Agafia of Rus
Encyclopedia
Agafia Svyatoslavna of Rus (born between 1190 and 1195 – after 31 August 1247/2 June 1248) was Princess of Mazovia by her marriage and was a member of the Rurikid dynasty.
and his wife Yaroslava Rurikovna, a daughter of prince Rurik Rostislavich of Belgorod
.
Between 1207 and 1210, Agafia arrived in Poland
to marry Konrad I of Masovia
. The marriage was for political reasons, as her father had become an ally of Leszek I the White
and wanted to improve relations with the Polish nobility. Agafia and Konrad were married for at least thirty years.
Agafia was very supportive of bringing about the draft of the Teutonic Order. These efforts were successful and in 1227 the couple were greeted by Herman Balka, who brought the first knights. In 1239 there was a crime that involved Agafia's family. It started when their son Casimir married Constance, daughter of Henry II the Pious
. John Heron, who had been good to the family and had educated Agafia and Konrad's sons, had shown disobedience towards Casimir after his marriage to Constance, John probably also disapproved over Konrad's rule in Plock
. John was found guilty and put to death. He was tortured and then had a public hanging. Jan Dlugosz wrote: "And when he died his body was removed from the gallows and several brothers of a Dominican took him away to be buried. Since Agafia was involved in the conviction, she is now considered so blood thirsty, she became known as the second Jezebel. John was not buried, Agafia and Konrad had him hung in the Cathedral of Plock. The couple were also said to be cursed by Archbishop of Gniezno.
The news of the murder spread rapidly across the country. Archbishop Pelka placed a curse on Conrad and Agafię and laid an inderdict on Masovia. The church bells were silent over Masovia and the citizens did not go to celebrate mass
; there were also no funerals or weddings. Conrad was now running out of friends and had lost the faith of his subjects. Conrad went to Lowicz Gniezno Cathedral and obtained forgiveness for himself and Agafia.
There is a plate displayed in Plock
, which has Agafia, her husband and eldest two sons on it.
We do not know the exact date of death for Agafia. We know that she did outlive Konrad, who died 31 August 1247.
It is believed that Agafia was buried at the Cathedral of Plock.
Life
Agafia was the daughter of Svyatoslav III IgorevichSvyatoslav III Igorevich
Svyatoslav III Igorevich was a Rus' prince . His baptismal name was Adrian. He was prince of Peremyshl , and of Volodymyr-Volynskyi .-His early life:...
and his wife Yaroslava Rurikovna, a daughter of prince Rurik Rostislavich of Belgorod
Rurik Rostislavich
Ruryk Rostislavich , Prince of Novgorod , Belgorod Kievsky, presently Bilohorodka , Grand Prince of Kiev , Prince of Chernigov...
.
Between 1207 and 1210, Agafia arrived in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
to marry Konrad I of Masovia
Konrad I of Masovia
Konrad I of Masovia , from the Polish Piast dynasty, was the sixth Duke of Masovia from 1194 until his death and High Duke of Poland from 1229 to 1232.-Life:...
. The marriage was for political reasons, as her father had become an ally of Leszek I the White
Leszek I the White
Leszek I the White , also listed by some sources as Leszek II the White, was Prince of Sandomierz and High Duke of Poland from 1194 until his death, except for the short periods following when he was deposed as Polish ruler...
and wanted to improve relations with the Polish nobility. Agafia and Konrad were married for at least thirty years.
Agafia was very supportive of bringing about the draft of the Teutonic Order. These efforts were successful and in 1227 the couple were greeted by Herman Balka, who brought the first knights. In 1239 there was a crime that involved Agafia's family. It started when their son Casimir married Constance, daughter of Henry II the Pious
Henry II the Pious
Henry II the Pious , of the Silesian line of the Piast dynasty was Duke of Silesia at Wrocław and Duke of Kraków and thus High Duke of all Poland as well as Duke of Southern Greater Poland from 1238 until his death. During 1238–1239 he also served as a regent of two other Piast duchies: Sandomierz...
. John Heron, who had been good to the family and had educated Agafia and Konrad's sons, had shown disobedience towards Casimir after his marriage to Constance, John probably also disapproved over Konrad's rule in Plock
Plock
Płock is a city in central Poland, on the Vistula river. According to the data provided by GUS on 30 June 2009 there were 126,675 inhabitants. It is located in the Masovian Voivodeship , having previously been the capital of the Płock Voivodeship . It now is a capital of a Powiat at the extreme...
. John was found guilty and put to death. He was tortured and then had a public hanging. Jan Dlugosz wrote: "And when he died his body was removed from the gallows and several brothers of a Dominican took him away to be buried. Since Agafia was involved in the conviction, she is now considered so blood thirsty, she became known as the second Jezebel. John was not buried, Agafia and Konrad had him hung in the Cathedral of Plock. The couple were also said to be cursed by Archbishop of Gniezno.
The news of the murder spread rapidly across the country. Archbishop Pelka placed a curse on Conrad and Agafię and laid an inderdict on Masovia. The church bells were silent over Masovia and the citizens did not go to celebrate mass
Mass
Mass can be defined as a quantitive measure of the resistance an object has to change in its velocity.In physics, mass commonly refers to any of the following three properties of matter, which have been shown experimentally to be equivalent:...
; there were also no funerals or weddings. Conrad was now running out of friends and had lost the faith of his subjects. Conrad went to Lowicz Gniezno Cathedral and obtained forgiveness for himself and Agafia.
There is a plate displayed in Plock
Plock
Płock is a city in central Poland, on the Vistula river. According to the data provided by GUS on 30 June 2009 there were 126,675 inhabitants. It is located in the Masovian Voivodeship , having previously been the capital of the Płock Voivodeship . It now is a capital of a Powiat at the extreme...
, which has Agafia, her husband and eldest two sons on it.
We do not know the exact date of death for Agafia. We know that she did outlive Konrad, who died 31 August 1247.
It is believed that Agafia was buried at the Cathedral of Plock.
Children
Agafia and Konrad the following children:- Boleslaw I of Masovia (c. 1210–17 April 1248), Duke of Mazovia (1247–1248)
- Casimir I of KuyaviaCasimir I of KuyaviaCasimir I of Kuyavia was Prince of Kujawy, Mazovia and Wielkopolska, from 1233 until his death. He was the son of Konrad I of Masovia, King of Poland, and his wife Agafia of Rus.- Life :...
(born between 1210 and 1213 – died 14 Dec 1267) Prince of KuyaviaKuyaviaKujawy , is a historical and ethnographic region in the north-central Poland, situated in the basin of the middle Vistula and upper Noteć Rivers, with its capital in Włocławek.-Etymology:The origin of the name Kujawy was seen differently in history...
(1247–1267) - Siemowit I of Masovia (c. 1213–24 June 1262), succeeded eldest brother as Duke of Mazovia (1248–1262)
- Eudoxia (1215–1240) - The wife of Count Breny I of Wettin
- Ludmila (born before 1225)
- Ziemomysł (born between 1216 and 4 Jul 1228 Died between 10 July and 18 September 1241)
- Salomea (born between 1220 and 1225 died after 30 August 1268), nun
- Judith (born between 1222 and 1227Died. 4 Dec between 1257 and 1263) - married firstly to Mieszko II the FatMieszko II the FatMieszko II the Fat was a Duke of Opole-Racibórz since 1230 until his death, and Duke of Kalisz-Wieluń during 1234–1239 ....
. Secondly to Henry III the White - Dubrawka (c. 1230–1265)
- Mieszko (b. 1235), died in infancy.