Boleslaw III of Poland in a campaign of 1111/12. Yet, these assumptions all remain speculative.[10]

  1. Wartislaw (II) Swantiboriz (↑ 1196), Castellan of Stettin (Szczecin) ∞ unknown wife
    1. Bartholomäus († 1219), Castellan of Gützkow ∞ unknown wife
      1. Wartislaw (* 1175/80, ↑ 1233), Castellan of Stettin, Herr von Gützkow 1219 ∞ Dobroslawa, widow of Boleslaw of Poland Prince of Kujavia, daughter of
        Bogislaw I
        1. Bartholomäus (+ 1206/10, ↑ 1259/60)
    2. Wartislaw (↑ 1230/32), Castellan of Stettin
    3. Konrad (↑ 1233), Canon at Kammin Cathedral 1176/1186, provost 1186/1189 and 1208, Bishop of Kammin 1219
    4. Casimir (↑ 1219), Castellan of Kolberg (Kołobrzeg) ∞ unknown wife
      1. Swietoslawa / Swiatochna (↑ after 1217)
      2. Swantibor (* 1219, ↑ 1244) ∞ unknown wife
        1. Casimir (↑1277/1280), Castellan of Kolberg ∞ Miroslawa, who secondly married Johann Ramel, Castellan of Kolberg and Pomeranian counsellor 1265/1297.
      3. daughter 3 ∞ Czyrnek, Castellan of Kolberg

Griffins Kings and Queens

Statue of King Eric at Darłowo Castle in Poland
  1. Eric of Pomerania, son of Wartislaw VII, was King of Norway (1389–1442), elected King of Denmark (1396–1439), and of Sweden (1396–1439). He was the first king of the Nordic Kalmar Union.
  2. Euphemia of Pomerania, daughter of Bogislaw IV, married Christopher II of Denmark and became queen of Denmark.
  3. King Richard II
    of England. She was known as "Good Queen Anne".
  4. Sophie of Pomerania, daughter of Bogislaw X, married King Frederick I of Denmark and became Queen of Denmark and Norway.

Sources

  • Edward Rymar: Rodowód książąt pomorskich, Szczecin 1995.
  • Martin Wehrmann: Genealogie des pommerschen Fürstenhauses. Veröffentlichungen the landesgeschichtlichen Forschungsstelle für Pommern, Reihe 1, Bd. 5. Leon Saunier, Stettin 1937.
  • Martin Wehrmann: Geschichte von Pommern. Weltbild Verlag 1992, Reprint der Ausgaben von 1919 und 1921,
    ISBN 3-89350-112-6
  • Udo Madsen: Die Greifen - Das herzogliche Geschlecht von Pommern

See also

Notes

  1. ^ The family is also known as the Gryf family,[6] the Greifen family,[7] the Greifen dynasty,[8] or the House of Greifen.[9]

References

  1. ^ a b A. Małecki, Studya heraldyczne [Heraldic Studies], vol. I, Lwów 1890, pp. 268-285; M. L. Wójcik, Ród Gryfitów do końca XIII wieku. Pochodzenie — genealogia — rozsiedlenie, Historia CVII, Wrocław 1993, p. 39.
  2. ^ a b Rodowód książąt pomorskich Edward Rymar Książnica Pomorska, 2005, page 53
  3. ^ According to Jan Długosz
  4. ^ Gerald Stone, Slav Outposts in Central European History: The Wends, Sorbs and Kashubs (Bloomsbury, 2016).
  5. ^ Sithman, J. (1654). "Hieroglyphica Exequialia Reverendissimi, Illustrissimi, Et Celsissimi Principis Bogislai XIV. Inclyti Ducis Pomeraniae, Antiquae Illustrissimae Stirpis, Proh Dolor! Ultimi: In Defuncti Optimi Ducis ... Ad fati & aevitatis memoriam erecta & declarata". digital.slub-dresden.de (in Latin). Stetini. Retrieved 2023-09-04.
  6. ^ Nora Berend, Przemysław Urbańczyk and Przemysław Wiszewski, Central Europe in the High Middle Ages: Bohemia, Hungary and Poland, c.900–c.1300 (Cambridge University Press, 2013).
  7. ^ Robert von Friedeburg, Self-Defence and Religious Strife in Early Modern Europe: England and Germany, 1530-1680 (Routledge, 2002)
  8. ^ E. J. Feuchtwanger, Prussia: Myth and Reality — The Role of Prussia in German History (Wolff, 1970).
  9. ^ F. L. Carsten, Origins of Prussia (Clarendon Press, 1954).
  10. ^
    ISBN 3-88680-272-8
  11. ISBN 3-88680-272-8
  12. ISBN 978-3-356-01044-2
  13. ^ Der Name Pommern (po more) ist slawischer Herkunft und bedeutet so viel wie „Land am Meer“. (German: Pommersches Landesmuseum)
  14. ^ M. L. Wójcik, Ród Gryfitów do końca XIII wieku. Pochodzenie — genealogia — rozsiedlenie [Griffin Dynasty Till the End of the 13th Century. Roots – Genealogy – Location], Historia CVII, Wrocław 1993
  15. ^
    ISBN 3-88680-272-8

External links

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