Długoszowa narracja o dwóch krzywoprzysięstwach króla Władysława Warneńczyka
Narrative by Jan Długosz About Two Perjuries of King Władysław III of Poland

Summary/Abstract: The aim of this article is to analyse records in the Annals or Chronicles of the Famous Kingdom of Poland by Jan Długosz about two perjuries which were supposedly perpetrated by King Władysław III of Poland at the time of fights against Turks in 1443–1444. The first perjury was related to the abrogation of the Treaty of Szeged sworn by the ruler, which was meant to end the war with Turkey. This topic, confirmed in other sources, has been the subject of historians’ studies for a long time. The second falsehood, so far treated by scholars rather marginally as a kind of addition to the narrative on a sinful life of the young ruler, was to be based on breaking a promise made to God about rectifying his immoral behaviour. However, a careful analysis of the description of the events in 1444 allows to state that Długosz referred to the issues of the King’s violation of the peace treaty with Turkey rather superficially. In contrast, he strongly emphasized the motive for the (alleged) failure to keep the oath given to God. The article will trace and explain the associations between the narratives by Długosz on the ruler’s two perjuries. It will be equally important to indicate their significance not only in the Varna narrative, but also for the historiosophical vision presented in the Annals. The analysis and comparison of the relevant excerpts from the work of the Cracow canon will be preceded by an insight into the earliest stage in which the tradition about Władysław-the perjurer had started to take shape in Europe.

• Details
• Contents