Jadwiga – “King” of Poland – 1373 (1374?) – 1399
Introduction
For over a year now we have been looking at the lives of female saints during the middle ages. There are hundreds of great stories, but we have just focused on a few. From Genovefa (423 – 502) through Catherine of Siena (1347-1380), we have discovered that there were queens, abbesses, nuns, Beguines, sisters in monasteries, writers, godly wives, mothers, empresses, social reformers, and many other women who served Christ. God called and gifted many women to serve Him during this very interesting time in history.
In the late thirteenth century and first half of the fourteenth century there were many changes taking place. Europe was basically Christian. The gospel had spread across Europe and it was a civilizing force in the culture. In this week’s story we will see how a woman was instrumental in converting a whole country – Lithuania – to the faith. The church was strong and many devout Christians, especially women, built schools, hospitals, hospices, and homes for the poor.
In the latter fourteenth century, the popes were still ruling from Avignon, France. Many devout Catholics believed that the pope should live in Rome. Part of the time, there were in fact two popes, one in Rome and one in Avignon. We will see how this affected the woman whose story we relate this week – Jadwiga of Poland.
Jadwiga of Poland – 1373 (1374?) – 1399
Studying biographies is an excellent way to learn history. One of the most enjoyable things about studying history is making the connections between the people and the events. The lists of dates and names that we got as kids in school was not only dry and dusty but nearly impossible to make any sense of. When we look at the stories of Bridget of Sweden and Catherine of Siena[1] and compare them to this week’s story about Jadwiga of Poland, history comes alive. We have learned what events were taking place in Europe in the Church and in various kingdoms. These were real people whose lives were impacted by their surrounding situations. We can step into their shoes and see what life was like. It is fascinating to think about how interrelated all of these people were. Are they entertaining each other in Heaven now? I can’t wait to join the group.
This week we have yet another story of an amazing Medieval woman – Hedwig of Hungary, later known as Jadwiga of Poland. When she was around ten or eleven years old she was crowned “king” of Poland. How can this happen to any young person, especially a young girl?
Hedwig (Jadwiga) was born as the third of the daughters (Catherine, Mary, Hedwig) of Louis I, King of Hungary and Poland and Elizabeth of Bosnia in 1373. Before she was five years old Jadwiga (Hedwig in Hungary) was betrothed to William of Austria who was only a few years older. This was typical of arranged marriages that would tie countries together politically. Jadwiga and William spent time in each other’s courts growing up together. They grew to love each other very much and were looking forward to reigning in their countries together.
Jadwiga’s father Louis had planned for the eldest daughter, Catherine to rule Hungary after his death. He was also king of Poland and he had settled on Mary and her husband, Sigismund of Luxemburg to rule Poland. With the marriage of his third daughter, Hedwig he would indirectly have extended rulership to Austria when she married Prince William. This was great planning for a king with three daughters.
However, Catherine died in 1379. Then Louis died. Queen Elizabeth decided to have Mary crowned “King of Hungary”. It is unclear why Mary was crowned “King” and why later Jadwiga would also be crowned “King of Poland”. Some scholars feel that the designation as king places all of the responsibility and privilege of rulership on the women. Other scholars believed that the people were happy with their female rulers and intended for the men they married to remain consorts. In any event, Mary and Jadwiga have the honor of being among the few, or only, women in history to be crowned king.
Sigismund, now ruling Hungary after Louis’s death, believed that he should rule Poland too through Mary. But the people of Poland wanted their ruler to live among them. They had had enough of their absentee ruler, King Louis. Elizabeth wanted Mary to stay in Hungary. She responded to the Polish People’s wishes by promising to send Jadwiga instead.
While the Polish throne was temporarily vacant the Duke of Masovia put forward himself as a candidate for king. Some people did not want him unless he would marry Jadwiga. Most of the Polish nobility did not want him at all. Eventually he withdrew. Elizabeth sent Jadwiga to Krakow.
Jadwiga was only ten or eleven years old, but she was so mature for her years, so godly, that the nobles gladly gave her their support. Even at this young age her mind was keen, intuitive, and logical. The nobles were impressed to find that she was already a theologian, delighting in the sermons of the fathers and the lives of the saints. She particularly enjoyed the “fearless deeds and flaming speeches of Saint Bridget of Sweden and Saint Catherine of Siena”[1]
Jadwiga had such a regal but gentle bearing that the people fell in love with her immediately. Everywhere she went she was greeted with loud cheers. The nobility pledged to support her. She was crowned “king” in the Polish capital, Krakow, on October 16, 1384. She began in the first months of her reign to do works of piety. She founded a convent and a church. She also went to work to improve conditions in Poland especially in the capital city of Krakow.
Jadwiga still hoped to marry William. In 1385 William came to visit, but the nobility barred the gate to the castle where Jadwiga lived. Some friendly Franciscan monks found a way for the two to meet secretly in their monastery. The queen and the prince pledged their love and faithfulness and hoped they could persuade the Polish people to accept him. But, the nobles expelled William from Krakow, breaking Jadwiga’s heart. She spent days crying and even had thoughts of running away and renouncing her rule in order to go to William in Austria. With the help of her friend, she made a plan but when she reached the stairs for her escape her way was barred by soldiers. What happened next had profound, lasting implications for the Polish nation.
“Dimitri of Goray, aged treasurer of her father and uncle, fell on his knees before her as he implored her to respect the memory of these great ancestors.” At first Jadwiga did not want to listen as a terrible struggle was going on within her. All of her life she felt that God had ordained a marriage between her and William. Dimitri put forward a picture to her as a queen, humbly serving her people. “In the end the tears of the old man and those of the beautiful, ardent girl mingled, and he led her, trembling and broken-hearted, back along the narrow stairway to her chamber. She would write William at once begging him to leave the city. She would never see him again.”[2]
There was another reason why the Polish nobility did not want Jadwiga to marry William. They had a different marriage in mind. The political situation in that part of Europe was very unstable. The Polish people had in the past been friendly with Lithuania, but those ties had fallen apart. They wished to be untied with Lithuania again, so they proposed an alliance with them by having Jadwiga marry Jagiello (sometimes spelled Jogaila), Grand Duke of Lithuania.
This was very distressful to Jadwiga, not only because of her love for William, but because Jagiello was twenty-five years older and was crude. When she first heard of him, he was a pagan. It was also rumored about that he had a hand in the murder of the king of Lithuania. Jadwiga prayed to God seeking His will. When Jagiello agreed to become a Christian and announce that the Christian faith would be the official faith in Lithuania, Jadwiga agreed to marry him. How wonderful that she could be a part of bringing a whole nation to Christ.
Jagiello took the name Wladyslaw after he was baptized. They married on the 18th of February,1386 at Wawel Cathedral. Jagiello was crowned king of Poland on March 4, 1386. By all accounts he was a good ruler. He lived up to his promise at his baptism. Lithuania became a Christian country and remains so to this day.
Jadwiga continued to do charitable works. She was a peacemaker. There had been trouble with the kingdom of Teutonic Knights, but as long as she lived, the two kingdoms had peace. Jadwiga also cared about young people. She was instrumental in the founding of the Krakow Academy and Jagiellonian University.
For many years she prayed for a son and heir. Eventually in 1399 there was great rejoicing when she finally became pregnant and gave birth to a daughter, christened Elizabeth Bonifacia, after Jadwiga’s mother and the pope. Sadly, there were complications during the birth and the baby died only three weeks later. One week later, July 17, 1399 Jadwiga also lay dead at age 25 most likely from postpartum infection.
The citizens were grief-stricken. They inscribed on their calendar “Today, at noon, died Jadwiga, Queen of Poland – unwearied creator of divine culture, protectress of the church, administrator of justice, servant of all virtues, humble and beneficent mother of orphans, who in her time has had no equal of royal blood in the eyes of men in the whole world.”[3]
Queen Jadwiga and the baby were buried in Wawel Cathedral and are still there today. Jadwiga has always been venerated by the Polish people for her great though short reign. A mass was celebrated honoring her on June 8, 1979 by Pope John Paul II. It wasn’t until June 8, 1997 that she was canonized. Truly Jadwiga exemplifies through her reign how women, often thought incapable of leadership, have the giftedness and strength of character to be among the wisest and best rulers in history. The three contemporaneous women, Catherine of Siena, Birgitta of Sweden, and Jadwiga of Poland made lasting contributions to church and state.
[1]Charlotte Kellogg. Jadwiga, Poland’s Great Queen (Borodino Books, originally published 1931). P. 149
[2] Ibid, p. 168
[3] Ibid, p. 283
[1] Catherine of Siena – “Christian Women in the Medieval Era”, Parts 44-46 (May through June 8, 2021). Birgitta (Bridget) of Sweden – look for a post on Bridget of Sweden in the near future.
One Response
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