| Kur | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Battle cry | Kur |
| Alternative name(s) | Kur Biały, Kokot |
| Earliest mention | 1496 |
| Families | |
| Cities | Kurów,Kurozwęki,Oława |
| Divisions | Kurkowszczyzna |
Kur is aPolish coat of arms. It was used by severalnoble families forming aClan of Kur in the times of theKingdom of Poland and thePolish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. It is noted during the reign of theJagiellon dynasty and illustrated with its original name in the work ofBartosz Paprocki "Herby Rycerstwa Polskiego" in 1584.[1] Furthermore, it is published in the work of Szymon Okolski[2] in 1641.[3] and several other publications[4][5][6]
The Kur coat of arms have also been used before Jagiellon dynasty time inPoland under alternative nameKokoty, which can be seen in the court documents holding stamps of the CoA, signed by the judge Szyban von Der (from Der of Misni) between 1287 and 1311 in the court ofHenry III, prince ofGłogów.[7] The person of Szyban von Der have been incorrectly identified by Franciszek Piekosinski[8] as Szyban Tadera of theGryf coat of arms, thecastellan of Swiny.[9]
The most notable member of theClan of Kur wasMikołaj Kiczka,[10][11][12] theArchdeacon ofGniezno and one of the most trusted procurators to the KingWładysław Jagiełło. On behalf of the king, he negotiated with theTeutonic Knights to establish borders delineation with Poland inRome 1421–1422 in presence of thePope Martin V.
Families of the Clan of Kur were in the medieval times of same origin. The clan and its land is closely connected to theMazovia region of Poland. Although nobility Mazovia received equal rights as in the rest of Poland, it retained independent status until 1529, whenSigismund I the Old incorporated Mazovia into the Polish state. Outside the Mazovia region, the clan members are also found in other regions of the Commonwealth, includingSilesia,Podlaskie Voivodeship andLublin.
The Kur coat of arms and itsbattle cry is noted in Polish heraldry in 1496. Earlier notes confirming graphic form of the CoA but without battle cry are from year 1300.[13]
The notes of 1496[14] tells about the KingJohn I Albert that created this coat of arms for the Kur family. The date is close to thePiotrków privilege from 1493 and the confirmation of the ruling house byKonrad III Rudy,duke of Masovia. The Piotrków privilege made the Masovian nobility equal to Polish in rights which explain that the documents regarding the Clan of Kur is not act of nobility but act of equal rights. Before adding Kur coat of arms to Polish heraldry 1496, the name was known asKokoty and is noted in court documents referring toMikołaj Kiczka in 1426.[15] Late appearance of the Kur coat of arms in Polish heraldry is explained by the tradition in Masovia that formed coat of arms in European style later than in other parts of Poland. In Europe, the symbol of the Kur coat of arms is well known from ancient years, it origin from Italy where it can be found under the nameGallo[16] and later made its way through France, Spain, Netherlands, Scotland and Poland.
The legend tells that the Kur coat of arms have been given to the knight for service and for saving King's camp during military campaign. The night have been alert during the night and spotted sudden enemy attack and by that saving the king's life. The legend has been written down bySzymon Okolski in his work ofOrbis Polonus Splendoribus Coeli... in 1641–1643. This is also recalled in the book ofKasper Niesiecki.[17]
First notes about the Clan of Kur are dated to year 1239 and are to be found in the Codex Diplomaticus ofPłock.[18] Documents tell about property of Dojazdowo that was purchased by a knight namedKur.[19]
The symbolics ofRooster in coat of arms as well as the color of the shield are to be found in both Christian as in pagan cultures and refer to similar values: manhood, courage and vigilance, red color of the shield means energy, enthusiasm and blood. The gold in the coat of arms tell about richness and inner value of the soul. InAncient Greece a Rooster was together with the owl symbol of the bird ofGoddess of the Athen.[20]
Most of the families that use Kur as their coat of arms lived in the Duchy ofMazovia, mostly in the counties ofOstrołęka,Wołomin includingStanisławów and in the east part ofGrand Duchy of Lithuania. Families related to Clan of Kur often have surnames that refer to the origin of the Clan, such as Kur,Kurek, Kurski, Kurzewski, Kurak, Kurakowski, Kurowski, Kurzecki, Kurzyk or Kurzyna. Most of those families share an ancestor, a knight named Kur who lived in Mazovia in the 12th or 13th century. The etymology of the wordKur has been described in several publications.[21][22] Other families that belong to the Clan of Kur are families of Karszeński (Karszański), Horodyński, Bosowski, Szaprowski, Kokot,Kiczka, Gall, Kazimierski and count Oppersdorff that received noble rights in Poland and was adopted to the Clan of Kur.[23] Count Oppersdorff[24] received recognition for his support to the Polish side in the war against Sweden during the time of theDeluge and for offering shelter to the Polish king and his wife in his castle during 1655.
Gules a cock Argent, armed Or. Crest: as in the shield.
Notable bearers of this coat of arms include:
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