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((Short description|Study of coats of arms in lands of historical Poland))
[[File:Herb Polski.svg|150px|thumb|[[Coat of arms of Poland]].]]
'''Polish heraldry''' is the study of the [[coats of arms]] that have historically been used in [[Poland]] and the [[Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth]]. It treats of specifically Polish heraldic traits and of the Polish heraldic system, contrasted with heraldic systems used elsewhere, notably in Western Europe. Due to the distinctive ways in which [[feudal society|feudal societies]] evolved, Poland's heraldic traditions differ substantially from those of the modern-day German lands and France.

Polish heraldry is an integral part of the history of the Polish ''[[szlachta]]'' ([[nobility]]).

==History==
((Main|Heraldic clan))

Unlike Western Europe, in Poland, the Polish nobles ((lang|pl|[[szlachta]])) did not emerge exclusively from the [[Feudalism|feudal]] class of [[knights]] but stemmed in great part from earlier [[Slavic peoples|Slavic]] local rulers and free warriors and mercenaries. Rulers often hired these free warriors and mercenaries to form military units (((lang-pl|Drużyna)))<ref>Tadeusz Nowak, Jan Wimmer, "Historia oręża polskiego 963-1795", Wiedza Powszechna, Warszawa 1981, ((ISBN|8321401333)), str.33. ''Drużyna'' was formed by ''younger'' units (majority) and ''older'' units of magnates and descendants of former local rulers that also where part of the council of war of the Ruler</ref> and eventually, in the 11th century during the time of [[Casimir I the Restorer]] with the development of [[feudalism]], armies paid by the Prince were replaced by knights that were paid in land.<ref>[[Jerzy Wyrozumski|J. Wyrozumski]] ''Historia Polski do roku 1505'', Państwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe, Warszawa 1986, rozdz. IV,13, str. 97</ref>  Much written evidence from the Middle Ages demonstrates how some elements of the Polish nobility did emerge from former Slavic rulers that were included in the ranks of the knightly class under the terms of the chivalric law (((lang|la|[[ius militare]]))) and ((lang|la|((ill|iure polonico|pl|Prawo Polski protofeudalnej)))).<ref>[[Franciszek Piekosiński]] [[iarchive:rycerstwopolski02piekgoog|''Polish Knights during the Middle Ages'', 1901]]</ref><ref>J. Bardach, B. Leśnodorski, M. Pietrzak, ''Historia państwa i prawa polskiego'', Warszawa 1976,  ((ISBN|83-01-00104-6))</ref>

Because Polish clans (((lang-pl|Rody))) have different origins, only part of the ''[[szlachta]]'' can be traced all the way back to the traditional old [[clan]] system based on [[kinship]]. The clans that could show kinship belonged to a House (((lang-pl|Dom))),<ref>[http://www.wbc.poznan.pl/dlibra/docmetadata?id=48455&from=&from=generalsearch&dirids=1 Herby rycerstwa polskiego przez Bartosza Paprockiego zebrane i wydane r. p. 1584; wydanie Kazimierza Józefa Turowskiego, 1858, Wielkopolska Biblioteka Cyfrowa]</ref> such as the [[House of Odrowąż]]. Later, when different Houses created different surnames for each property, the House turned into the Clan Odrowąż. Other szlachta were not related and their unions were mostly voluntary and based on fellowship and brotherhood rather than kinship, still being full members of the Clan, creating Clan politics like in [[Clan of Ostoja|Clan Ostoja]] or [[Abdank coat of arms|Clan Abdank]], but forming a [[heraldic clan]]. Near the end of the history of the [[Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth]], due to adoptions and other circumstances, all Clans in Poland turned into [[Heraldic clan|Heraldic Clans]].<ref>[Wladyslaw Semkowicz, Clan Abdank i Medieval time http://www.wbc.poznan.pl/dlibra/plain-content?id=119155]</ref><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqOSGnjjpR0&feature=player_embedded '''Lukasz Lapinski, PhD in Polish history using DNA evidence to claim clan origin and structure''']</ref>

[[File:Szlachta Herby.jpg|thumb|right|200px|A leaf from the "Łaski's Statute" depicting the Polish Senate]]
[[File:POL COA Ostoja Ścibor.svg|thumb|200px|[[Coat of arms]] of [[Stibor of Stiboricz]]]]
In the year 1244, [[Bolesław I of Masovia|Bolesław, Duke of Masovia]], identified members of the knights' clan as members of a ''genealogia:''

<blockquote>
I received my good servitors [Raciborz and Albert] from the land of [Great] Poland, and from the clan [''genealogia''] called '''[[Jelita coat of arms|Jelito]],''' with my well-disposed knowledge [i.e., consent and encouragement] and the cry [''vocitatio''], [that is], the ''godło,'' [by the name of] ''Nagody,'' and I established them in the said land of mine, Masovia, [on the military tenure described elsewhere in the charter].<ref>Górecki, Piotr (1992). Economy, Society, and Lordship in Medieval Poland: 1100-1250. New York, NEW YORK: Holmes and Meier Publishers, Inc. ((ISBN|0-8419-1318-8)). OCLC 25787903</ref>
</blockquote>
 
The documentation regarding Raciborz and Albert's tenure is the earliest surviving of the use of the clan name and cry defining the honorable status of Polish knights.  The names of knightly ''genealogiae'' only came to be associated with heraldic devices later in the Middle Ages and in the early modern period.  The Polish clan name and cry ritualized the ''ius militare,'' i.e., the power to command an army; and they had been used sometime before 1244 to define knightly status.<ref>((Harv|Górecki|1992|pp=183–185))</ref>

According to Polish historian [[Tadeusz Manteuffel]], a Polish [[clan]] (''ród'') consisted of people related by blood and descending from a common ancestor, giving the ród/clan a highly developed sense of solidarity (see ''[[gens]]''). The ''[[starosta]]'' (or starszyna) had judicial and military power over the ród/clan, although this power was often exercised with an assembly of elders. Strongholds called ''[[:pl:Gród|gród]]'' were built where a unifying religious cult was powerful, where trials were conducted, and where clans gathered in the face of danger. The ''[[:pl:Opole (średniowiecze)|opole]]'' was the territory occupied by a single tribe.<ref>((Harv|Manteuffel|1982|p=44))</ref> Such clans often used signs (proto-coat of arms)<ref>[https://ioh.pl/artykuly/pokaz/heraldyka--pocztki-herbw-rycerskich-w-polsce,1101/ Heraldyka - Początki herbów rycerskich w Polsce]</ref> that later, during 13th century become coat of arms of the House or the Clan. The origin of those proto-CoAs is controversial. Some, like Sulimirski, claim Sarmatian origin<ref name="the sarmatians">T. Sulimirski, ''The Sarmatians'', Thames & Hudson Ltd (December 1970), ((ISBN|978-0500020715))</ref> and some like historian [[Franciszek Piekosiński]] claim that those signs are [[Runes]] of dynastic tribal rulers.<ref>[https://archive.org/details/odynastycznemsz01piekgoog ''O dynastycznem szlachty polskiej pochodzeniu'', 1888]</ref><ref>P. Dudziński, Alfabet heraldyczny,  Warszawa 1997, s. 208–220</ref>

Heraldic symbols began to be used in Poland in the 13th century.<ref>J. Bieniak,  Heraldyka polska przed Długoszem, [w:] Sztuka i ideologia XV w., pod red. P. Skubiszewskiego, Warszawa 1978, s. 192</ref> The generic [[Polish language|Polish]] term for a coat of arms, ''herb'', was used for the first time in the year 1415 at the Royal Office with text ''et quatuor herbis'',<ref>Białek W., ''Swarzędz 1638-1988'', Swarzędz 1988</ref><ref>[http://historia.org.pl/2013/07/14/historia-herbu-lodzia/ historia.org - first section and citation]</ref> originating as a borrowing of the [[Czech language|Czech]] ''erb'', which in turn came from the German ''Erbe'' – ''heritage''.<ref>[http://www.um.warszawa.pl/o-warszawie/kompendium-wiedzy/historia-herbu Herb, explained in official page of City of Warsaw]</ref><ref>[http://sjp.pwn.pl/doroszewski/herb;5433041.html PWN - Słownik języka polskiego pod red. W. Doroszewskiego (last sentence)]</ref>

During the [[Union of Horodło]] (1413), 47 [[Prince]] and [[Boyar]] families of the [[Grand Duchy of Lithuania]] were adopted into 47 Polish noble clans and began to use Polish coats of arms.<ref>Lidia Korczak (red.): Unia horodelska 1413. Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego, Kraków 2014, ((ISBN|978-83-233-3841-3))</ref>

==Medieval coats of arms==

Since there was no [[heraldic authority]] in Poland or in the [[Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth]], many old Polish coats of arms were changed over time by different publications, losing their original appearance. The ((ill|Heraldic Commission|pl|Komisja Heraldyczna)) was registered on 20 January 2010.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20100918023210/http://www.abc.com.pl/serwis/du/2000/0083.htm Dziennik Ustaw z 2000 r. Nr 6 poz. 83]</ref> Although many medieval Polish coats of arms were presented in [[Western Europe]]an [[Roll of arms|rolls of arms]],<ref>[[Almanach de Gotha]], [[Gelre Armorial]], [http://www.rcin.org.pl/dlibra/docmetadata?id=28447&from=publication Codex Berghammar], [[:fr:Grand Armorial équestre de la Toison d'or]], [http://www.wbc.poznan.pl/dlibra/docmetadata?id=46903&from=publication Stemmata polonica], [[:fr:Armorial Bellenville]], [[:de:Armorial Lyncenich]]</ref> there were no publications that presented original coats of arms in Poland until the 20th century, when ((ill|Adam Heymowski|pl)) began recovering old Polish coats of arms. His work was continued by Professor ((ill|Józef Szymański (historian)|pl|Józef Szymański (historyk)|lt=Józef Szymański)), who finally published an armorial of original Polish coats of arms.<ref>Józef Szymański, ''Herbarz rycerstwa polskiego z XVI wieku''. Warszawa: Wydawnictwo DiG, 2001. ((ISBN|978-83-7181-713-7))</ref>

The ancient Pałuki<ref>Semkowicz W. ''Jeszcze o rodzie Pałuków'' Wiad. Numizm. Archeolog. 21(1939/1948), s. 96-107</ref> family coat of arms was visually close to the [[Topór coat of arms]], and in time a similar coat was assumed by Clan Topór.<ref>Paweł Dudziński: ''Alfabet heraldyczny''. Warszawa: Diogenes, 1997, s. 209. ((ISBN|83-01-09797-3))</ref> As the [[Ostoja coat of arms]] evolved, the dragon was replaced by feathers and the cross by the sword, followed by other changes between ancient and modern versions.<ref>Alfred Znamierowski: ''Herbarz rodowy''. Warszawa: Świat Książki, 2004, s. 25. ((ISBN|83-7391-166-9)).</ref>

Many Polish coats of arms feature so-called variations, which are particular to Polish heraldry. In many cases, variations are simple errors, sometimes the family wished to make a distinction within the clan and in other cases coats have been called variations of a particular family's coat just because they look similar, which all together create a unique [[heraldic clan]] organisation in Poland. This is presented in the second part of the gallery, which shows many different variations of the Ostoja coat of arms.<ref name="grocholski.pl">[http://genealogia.grocholski.pl/gd/pojecia.php?file=phshz Tomasz Gajl, ''Herby Szlacheckie Rzeczypospolitej Obojga Narodów''], Wydawnictwo L&L 2005, ((ISBN|9788388595981)), Introduction chapter</ref><ref>Stanisław Dumin, ''Herbarz rodzin tatarskich Wielkiego Księstwa Litewskiego'', Wyd. I, Gdańsk, Związek Tatarów Polskich, 1999, s. 16-18 ISSN 1234-9267</ref><ref>[http://bazhum.muzhp.pl/media//files/Saeculum_Christianum_pismo_historyczne/Saeculum_Christianum_pismo_historyczne-r2007-t14-n2/Saeculum_Christianum_pismo_historyczne-r2007-t14-n2-s97-116/Saeculum_Christianum_pismo_historyczne-r2007-t14-n2-s97-116.pdf Bartosz Jankowski, ''Smok w herbach szlachty polskiej'', pismo historyczno-społeczne 14/2 (2007), p.97-116]</ref>

<gallery>
File:POL COA Pałuki.svg|Pałuki coat of arms according to Szymański
File:Topor arms.png|Topór coat of arms, modern version
File:POL COA Ostoja średniowieczna.svg|Ancient Ostoja coat of arms
File:Ostoja herb.svg|Ostoja coat of arms, modern version

File:Grzymała-1262.jpg|Grzymała of [[comes]] Mroczek in 1262
File:POL COA Grzymała.svg|Grzymała coat of arms, modern version
File:POL COA Wadwicz I a.svg|Ancient Wadwicz coat of arms
File:POL COA Wadwicz I b.svg|Wadwicz coat of arms, modern version
File:POL COA Szreniawa alt.svg|Ancient Szreniawa coat of arms
File:POL COA Szreniawa.svg|Szreniawa, modern version
</gallery>
<gallery>
File:POL COA Fincke.svg|Arms of the Fincke von Finkenthal family ennobled in 1805
File:POL COA Ostaszewski.svg|Arms of the Ostarzewski family ennobled in 1785
File:POL COA Ostojczyk.svg|Arms of the Krall family ennobled in 1768
File:POL COA Szyszko.svg|Arms of the Szyszko family
File:POL COA Turkuł.svg|Arms of the Turkuł family
File:POL COA Wysocki.svg|Arms of the Wysocki family of Clan Kolumna, noted as, "Kolumna with wings", a variation of Ostoja
File:POL COA Zawadzki 1.svg|Arms of the Zawadski family
File:POL COA Mokrzewski.svg|Arms of the Mokrzewski family
File:POL COA Wasilewski.svg|Arms of the Wasilewski family
File:POL COA Orda.svg|Arms of the Orda family<ref>Research into Orda family history is necessary to establish possible connection with Ostoja.  Niesiecki notes that the Orda family used Ostoja CoA in the 16th century, although this is not reliable.</ref><ref>[[Tadeusz Gajl]]. ''Herbarz polski od średniowiecza do XX wieku'', L&L, Gdańsk 2007 ((ISBN|978-83-60597-10-1))</ref>

</gallery>
[[File:Sign of the Ostoja family ab year 1232.jpg|thumb|200px|Proto-coat of arms of Ostoja]]
None of the variations above have anything in common with Ostoja, they just look similar.

Starting with proto-arms and families like [[Odrowąż coat of arms|Odrowąż]] being the [[House of Odrowąż]], Polish family names were appended in many cases with -''cki'' or -''ski'' in reference to the name of their properties; for example, if a person named Chełmski acquired the town of Poniec, he would change his surname to Poniecki.<ref>http://www.poniec.pl – “Jak Chelmscy stali sie Ponieckimi”</ref> Furthermore, a Jerzykowski (de Jerzykowo) that owned the property of Baranowo changed his surname to Baranowski (de Baranowo) and a Baranowski that owned the property of Chrzastowo change the surname to Chrzastowski (de Chrzastowo).<ref>IH PANhttp://www.slownik.ihpan.edu.pl/search.php?id=3775</ref> A family became a clan or "heraldic family" using the same coat of arms. Later, when clans adopted several families, they formed heraldic clans, families using the same arms, in many cases defending clan politics but not necessarily blood related to each other.<ref name="grocholski.pl" /><ref name="Wajs">A. Wajs, ''Materiały genealogiczne, nobilitacje, indygenaty w zbiorach Archiwum Głównego Akt Dawnych w Warszawie'', DiG, Warszawa 2001.</ref>

==Peculiarities==
[[File:POL COA Ostrogski alt 1.svg|thumb|200px|Coat of arms of the House of Ostrogski]]
((more citations needed section|date=September 2020))
Although the Polish heraldic system evolved under the influence of German heraldry, there are many notable differences.

The most striking peculiarity of the system is that a coat of arms does not belong to a single family. A number of unrelated families (sometimes hundreds of them), usually with a number of different family names, may use the same, [[Cadency|undifferenced]] coat of arms, and each coat of arms has its own name. The total number of coats of arms in this system was relatively low – ca. 160 (Piekosiński<ref>F. Piekosiński, ''Poczet rodów szlachty polskiej wieków średnich'', Lwów 1911</ref><ref>F. Piekosiński, ''Heraldyka polska wieków średnich'', Akademia Umiejętności, Kraków 1899</ref>) in the late Middle Ages.<ref>A. Małecki, ''Studya heraldyczne'', t. 1-2, Lwów 1890.</ref> The same can be also seen in Western Europe when families of different surnames but sharing clan origin would use similar coats-of-arms, the fleur-de-lis of the many Capetian families being perhaps the best-known example.

One side-effect of this unique arrangement was that it became customary to refer to noblemen by both their family name and their coat of arms name (or ''clan name''). For example, [[Jan Zamoyski]] ''herbu'' [[Jelita]] means "Jan Zamoyski of the Jelita coat of arms" (though it is often translated as "of the clan Jelita" or ''herbu'' is Latinized ''de armis''). From the 15th to 17th centuries, the formula seems to have been to copy the ancient [[Roman naming convention]]: ''praenomen'' (or given name), ''nomen gentile'' (or [[Gens]]/Clan name) and ''cognomen'' (surname), following the Renaissance fashion. So we have ''Jan Jelita Zamoyski'', forming a [[double-barrelled name]] (''nazwisko złożone'', literally "compound name"). Later, the double-barrelled name began to be joined with a hyphen: ''Jan Jelita-Zamoyski''. (See [[Polish name]]s).<ref>K. Rymut, ''Nazwiska Polaków. Słownik historyczno-etymologiczny'', Polska Akademia Nauk, Instytut Języka Polskiego, t. 1-2, Kraków 1999.</ref><ref>Z. Kowalik-Kaleta, ''Historia nazwisk polskich na tle społecznym i obyczajowym (XII–XV wiek)'', Warszawa 2007.</ref>

The Polish émigrés of the 19th century sometimes used adaptations of their names according to the Western European (mainly French) style, becoming e.g. Balthasar Klossowski de [[Rola coat of arms|Rola]] ([[Balthus]]), Jean de Bloch ([[Jan Gotlib Bloch]]), or [[Tamara de Lempicka]]. Some would also keep the Latin forms of their surnames, as Latin was the official language of the Kingdom of Poland, hence the popularity of Late-Medieval or Early-Modern forms such as "de Zamosc Zamoyski".<ref>T. Brajerski, ''Nazwiska polskie w polskiej urzędowej łacinie XVI-XVIII w.'', [w:] "Roczniki Humanistyczne", t. XXXV-XXXVI, z. VI, 1987-1988.</ref>

A single coat of arms could appear in slightly different versions, typically in different colours, depending on the custom of the family using it. Such variations (''odmiany'') are still considered as representing the same coat of arms.<ref name="Łojko…"/>

One of the most visually striking characteristics of Polish heraldry is the abundance of [[gules]] (red) fields. Among the oldest coats of arms in Poland, nearly half use a red background, with blue ([[Azure (heraldry)|azure]]) coming in a distant second. Nowhere else in Europe is there seen such a strong bias towards a particular colour scheme. It follows, however, the well-known heraldic custom of all Europe, of the vassals following the colour-scheme of their overlord, which found practical use on the battlefield.<ref name="Łojko…"/>

Other typical features used in Polish heraldry include horseshoes, arrows, [[Maltese cross]]es, scythes, stars, and crescents.<ref>S. Mieroszewski, ''Kilka słów o heraldyce polskiej'', Kraków 1887.</ref> There are also many purely geometrical shapes for which a separate set of heraldic terms was invented.<ref>J. Piechowski, ''Ukryte swiatla herbów'', Nasza Ksiegarnia, Warszawa 1991.</ref> It has been suggested that originally all Polish coats of arms were based on such abstract geometrical shapes, but most were gradually "rationalized" into horseshoes, arrows and so on. If this hypothesis is correct, it suggests in turn that Polish heraldry, also unlike western European heraldry, may be at least partly derived from the ''[[Tamgas]]'', marks used by [[Eurasian nomad]]s such as the [[Sarmatians]],<ref name="the sarmatians" /> [[Pannonian Avars|Avars]] and [[Golden Horde|Mongols]], to mark property. Evidence of the origins of the system was considered scanty, and the hypothesis has been criticized as being part of "[[Sarmatism]]" (the Polish tradition of romanticizing their supposed Sarmatian ancestry). However, recent DNA projects that concern Polish Nobility proved that at least part of Polish Nobility is of Sarmatian origin.<ref>Lukasz Lapinski, PhD in Polish History, administrate several DNA projects, including entire R1a together with international scientific team https://www.familytreedna.com/public/POL-LITHNOBILITY/default.aspx</ref><ref>Researcher Ornella Semino was the first one to show [[Kurhan]] DNA to be R1a1 and that their ancestors was of [[Scythians|Scythian]] and [[Sarmatians|Sarmatian]] origin. ''The genetic legacy of Paleolithic Homo sapiens sapiens in extant Europeans: a Y chromosome perspective.'' "Science". 290 (5494), s. 1155-1159, 2000</ref><ref>[https://wiaraprzyrodzona.wordpress.com/2014/12/25/genetyczne-odkrycia-20102015-nowa-genealogia-slowian-i-innych-ludow-bialego-ladu-europy-bialczynski/ Genetic discovery 2010/2015]</ref>

A Polish coat of arms consists of [[shield]], [[crest (heraldry)|crest]], [[Helmet|helm]], and [[Coronet|crown]]. [[Mantling]] became fashionable during the 18th and 19th centuries. [[Supporters]], [[motto]]s, and [[compartment (heraldry)|compartments]] normally do not appear, although certain individuals used them, especially in the final stages of the system's development, partly in response to French and German influence. Preserved medieval evidence shows Polish coats-of-arms with [[mantling]] and [[supporters]].<ref name="Łojko…">J. Łojko, ''Sredniowieczne herby polskie'', KAW, Poznan 1985.</ref>

=== Shield ===

Polish coats of arms are divided in the same way as their [[heraldry|western counterparts]]. However, Polish coats of arms is applied on clans rather than to separate families and new families where adopted to the Clan, using same CoA. Thus Polish [[Escutcheon (heraldry)|escutcheons]] are rarely parted, there are however a lot of preserved quartered coats-of-arms. These would most often show the arms of the four grandparents of the bearer. Or also the paternal-paternal great-grandmother in the 5th field if the male-line coat-of-arms goes in the heart field.<ref>J. Ostrowski, ''Ksiega herbowa rodów polskich'', Warszawa 1897.</ref>

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto;"
!Example
! [[File:Parted per fess.svg|93px]]
! [[File:Parted per pale.svg|93px]]
! [[File:Parted per bend sinister.svg|93px]]
! [[File:Parted quarterly.svg|93px]]
! [[File:Parted quarterly with a heart.svg|93px]] 
|-
|English name
|Parted per fess
|Parted per pale
|Parted per bend sinister
|Parted quarterly
|Parted quarterly with an inescutcheon
|-
|Polish name
|tarcza dwudzielna w pas
|tarcza dwudzielna w słup
|tarcza dwudzielna w lewy skos
|tarcza czterodzielna w krzyż
|tarcza czterodzielna w krzyż z polem sercowym
|}

The tradition of differentiating between the [[coat of arms]] proper and a [[Lozenge (heraldry)|lozenge]] granted to women did not develop in Poland. By the 17th century, usually, men and women inherited a coat of arms from their father or mother or even both (or a member of a clan who had adopted them).  But also men or women could permanently adopt the arms of their wives or husbands and transmit them to their children, even after remarriages. The [[brisure]] was rarely used.  All children would inherit the coat(s) of arms of their parent(s) and transmit them to their children. This partly accounts for the relatively large proportion of Polish families who had adopted a coat of arms by the 18th century.  Another factor was the trend of the nobly titled marrying "commoners" and passing on their title to their spouse and children, forbidden in the Middle Ages. An illegitimate child could adopt her/his noble mother's surname and title with the consent of the mother's father but was often adopted and raised by the natural father's family, thereby acquiring the father's surname and title.<ref>A. Zajaczkowski, ''Szlachta polska: kultura i struktura'', Warszawa 1993.</ref>

Heart-shaped shields were mostly used in representations of the coats of arms of royalty. Following the [[Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth|union between Poland and Lithuania]], and the creation of the elective monarchy, it became customary to place the coats of Poland and [[Lithuania]] diagonally, with the coat of arms of the specific [[monarch]] placed centrally on top. Research continues to find out what a "heart-shaped" shield is. Most likely, the coat of Poland was placed on the left-right diagonal (I & IV) and Lithuania on the right-left diagonal (II & III) as evidenced in the shield at the top of this page. The specific monarch crest then being placed in the "heart" position.<ref>T. Pietras, ''Z orłem białym przez wieki. Z dziejów polskiej symboliki państwowej'', Uniwersytet Łódzki, 2013.</ref>

===Tinctures===

{| class="wikitable"
! Tincture
! English heraldic name
! Polish heraldic name
|- 
!  colspan=3 | ''Metals''
|- 
| Gold/Yellow 
| [[Or (heraldry)|Or]]
| Złoto
|- 
| Silver/White 
| [[Argent]]
| Srebro
|- 
!  colspan=3 | ''Colours''
|- 
| Blue 
| [[Azure (heraldry)|Azure]]
| Błękit
|- 
| Red 
| [[Gules]]
| Czerwień
|- 
| Purple 
| [[Purpure]]
| Purpura
|- 
| Black
| [[Sable (heraldry)|Sable]]
| Czerń
|- 
| Green 
| [[Vert (heraldry)|Vert]]
| Zieleń
|}

In addition to these seven basic [[Tincture (heraldry)|tinctures]], which were standard in western Europe, many more tinctures were used in Poland and (after the union with Poland) Lithuania.<ref name="Łojko…"/><ref>Górzynski, J. Kochanowski, ''Herby szlachty polskiej'', Wydawnictwa Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego i Wydawnictwa Alfa, Warszawa 1990.</ref>

==See also==
* [[Heraldry]]
* [[History of Poland]]
* [[List of coats of arms of Polish nobility]]
* [[List of Polish nobility coats of arms images]]
* [[Szlachta]]
* [[Belarusian heraldry]]
* [[Polish name]]
* [[Polish clans]]
* [[Coats of arms of Polish voivodeships]]

== References ==
((Reflist|30em))

==Sources==
* ((Cite book | last=Górecki | first=Piotr | title=Economy, Society, and Lordship in Medieval Poland: 1100-1250 | publisher=Holmes and Meier Publishers, Inc.
 | place=New York, NEW YORK | year=1992 | oclc=25787903 | isbn=0-8419-1318-8 ))
* ((Cite book | last=Manteuffel | first=Tadeusz | title=The Formation of the Polish State: The Period of Ducal Rule, 963-1194 | publisher=Wayne State University Press | place=Detroit, MICHIGAN | year=1982 | oclc=7730959 | isbn=0-8143-1682-4 ))
* ((cite journal | year =2010 | title =Ślady recepcji legend arturiańskich w heraldyce Piastów czerskich i kronikach polskich | journal =Kultura I Historia: Uniwersytet Marii Curie Skłodowskiej W Lublinie | volume =2010 | issue =17 | issn =1642-9826 | url =http://www.kulturaihistoria.umcs.lublin.pl/archives/1793 |language=pl))
* ((cite web | author=Wojciech Górczyk | title=Półksiężyc, orzeł, lew i smok. Uwagi o godłach napieczętnych Piastów | publisher=Histmag | year=2009 | work=Histmag.org | url=http://histmag.org/?id=3057&act=ac |language=pl))

==Further reading==
Traditionally coats of arms were published in various listings of [[szlachta]] and in [[armorial]]s, known in [[Polish language|Polish]] as ''herbarz''. Such publications, akin to ''[[Almanach de Gotha]]'' or ''[[Gelre Armorial]]'' and descended from the tradition of [[Roll of arms|rolls of arms]], appeared in Poland regularly from the 15th century onwards. The first such armorial was ''Insignia seu clenodia incliti Regni Poloniae'' by [[Jan Długosz]]. In recent years growing interest in family histories has led to publication of numerous newly compiled listings of coats of arms and families. Some of the most notable among such publications are:

* ((cite book | author =Bartosz Paprocki | author-link =Bartosz Paprocki | title =Gniazdo cnoty |trans-title=Nest of Virtue | year =1578 | location =Kraków |language=pl)) [http://monika.univ.gda.pl/~literat/grafika/herby.htm]
* ((cite book | title =Herby rycerstwa polskiego |trans-title=Arms of Polish Knighthood | year =1584 | location =Kraków  |language=pl))
* ((cite book | author =Antoni Swach | title =Herby Polskie |trans-title=Polish Coats of Arms | year =1705 | location =Poznań |language=pl))
* ((cite book | author =Szymon Okolski | author-link =Szymon Okolski | title =Orbis Polonus |trans-title=Polish World | year = 1643| location =Kraków | volume = 1-3|language=la))
* ((cite book | author =Jan Karol Dachnowski |author2=Z. Pentek | title =Herby szlacheckie w ziemiach pruskich |trans-title=Coats of Arms in Prussian Lands | year =1995 | orig-year=First published ca. 1620 | location =Kórnik  |language=pl))
* ((cite book | author =Jan Karol Dachnowski | title =Poczet możnego rycerstwa polskiego |trans-title=List of Grand Knights of Poland | year =c. 1634 |language=pl))
* ((cite book | author =Wacław Potocki | author-link =Wacław Potocki | title =Poczet herbów szlachty Korony Polskiey i Wielkiego Xsięstwa Litewskiego |trans-title=List of Coats of Arms of Gentry from the Crown of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania | year =1696 | location =Kraków|language=pl))
* ((cite book | author =Kasper Niesiecki | author-link =Kasper Niesiecki | title =Herby i familie rycerskie tak w Koronie jako y w W.X.L. |trans-title=Coats of Arms of Knights both in the Crown and the Grand Duchy | year =1728 | location =Lwów |language=pl))
* ((cite book | author =Kasper Niesiecki | title =Korona polska |trans-title=[[Crown of Poland]] | year =1728–1743 | publisher =Lwów |language=pl))
* ((cite book | author =Benedykt Chmielowski | author-link =Benedykt Chmielowski | title =Zbiór krótki herbów polskich, oraz wsławionych cnotą i naukami Polaków |trans-title=Short Collection of Polish Coats of Arms, as well as Poles Famed for their Virtues and Sciences | year =1763 | location =Warsaw|language=pl))
* ((cite book | author =Leonhard Dorst | title =Schlesisches Wappenbuch oder die Wappen des Adels im souverainen Herzogthum Schlesien, der Grafschaft Glatz und der Oberlausitz |trans-title=Silesian Armorial, or Coats of Arms of the Duchy of Silesia, Duchy of Glatz and Lower Lausatia | year =1842–1849 | location =Görlitz  | url =http://www.sdl.org.pl/dlibra/docmetadata?id=4111&from=pubindex&dirids=19 |language=de))
* ((cite book | author =Nikolay Ivanovich Pavlischev | title =Herbarz rodzin szlacheckich Królestwa Polskiego najwyżej zatwierdzony |trans-title=Armorial of Noble Families of the Kingdom of Poland, Approved by Highest Authorities | year =1853 |language=pl))
* ((cite book | title =Poczet szlachty galicyjskiej i bukowińskiej | year =1988 | orig-year = First published - 1857 | publisher =Krajowa Agencja Wydawnicza | location =Lwów-Kraków |language=pl))
* ((cite book | author =Seweryn Uruski | author-link =Seweryn Uruski | title =Rodzina. Herbarz szlachty polskiej |trans-title=The Family. Armorial of Polish Gentry | year =1904–1938 | location =Warsaw |language=pl)) (published in 15 volumes, unfinished)
* ((cite book | author =Emilian von Zernicki-Szeliga | author-link =Emilian von Zernicki-Szeliga | title =Der Polnische Adel und die demselben hinzugetretenen andersländischen Adelsfamilien | year =1900 | publisher =Verlag von Henri Strand | location =Hamburg  |language=de))
* ((cite book | author = Franciszek Piekosiński | author-link = Franciszek Piekosiński | title =Herbarz szlachty prowincyi witebskiej |trans-title=Armorial of Gentry of the Province of Vitebsk  | year =1899 | publisher =Herold polski | location =Kraków |language=pl))
* ((cite book | author = Tadeusz Gajl | author-link = Tadeusz Gajl | title =Herby szlacheckie Rzeczypospolitej Obojga Narodów |trans-title=Coats of Arms of the Republic of Both Nations | year =2003 | location =Białystok  | isbn=83-88595-12-1 |language=pl))

==External links==
((commons category|Heraldry of Poland))
((commons category|Coats of arms of families of Poland))
* [http://www.lyczkowski.net/en/handbooks/heraldry-of-polish-litvan-gentry.html Polish-Litvan Noble Heraldry] ((in lang|en))
*[[:pl:Herb szlachecki (lista herbów)|Polish coats of arms]] - a full list of Polish coats of arms
<!--* [http://akromer.republika.pl/armorial_pocz.html Polish Coats of Arms listing] (Polish)-->
<!--* [http://republika.pl/akromer/ter_linki.html Coats of Arms of Lands of the Commonwealth](several hundred pictures, welcome text Polish)-->
<!-- * [http://www.polonium.de/docs/ciekawostki/herby/win/ Rycerskie Herby Polaków] - a very good site in Polish with beautiful images of the arms and complete surname lists of 48 of the clans //-->
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20041010213700/http://www.szlachta.org/heraldry.htm Polish Nobility and Its Heraldry]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070311015819/http://genealog.home.pl/g.pl?kd=4&hz=1 Armorial]
* [http://www.herbarz.republika.pl/str/autor.htm Coats of Arms within the context of the hereditary aristocracy of the historic Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth]

((Polish CoA|state=collapsed))
((Heraldry by country))
((Coats of arms of Polish families|state=collapsed))

((DEFAULTSORT:Polish Heraldry))
[[Category:Polish heraldry| ]]
[[Category:Kinship and descent]]
[[Category:Polish coats of arms| ]]
[[Category:Polish nobility coats of arms| ]]
[[Category:Ruthenian nobility of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth| ]]

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