Czcibor

Czcibor (Latin: Cidebur; died after 972) was a Polan prince of the Piast dynasty, son of duke Siemomysł, and a younger brother of the first Christian ruler of Poland duke Mieszko I of Poland.

According to E. Rymar (2005), Czcibor may have been a governor of Pomerania after Mieszko I's conquest of that Slavic tribes territory from around 967 AD.^[1] In the Medieval sources he is mentioned but once in the Chronicon by Thietmar of Merseburg in relationship with the Poland's victorious battle of Cedynia. He is thought to have been either the commander or one of the principal Polish leaders, along with his brother Mieszko, in the battle of Cedynia in 972 AD, and Thietmar is the source of his presence at the battle. His presence at Cedynia might have been based not only on his status as war leader and brother of the Polish ruler, but also by his position as 'governor' of conquered/annexed Pomerania. His date of birth and death are unknown, his family: mother, wife or wives (he was most likely a pagan until 966 AD), and children are also unknown.^[2]

Popular culture

Czcibor is known in the Polish popular culture, through books of Józef Ignacy Kraszewski, Zbigniew Nienacki and Paweł Jasienica, and was one of the principal characters in a Polish feature film Gniazdo. In 1977 Polish comics book artist Grzegorz Rosiński drew a story, based on Moczulski's storyline, where Czcibor appeared along with his brother Mieszko, this 8 full-panel long story appeared in a Polish comics monthly magazine Relax, volume 4.

There are streets named after him in some Polish cities and towns, e.g. Łobez, Łódź, Szczecin. The most likely place where battle of Cedynia was fought is named Gora Czcibora ("Czcibor's Mountain"), Pojezierze Myśliborskie ("Myślibórz Lake District"), as well as a monument commemorating this victory there, with a dedication in Polish and Russian, both mentioning Prince Czcibor.

Sources

• Kronika Thietmara (translation by Marian Z. Jedlicki), Towarzystwo Autorów i Wydawców Prac Naukowych UNIVERSITAS, Kraków, Poland, 2005; ISBN 83-242-0499-7, pp. 32–33
• Jasiński, Kazimierz, Rodowód pierwszych Piastów, Wydawnictwo Poznańskiego Towarzystwa Przyjaciół Nauk, Poznań, Poland, 2004; ISBN 83-7063-409-5, p.71
• Paweł Jasienica, Polska Piastów, Panstwowy Instytut Wydawniczy, Warsaw, Poland, 1985; ISBN 83-06-01092-2, p. 44
• Edward Rymar (2005). Rodowód książąt pomorskich. Książnica Pomorska. pp. 40–41, 52, 58, 65, 67. ISBN 978-83-87879-50-1. 

References