Medieval women were usually taught to be submissive to their husbands, to honour, listen to, and respect them at all costs. But of course, there were some medieval wives who were not afraid to defy, or even shame their husbands. One such woman was Gryfina of Halych, High Duchess of Poland.
Early Life
Gryfina was probably born in the second half of the 1240s, with 1248 usually being listed as her year of birth. Her parents were Rostislav Mikhailovich, Duke of Macso, and Anna of Hungary. Rostislav had previously been Prince of Halych (in present-day Western Ukraine). He had lost Halych in 1242 and fled to the Hungarian court, where he married Anna, a daughter of King Bela IV of Hungary. In 1247, Bela made him Ban of Slavonia (in present-day Croatia). Rostislav held that post for only a year, and later he became Duke of Macso in present-day Serbia.
The name Gryfina is rare, and is probably a corruption or pet form of the name Agrippina. Very little is known about Gryfina’s childhood. It is not certain if Gryfina was raised in her mother’s Roman Catholicism or her father’s Eastern Orthodoxy. It is possible that she was brought up in the court of her maternal grandfather, King Bela IV of Hungary. Amongst Gryfina’s siblings were Kunigunda, Queen of Bohemia, and an unnamed sister who was twice, but briefly, Queen of Bulgaria.
Marriage
During the thirteenth century, Poland was fragmented into many duchies, ruled by various branches of the royal Piast dynasty. One of these princes would rule over all the others as the High Duke of Poland. Between 1243 and 1279, the High Duke of Poland was Boleslaw V, known as “the Chaste.” He was known by this name because his wife, Kinga of Hungary, wished to remain a virgin, even in marriage, so the couple took a vow of chastity. Due to this, their marriage would obviously be childless. Boleslaw would need to adopt a younger Piast prince as his heir. He chose his first-cousin-once-removed, Leszek, known as “the Black”, and one of his closest relatives in the male line. Leszek was the eldest son of Boleslaw’s first cousin, Casimir I, Duke of Kuyavia. In 1261, due to conflicts with his father and stepmother, Leszek and his full-brother, Ziemomysl, were disinherited from Kuyavia. However, Leszek eventually persuaded his father to grant him a smaller duchy, Sieradz.
In 1265, Boleslaw formally adopted Leszek as his heir. He wanted to bind Leszek even closer to him and keep the Hungarian alliance he had through his wife in place. As a result, Leszek’s chosen bride was Gryfina, Kinga’s niece through her sister, Anna. That same year, Leszek and Gryfina married. Leszek was about twenty-four, and Gryfina, seventeen.
Gryfina’s Marital Problems
In 1271, Gryfina assembled a large number of lords, ladies, knights, and clergy at the Friars’ monastery in Krakow. There, in front of a large number of people, Gryfina pulled her cap off her head, letting her now uncovered hair loose. Throughout most of history, it was customary for married women to cover the tops of their heads, and loose, flowing hair in public was only something young maidens could pass off. Gryfina then stated that despite being married for six years, she remained a virgin because Leszek was impotent. Leszek was present at the meeting and confirmed Gryfina’s accusations with his silence. After this, Gryfina continued to go around with her hair uncovered, openly declaring herself a maiden. She avoided Leszek and tried to seek an annulment of her marriage. Gryfina moved into a Franciscan monastery in Krakow and separated from Leszek for the next four years.
It is sometimes thought that there might have been more to this story than Leszek’s impotence, and that Gryfina’s separation from her husband had political undertones. A war was currently underway between Hungary and Bohemia, and many of the Piast princes were choosing sides. Leszek supported Gryfina’s brother-in-law, King Ottokar II of Bohemia, while High Duke Boleslaw supported Gryfina’s uncle, King Stephen V of Hungary. It is likely that Gryfina wanted to remain loyal to her birthland and family and supported Stephen, unlike Leszek. It is also possible that due to them supporting opposite sides, Boleslaw would remove Leszek from the succession as High Duke. As granddaughter and niece of Hungarian kings, and with her sisters marrying the kings of Bulgaria and Bohemia, Gryfina would remain with Leszek only if he succeeded as High Duke. If he just remained Duke of the small duchy of Sieradz, Gryfina would possibly consider him too low-ranking to be married to her.
In 1275, Boleslaw intervened to reconcile Gryfina and Leszek. On 6 August 1275, Gryfina returned to Leszek in Sieradz. Soon afterwards, Leszek underwent treatments for his impotence. His physician, Nicholas of Poland, had him eat powdered reptiles for treatment. The treatment seemed to work, and the couple was able to consummate their marriage, but apparently, Leszek’s new diet made him repulsive and disgusting to other people. Despite the apparent effectiveness of the treatment, Gryfina never became pregnant.
High Duchess of Poland
Boleslaw V died on 7 December 1279. Since he wished for Leszek to succeed him, the accession went on with little difficulty. Leszek and Gryfina made a ceremonial entry into Krakow, with Gryfina carrying Leszek’s small nephew, another Leszek, in her arms. The presence of this child may have been a clue that Duke Leszek saw him as his heir. The child’s presence could also be a sign of hope that Gryfina and Leszek would have children of their own, something that never happened.
Despite the problems early in their marriage, the later years of Leszek and Gryfina’s marriage seemed to be harmonious. In the Spring of 1285, there was a revolt against Leszek. During this revolt, Gryfina took refuge in Wawel Castle in Krakow, while Leszek went to Hungary to seek assistance from Gryfina’s cousin, Ladislaus IV, who was now king. With the help of the townspeople, Gryfina successfully defended Wawel during her husband’s absence. Soon afterwards, Leszek arrived with reinforcements and was able to drive the rebels out.
In 1287, the Mongols invaded Poland. Gryfina and Leszek fled to Hungary for help. They were sheltered and aided by Gryfina’s cousin, King Ladislaus. The next year, the couple returned to Poland with a combined Hungarian-Polish army. This was successful in driving the Mongols out, and Gryfina and Leszek returned to Krakow. However, this victory would not last for long; Leszek died on 30 September 1288.
Widowhood
After the death of Leszek, several princes claimed the titles High Duke of Poland and Duke of Krakow. They were Henry Probus of Silesia, Przemysl II of Greater Poland, and Wladyslaw of Kuyavia, all from the Piast dynasty. Another claimant was Gryfina’s nephew, King Wenceslaus II of Bohemia, the son of her sister Kunigunda, who died in 1285. Wenceslaus claimed Poland because Gryfina was his aunt. Some later chronicles state that Gryfina issued a forged document that granted the duchy of Kraków to Wenceslaus. It is not certain whether this document existed, but in either case, Gryfina appears to have supported Wenceslaus’ claim. She considered Wladyslaw of Kuyavia, the younger half-brother of her husband, as her main enemy.
Soon after Leszek’s death, Gryfina moved into the monastery of the Poor Clares in Stary Sacz, where her aunt, Kinga of Hungary, was prioress. The next year, Gryfina was veiled as a nun. Kinga died on 24 July 1292, with Gryfina by her side. She then succeeded her aunt as Prioress and Lady of Nowy Sacz.
In 1300, Gryfina moved to her nephew’s kingdom of Bohemia. There, she cared for Wenceslaus’s fiancée, Elizabeth-Richeza of Poland, who was the daughter of Przemysl II, who ruled Poland from 1290 to 1296. Wenceslaus claimed the crown of Poland after Przemysl’s death in 1296 and was crowned King of Poland in 1300.
Wenceslaus granted Gryfina some estates in Bohemia, but she continued to govern Nowy Sacz from afar. Gryfina died between 1303 and 1309 in Prague and was buried at the Convent of Saint Agnes in Prague, beside her sister, Kunigunda.
Today, Gryfina is mostly remembered for her accusations against her husband. However, despite this rocky start to their marriage, the couple seems to have worked closely together in their later years. Gryfina’s story shows that medieval women could indeed speak out against their husbands, and people would listen to them.
Sources
Bortacka, Gabriela; “Gryfina of Halych did not mince her words. Who was the woman who publicly called the Prince impotent?” on twojahistoria.pl
Foryt; Artur; “Leszek the Black, Gryfina of Halych and Master Nicholas’s ‘Snake Cure’” on astrahistoria.pl
Ogrodnik-Fujcik, Katarzyna; “A Lady with Character. Wife of Leszek the Black-Gryfina of Halych.” on historiaposzukaj.pl
Teler, Marek; “‘The Virgin Against Her Will.’ This is one of the most rebellious duchesses in Polish history.” on national-geographic.pl
“Gryfina Rurikowiczona” wladcy.myslenice.net.pl
“Leszek the Black and the most famous social scandal of Piast Poland.” on polskieradio24.pl
“The Story of Gryfina of Halych: A Schemer Who Became a Nun.” on informacje.wp.pl
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