Topór coat of arms
Polish coat of arms
Topór (Polish for "axe") is a Polish coat of arms. It was used by several szlachta (noble) families in medieval Poland and under the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth.
History
The topór coat of arms is one of the oldest szlachta armorial bearings, found on a wax seal dated to 1282. Before the Union of Horodło in 1413, it's believed approximately 220 Polish szlachta families in and around Kraków, Lublin and Sandomierz used these arms.
Under the Union of Horodło the coat of arms was represented by Maciej z Wąsosza, the Voivod of Kraków, and by Jan Butrym, a Lithuanian boyar. After the Union of Horodło the topór coat of arms was transported to Lithuania and adopted by Jan Butrym. Due to its antiquity it was sometimes referred to as Starża, an Old-Polish word meaning "old age".
Blazon
Gules an axe proper. For a crest, issuant from a ducal coronet an axe proper in bend.
Notable bearers
Notable bearers of this coat of arms have included:
House of Bogdanowicz
Jan Jerzy Grabowski
House of Matuszewski: Szymon Piotr Stefan Matuszewski
Mikołaj Rej z Nagłowice (Oksza arms)
Joey Największy z Gueltjakia
Cyprian Norwid
House Okulicz
House of Ossoliński: Jerzy Ossoliński, Franciszek Maksymilian Ossoliński, Anna Teresa Ossolińska, Józef Kajetan Ossoliński, Jan Zbigniew Ossoliński, Krzysztof Ossoliński
House of Starza Szolayski: Adam Prince Starza Szolayski, Wanda Princess Starza Szolayska, Gerda Starza Szolayska
House of Tarło, Teofilia Tarło, Zygmunt Tarło, Jan Tarło, Andrzej Tarło, Pawel Tarło, Jadwiga Tarło, Stanisław Tarło, Jan Karol Tarło, Barbara Tarło
House of Tęczyński: Zbigniew Tęczyński, Jan Magnus Tęczyński
Eustachy Trepka
Józef Zabiełło
House of Zemło
Variations
Gallery
See also
Polish heraldry
Heraldic family
List of Polish nobility coats of arms
Bibliography
Kasper Niesiecki: Herbarz polski.
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