Przeszłość Litwy w księgach silva rerum XVIII wieku
Representation of Lithuania’s History in the Eighteenth-Century Silvae Rerum

Summary/Abstract: Existing studies on the historical knowledge of the nobility within the Polish- -Lithuanian Commonwealth primarily rely on printed sources. However, these studies often overlook the history of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, focusing on the Kingdom of Poland instead. This article aims to present Lithuania’s history as depicted in the silvae rerum of eighteenth-century noblemen. Through scientific investigations, it is evident that descriptions of Lithuanian history were less frequent compared to Polish history. The period covered in these descriptions typically ranges from the origin nar- rative (ethnogenetic legend) to the reign of Władysław Jagiełło. Notably, the history of the Jagiellonian dynasty is incorporated into the history of Poland. By comparing the noblemen’s silvae rerum with historiographical works, both from the 18th century and earlier periods, the article examines the sources of the nobility’s historical knowledge. The analysis reveals the continued influence of works by Maciej Stryjkowski and Woj- ciech Wijuk Kojałowicz, while also acknowledging the impact of eighteenth-century writers such as Kasper Niesiecki, Władysław Łubieński, and Franciszek Paprocki on the historical content of the silvae rerum.

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