Pictorial documentation of Szczerbiec made in 1764 by Johann Christoph Werner, court painter to King Stanislaus Augustus of Poland
Type
Ceremonial weapon
Place of origin
Poland or Germany (possibly Rhineland)[1]
Service history
In service
13th century as a sword of justice, 1320–1764 as a coronation sword
Used by
Poland[2]
Production history
Produced
Late 12th or 13th century[3]
Specifications
Mass
1.26 kg (2.8 lb)[4]
Length
98.4 cm (3.23 ft)[4]
Blade length
82 cm (2.69 ft)[4]
Width
20 cm (7.9 in)[4]
Blade type
Straight double-edged (Oakeshott type XII)[5][6]
Hilt type
Flat with an arched crossguard (Oakeshott type 6) and a flat round pommel (Oakeshott type I)[5][6]
Szczerbiec (Polish pronunciation:[ˈʂt͡ʂɛr.bʲɛt͡s]) is the ceremonial sword used in the coronations of most Polish monarchs from 1320 to 1764. It now is displayed in the treasure vault of the royal Wawel Castle in Kraków, as the only preserved part of the medieval Polish crown jewels. The sword is noted for its hilt, decorated with magical formulae,[7] Christian symbols, and floral patterns, as well as for the narrow slit in the blade which holds a small shield with the coat of arms of Poland. The name of the sword, derived from the Polish word szczerba ("gap", "notch", or "chip") and wrongly its meaning is perceived as "the Notched Sword" or "the Jagged Sword" (which is included in the sword's legend), though the edges of its blade are straight and smooth. Proper meaning and rendering into English would be "the Notching/Jagging Sword" — as "a sword that is meant to notch/jag other weapons".
The legend links Szczerbiec with King Boleslaus I the Brave who was said to have chipped the sword by hitting it against the Golden Gate of Kiev during his intervention in the Kievan succession crisis in 1018. However, the Golden Gate was only constructed in 1037 and the sword is actually dated to the late 12th or 13th century. It was first used as a coronation sword by Ladislaus the Short in 1320. Looted by Prussian troops in 1795, it changed hands several times during the 19th century until it was purchased in 1884 for the Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg. The Soviet Union returned it to Poland in 1928 as part of war reparations for their loss against Poland in the Polish-Soviet war. During the Second World War, Szczerbiec was evacuated to Canada and did not return to Kraków until 1959. In the 20th century, an image of the sword was adopted as a symbol by Polish nationalist and far-right movements.
^Czyżewski
^Lileyko (1987), p. 70
^Lileyko (1987), p. 69
^ abcdBiborski, Stępiński & Żabiński (2011), p. 111
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