DOI Heft:
Nr. 4
DOI Artikel:Artykuły
DOI Artikel:Pokora, Jakub: Nihil sine causa: Satyry na arrasach wawelskich
DOI Seite / Zitierlink:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.71009#0719
Nihil sine causa. Satyry na arrasach wawelskich
703
Nihil Sine Causa.
Satyrs in the Jagiellon Tapestries
Among the collection of the Arras tapestries at the
Wawel (138 pieces) there are five identical ones with
Sigismund Augustus' monogram: SA in a cartouche
presented by two satyrs (Fig. 1). An attempt is made
to justify the presence of those bearer. The Jagiellon
tapestries were made in Brussels in ca 1560 after the
drawings of an anonymous Antwerp artist from the
circle of Cornelis Floris and Cornelis Bos. Re-
searchers occasionally associate them with the
satirical-poetical poem by Jan Kochanowski de-
dicated to Sigismund Augustus Satyr or the Wild
Man (Kraków 1563, 1564); some consider the
tapestries as Kochanowski's inspiration, others,
contrariwise, regard them to be the poem's illustra-
tion. These opinions can be hardly justified, since
there are no sources specifying the time when the
tapestries were made, while Kochanowski himself
does not mention them either.
Son of Bona Sforza and Sigismund the Old, born
on 1 August 1520, namely under the sign of the Leo,
he was given Sigismund as his first name, this in
compliance with his father's wish, and Augustus as
his second (after the Latin name of the month). He
was frequently referred to as Augustus, to differ the
son from the father and for glorification (see: semper
Augustus among monarch's titles).
Monogram appeared among the Polish royal
power symbols under Casimir the Great (1333-70),
however winning much popularity only under Sigis-
mund the Old (1506-48). Placed on the Eagle's
chest, it was used until the first royal election (1573).
Sigismund Augustus applied the monogram far more
often than his father had done, placing it not merely
on the Eagle, but also in shields or cartouches.
A wild man is a variant of the mythological satyr.
Wild men (primitive forest wild creatures, symbols
of the forces of nature or simply physical strength)
are often presented as coat-of-arms bearers, or more
precisely its guardians, armed with large clubs, see
e.g. the coat of arms ofthe Dukes of Pomerania (Fig.
2). A satyr did not display positive symbolism in
Christian art, since he was most often associated
with a lecher or sin as such. Obviously, in the case of
the Jagiellonian tapestries this is out ofthe question;
neither it is justified to seek some potential satirical
or critical and ridiculing undertones in their
representations.
In the royal tapestries, satyrs undoubtedly fulfil
the role of the coat of arms bearers, though in this
particular case the coat of arms had been replaced
with the royal monogram. And if so, then in com-
pliance with the heraldic principles, they have to
play a complementary role to the content ofthe held
monogram, since usually the coat of arms bearer is
identified with its owner.
Satyrs were chosen as the monogram bearers,
since the word 'satyr' begins with the letters ...of
the royal digits: SA. There is no doubt that they are
satyrs, not sileni headed by Marsyas, since none of
them is playing the aulos, etc., which can be found in
other Wawel tapestries. The association ofthe satyrs
with the monogram can also be found in the letter
shape (foliage scroll). All this in order to give the
impression that the satyrs are presenting not merely
the royal monogram but also... their own one. This
was the most likely reason why the shield features
only letters, not the Eagle with the SA monogram on
its chest, just like in many other Wawel tapestries.
As the wider conceptual background to this one
should point to the always vivid tradition of playing
with words or letters, in our case with the royal digits
which in some cases were often completely wrongly
interpreted. For example, the monogram of King John
Casimir (1648-68): ICR (Joannes Casimirus Rex) was
read as Initium Calamitatis Regni: 'Be-ginning ofthe
Kingdom's Calamities'. Let us conclude this track in
our reflection with the Polish critical description of
our neighbour as stary satyr ('an old satyr') in which
both words are mutual anagrams.
If the concept ofthe satyrs' presence is right, we
would be dealing with a comical concept, this
signalled by their mocking smiles. The joke ranks
among the 'comedy of comparison': placing to-
gether the reality with the image, all this following
the rule of the world f rebours (see Erasmus of
Rotterdam Praise of Folly). A tapestry of such
a character perfectly fits the sense of humour
popular in the period, which played a substantial role
in the life of both the court and the commons. Those
were, after all, the times of not only Kochanowski's
Epigrams and Rej's Pranks, but also of different
jokes, playing with words or letters (puns,
palindromes, acrostics, etc). What dominated
literature was wit, humour, anecdote. Worth men-
tioning here is the work created under Sigismund
Augustus' guidance and maybe with his partici-
pation, namely the Polish Courtier (1566) by Łukasz
Górnicki, dedicated to the King by his secretary. As
703
Nihil Sine Causa.
Satyrs in the Jagiellon Tapestries
Among the collection of the Arras tapestries at the
Wawel (138 pieces) there are five identical ones with
Sigismund Augustus' monogram: SA in a cartouche
presented by two satyrs (Fig. 1). An attempt is made
to justify the presence of those bearer. The Jagiellon
tapestries were made in Brussels in ca 1560 after the
drawings of an anonymous Antwerp artist from the
circle of Cornelis Floris and Cornelis Bos. Re-
searchers occasionally associate them with the
satirical-poetical poem by Jan Kochanowski de-
dicated to Sigismund Augustus Satyr or the Wild
Man (Kraków 1563, 1564); some consider the
tapestries as Kochanowski's inspiration, others,
contrariwise, regard them to be the poem's illustra-
tion. These opinions can be hardly justified, since
there are no sources specifying the time when the
tapestries were made, while Kochanowski himself
does not mention them either.
Son of Bona Sforza and Sigismund the Old, born
on 1 August 1520, namely under the sign of the Leo,
he was given Sigismund as his first name, this in
compliance with his father's wish, and Augustus as
his second (after the Latin name of the month). He
was frequently referred to as Augustus, to differ the
son from the father and for glorification (see: semper
Augustus among monarch's titles).
Monogram appeared among the Polish royal
power symbols under Casimir the Great (1333-70),
however winning much popularity only under Sigis-
mund the Old (1506-48). Placed on the Eagle's
chest, it was used until the first royal election (1573).
Sigismund Augustus applied the monogram far more
often than his father had done, placing it not merely
on the Eagle, but also in shields or cartouches.
A wild man is a variant of the mythological satyr.
Wild men (primitive forest wild creatures, symbols
of the forces of nature or simply physical strength)
are often presented as coat-of-arms bearers, or more
precisely its guardians, armed with large clubs, see
e.g. the coat of arms ofthe Dukes of Pomerania (Fig.
2). A satyr did not display positive symbolism in
Christian art, since he was most often associated
with a lecher or sin as such. Obviously, in the case of
the Jagiellonian tapestries this is out ofthe question;
neither it is justified to seek some potential satirical
or critical and ridiculing undertones in their
representations.
In the royal tapestries, satyrs undoubtedly fulfil
the role of the coat of arms bearers, though in this
particular case the coat of arms had been replaced
with the royal monogram. And if so, then in com-
pliance with the heraldic principles, they have to
play a complementary role to the content ofthe held
monogram, since usually the coat of arms bearer is
identified with its owner.
Satyrs were chosen as the monogram bearers,
since the word 'satyr' begins with the letters ...of
the royal digits: SA. There is no doubt that they are
satyrs, not sileni headed by Marsyas, since none of
them is playing the aulos, etc., which can be found in
other Wawel tapestries. The association ofthe satyrs
with the monogram can also be found in the letter
shape (foliage scroll). All this in order to give the
impression that the satyrs are presenting not merely
the royal monogram but also... their own one. This
was the most likely reason why the shield features
only letters, not the Eagle with the SA monogram on
its chest, just like in many other Wawel tapestries.
As the wider conceptual background to this one
should point to the always vivid tradition of playing
with words or letters, in our case with the royal digits
which in some cases were often completely wrongly
interpreted. For example, the monogram of King John
Casimir (1648-68): ICR (Joannes Casimirus Rex) was
read as Initium Calamitatis Regni: 'Be-ginning ofthe
Kingdom's Calamities'. Let us conclude this track in
our reflection with the Polish critical description of
our neighbour as stary satyr ('an old satyr') in which
both words are mutual anagrams.
If the concept ofthe satyrs' presence is right, we
would be dealing with a comical concept, this
signalled by their mocking smiles. The joke ranks
among the 'comedy of comparison': placing to-
gether the reality with the image, all this following
the rule of the world f rebours (see Erasmus of
Rotterdam Praise of Folly). A tapestry of such
a character perfectly fits the sense of humour
popular in the period, which played a substantial role
in the life of both the court and the commons. Those
were, after all, the times of not only Kochanowski's
Epigrams and Rej's Pranks, but also of different
jokes, playing with words or letters (puns,
palindromes, acrostics, etc). What dominated
literature was wit, humour, anecdote. Worth men-
tioning here is the work created under Sigismund
Augustus' guidance and maybe with his partici-
pation, namely the Polish Courtier (1566) by Łukasz
Górnicki, dedicated to the King by his secretary. As