Puer et Ruthena puella: the marriage of Mieszko, son of Bolesław II the Generous

Abstract

“Puer et Ruthena puella: the marriage of Mieszko, son of Bolesław II the Generous”, is a polemical article dedicated to a historiographical discussion about the liaison made in 1089 by the Polish Prince Mieszko. In 1076, Bolesław II the Generous lost power in Poland and had to flee with his family to Hungary. After Bolesław's death, Mieszko returned to Poland on the initiative of his uncle, Władysław I Herman. There, as the so called Gallus Anonymus wrote in his chronicle, Mieszko married a “Ruthenian girl”. Apart from Gallus' chronicle, this event was recorded also in the oldest Polish annals, stating laconically: “Mesco duxit uxorem”. Terse mentions in historical records spurred a discussion among historians, who wanted to ascertain political genealogy of this marriage. The father of the “Ruthenian girl” was believed to be either Iziaslav Yarolavich, his son Sviatopolk, Vsevolod Jaroslavich or one of the Transnistrian Rostyslavyches. Numerous suggestions did not lead to any final conclusion. The most recent period in the Polish historiography gave rise to a new, original description of the history of the marriage in question. It pointed to its “semi-private” and non-dynastic nature. It was also suggested that the initiator of the union, Władysław Herman was motivated by bad intentions, acting intentionally and maliciously to the detriment of his nephew. The hypothesis was supported by the chronicler's references made to the Prince's bride as a “Ruthenian girl” and the lack of mention of her dynastic lineage. Cunning actions of the young man's uncle were supposed to be a response to one of his own marriages, forced by Mieszko's father, Bolesław II the Generous. Władysław Herman also had to marry a woman without a dynastic heritage. However, it seems that calling Mieszko's wife a “Ruthenian girl” could be merely a part of the literary convention adopted by Gallus Anonymus in the account of the last moments of life of Bolesław's son. The Prince is referred to as a boy and his wife – a girl. In my opinion, this does not exclude their dynastic origins. Moreover, in his chronicle, Gallus often did not pay much attention to family roots of the wives of the Piasts. Recognizing the unlikelihood of the hypothesis of a non-dynastic marriage of Mieszko would also invalidate the supposed, yet not substantiated by any evidence, revenge of Władysław Herman on his nephew.