TERESA KUKOŁOWICZ

The high position of women in Polish society can be seen visibly. Women are surrounded with respect, esteem, aided in carrying heavy objects, offered seats even if another needs to stand, kissed on the hand, and allowed to pass first. Such behavior is usual in Poland. At the turn of the XIVth century there appeared a "Poem about Behaving at the Table" (Wiersz o zachowaniu się przy stole), which was "a first literary piece the Slavic region praising women".

The Missionary. At the beginning of Polish history there appears Dobrava who might be described as a missionary, bringing the Christian faith to the nation. The great civilizational and cultural act of Poland’s Christianization is thanks to her. Among such women we can also count Queen Jadwiga, due to whose contribution Lithuania entered the circle of Christian countries. During Jagiełło’s baptism, she knew that for Lithuania she played the same role as the Czech, Dobrava, for Poland. This knowledge is part of elementary education of Poliash children.

The Patriot and Heroine. The national history has examples of heroic women who became symbols of love of the fatherland and of courage. Especially on the eastern frontiers of the Polish Republic women often had to put on armor and to fight with arms. Among them were: Hanna Borzobohata-Krasieńska, Anna Dorota Chrzanowska defending Trembowla and Teofila Chmielecka, called "the wolf of the frontier". The heroism of these women was expressed in literature and art. Józef Wybicki devoted a drama to Anna Chrzanowska, Franciszek Smuglewicz painted a picture entitled "The Defense of Trembowla".

A special place in literature is held by Emilia Plater in Adam Mickiewicz’s poem "Death of a Colonel" (Śmierć pułkownika) learned by children in school. Her memory continues and schools and military units take her name. After the fall of the January uprising women wore clothing expressing national mourning. They showed their patriotic attitude by avoiding places of recreation and public walks, wearing black robes and iron jewelry recalling Poland’s martyrdom. In one of his lectures in Paris Mickiewicz said that the particular place women won is owed to their devotedness, work and sacrifices. The list of heroic women includes figures of our times: during the second World War women fought in the underground army, participated in the Vilnius and Warsaw uprisings, and were active in the underground. Many historical works witness to this contribution, as well as such songs of that time "Margaret the Nurse" (Sanitariuszka Małgorzatka).

The Woman Engaged in Public Affairs. Women often accompanied their husbands in matters concerning the national good. Not endowed with full rights in public life, women "gave confidential signs to deputies and senators by a nice grimace of their lips or by knitting their brows to let them know what they liked and disliked". Women’s influence on public affairs was so great that bishop Ignacy Krasicki said facetiously: "We rule the world, but we are ruled by women". Women also provided the conditions for secret political discussions as the club of Mrs. Chłędowska, where members of the Patriotic Society gathered, and the parlors of Mrs. Dębińska, wife of a colonel.

The Social Activist. Since time immemorial women looked after the battle wounded, formed committees to support the wounded and their families. A marvelous example of activity on behalf of the poor was given by the first Polish blessed: Bronisława, Salomea, Kinga and Jolanta. Piotr Skarga in his "Lives of Saints" wrote of the Saint Kinga: "she diverted many people from sin, looked after many orphans, organized burials of the poor and was mother to all". Karol Szajnocha, a renowned historian and publicist, stated that the Saint Kinga was one of the first social activists in Poland and a pioneer in the domain of culture.

Women undertook action on behalf of orphaned and poor children, as well as educational work among peasants. Tytus Adam Działłyński, founder of the library in Kórnik, in homage of Polish women, wrote: "[they] reign with their hearts, rule with their reason, conquer with their charm, and unite with their hospitality. They channel the rapid stream of social life into a great, quiet, and powerful river called culture".

Patrons of Science and Art. One of the first women patrons of science and culture was queen Jadwiga, who contributed to the restoration of the Cracow Academy, opened a theological faculty and sought eminent professors and funds. Together with Jagiełło, Jadwiga created a Slavic foundation in Kleparz (a quarter of Cracow), whence well educated priests of the Slavic rite went on mission to Russia.

Women contributed to the rise of well known monuments of culture: Zofiówka in Tulczyn (Zofia Potocka), Arkadia -- a romantic, sentimental park located between Nieborów and Łowicz (Helena Radziwiłłowa), Pułławy (a cultural center created with aid of Izabela Czartoryska, the author of a first book destined for simple folk "A Pilgrim in Dobromil" (Pielgrzym w Dobromilu).

A honest wife is a jewel of her husband

In Polish history the family played a particular role in the time of partitions. It was then that the model of a fortress-family in which the husband was absent for a long time was consolidated. The whole burden of responsibility fell upon women. They were the first transmitters of religious and moral truths, as well as of the nation’s history. It was in families, at mothers’ feet, that patriotic education went on. Mickiewicz expressed this state of affairs in his poem "To the Polish Mother" (Do matki Polki) that for long years to come became a moral catechism and a primer of duties towards the fatherland. It is therefore no wonder that archbishop Zygmunt Szczęsny Feliński wrote in his "Diary":

We can openly say that if our society victoriously survived this spiritual crisis without losing the possibility of moral rebirth, we owe it only to women who stood much higher than men in this regard. . . . Thanks to women, family connections did not loosen, children obtained Christian education at least since their school age; in homes there were order and harmony, and even industriousness and thrift, . . . so women of those times deserve reverence and homage till the farthest generations.

 

A particular recognition of mothers is found in poetry. Jan Nagrabiecki, the author of an anthology of the Polish poetry concerning mothers, writes: The idea of selecting the most beautiful poems about mothers does not demand any justification or explanation. The reason is obvious. . . . The homage we owe to our mothers is not only our personal need. This is testified by the innumerable lyrical compositions, written in various historical periods". Some of these poems took the form of hymns and songs. This poetry is complemented by painting and sculpture. Literature and art show above all the model of a mother visible in the Mother of God, and embodies this into the different life situations of Polish mothers. Well-known are such works as the picture by Stanisław Wyspiański "Maternity" (Macierzyństwo), the sculpture by Xawery Dunikowski "A Pregnant Woman" (Kobieta brzemienna) or the monument of Nike in Warsaw. Respect for women in Polish culture has its roots in the Slavic culture ennobled by Christianity, especially in the cult of Our Lady. The personal intelligence and sensitivity to higher values shown by Polish women is important. The development of their personal virtues was "supported" by the situation and destiny of the Polish nation: they demanded specific values in the struggle for their very existence, the existence of their families, nation, and national culture. Because of these circumstances Polish culture has been enriched with images of women accompanying their husbands in their enterprises, of heroic women devotedly defending Polish homes. The above mentioned types of women do not succeed one another. We cannot point out any chronology of their appearance. We only have to state that sensibility of Polish women for national and social affairs determined their undertaking suitable tasks and thus generated various types of engagement.

Don’t thank me; frankly I confess to you

I would be the first to crush you with my club

Had not your children’s prayers stopped me.

 

You, children, go up the hill

Run and say for my soul

Sometimes a prayer or two

 

In the name of the child Polish women throughout centuries made superhuman efforts to protect them against hunger and misery. They wandered with children even from Kazakhstan to Poland. Great love of children contains the hope that it is they who are the future of the nation. With such a conviction mothers addressed their children when these children set out on a far journey "on the look-out for bread". Maria Rodziewiczówna in her novel "The Barcikowskis" (Barcikowscy) put it this way: "Remember that you are a Pole and a Catholic -- says a mother to her child. Remember that you should be upright before God and before your compatriots. . . . I taught you prayers, history, songs. I address you as if you were an adult: I trust you and I put my good hope in you". Focusing on children, on transmitting to them the most precious values, and expecting that they will be preserved brought splendid fruits, thanks to which youth became models of heroism. They created circles of self-education and patriotic groups; they fought for the preservation of Polish culture and for independence. Aleksander Kamiński, author of works concerning Polish youth organizations, in summarizing their history points to the following functions: ideological and political, shaping the revolutionary and the conspiratorial attitude, aiming at abolishing enslavement; reviving, striving for the renaissance and respect of Polish culture; correcting the system of education. It was youth that undertook in 1905 a school strike; it was the children of Września that came forward in defense of the Polish language. During the Warsaw uprising children performed many tasks; among others, they delivered mail and distributed press. And so, from one generation to another, "stones were thrown on the rampart".

The beauty of children, their charm, delight, and vivacity were reflected in the paintings, among others, of Stanisław Wyspiański.

The ill fortune of children who lacked prospects for development evoked an appeal on their behalf. Works of poets sensitive to children’s misfortune are commonly known; some acquired the rank of symbols reflecting the situation in this regard -- examples are "Little Johnny the Musician" (Janko Muzykant) by Henryk Sienkiewicz and "A Room in a Cave" by Maria Konopnicka, as well as some short stories by Bolesław Prus. In response to the poverty of children there emerged various institutions. One example is the above-mentioned societies for the care of widows and their children, the Charitable Society, orphans’ nests organized by Kazimierz Jeżowski. Jordan’s gardens, and orphanages for peasant children founded by Edmund Bojanowski. The XIXth century was a special period for the development of many institutions caring for children.

Polish families -- whether among the nobility or peasants -- were large. They consisted of three generations: children, parents and grandparents. Recently the Polish family transformed itself into a broadened family which still cherishes close and stable contacts with its grandparents. These facts point to an important position for the elderly. The oldest generation in the family is above all a witness to the past. "Very characteristic in Polish literature is the figure of a whitehaired old man, present in novels, and occurring in various forms in diaries. It is somebody from the family or from the vicinity who ‘still fought under command of . . .’, `who remembers X himself’, ‘who was led by knight Y himself’, etc". Such a role is played by Dobrzyński in Mickiewicz’s Pan Tadeusz and Anzelm in Nad Niemnem. Mickiewicz characterizes Dobrzyński in the following way:

In Dobrzyn not a few

Were wise old men, well versed in Latin too,

Who at the bar had practised from their youth;

And some were rich; but of them all in truth

Poor, good Matthias was the most revered,

Not only since his swordsmanship was feared

But as a man of wise and sober plans,

Who knew his country’s history and his clan’s

Well versed alike in law and husbandry

(Book VI: Zaścianek, verses 539-547 English transl. by K. R.Mackenzie, p. 290-291)

 

Irena Jundziłł’s analyses of patriotic education indicated that if a child is reared without grandparents, its knowledge about the second World War and about the war conspiracy is minimal. It is grandparents who constitute a bridge between old and recent times, who provide spiritual communication with ancestors, with values hallowed by generations. This means also transferring mores, traditions of one’s own fatherland, faith, culture and culinary recipes. The older generation, even if "old-fashioned", is a treasury of experience, wisdom and admonitions. It is no wonder then that – as Gloger writes -- "no old Polish beggar went away hungry expelled from a peasant’s house. Old beggars, even if not always moral themselves, when they found themselves in society after a church fair . . . were always moralists." Proverbs too speak about this, for instance "You cannot deceive old sparrows with chaff". Maria Rodziewiczówna in her book "Distaff" (Kądziel) says: "respect the elderly, for they are our only authority and power".

Older men and women are perceived in Polish culture as the embodiment of wisdom and virtues, as models to follow. The greatness and wisdom of the elderly predestined them for the role of "seers", persons able to foretell the future, and advisors. For this reason the nickname "Grandpa" (Dziadek) appears next to the names of prominent persons, such as Kazimierz Lisiecki, a pedagogue, creator of educational centers, and marshal Józef Piłsudski. It is also no wonder that mutual relations between generations are ruled by special forms of courtesy. Even our contemporary women greet elder gentlemen first, even if according to custom it is women that should be greeted first. In the case of grandfathers a special etiquette applied -- kissing hands, even genuflection. These are seated first at the table on prominent seats. These forms of gallantry were binding both in family and in public life.

Social life was also ruled by certain principles of action, in which the attitude towards the elderly held a special place. Antoni Gołubiew describes how the Vikings had the principle of giving permission to speak according to the order of age, and in Mickiewicz’s Pan Tadeusz seats during banquets were distributed according to the age.

The guests went in and stood around the hall.

The Chamberlain took the highest place of all,

By right of age and office; as he passed

He bowed to ladies, old men, young men last.