Stibor of Stiboricz
Encyclopedia
Stibor of Stiboricz of Ostoja coat of arms (cca. 1348 – February 1414) was an aristocrat of Polish
origin in the Kingdom of Hungary
. He was a close friend of King Sigismund of Hungary
who appointed him to several offices during his reign. For instance, between 1395 and 1401, then from 1409 to 1414 he was the voivode of Transylvania
(now in Romania). Stibor styled himself "Lord of the whole Váh
", referring to his properties along the 409-km-long river (in present-day Slovakia) where 15 of his 31 castles were situated.
whose possession were located around Bydgoszcz in Greater Poland
; his father was Mościc, Voivode of Gniewkowo
. Stibor arrived to the Kingdom of Hungary during the reign of King Louis I who inherited also the title of King of Poland (1370–1382). Following the king's death (10 September 1382), the Dowager Queen Elisabeth
, who governed the two kingdoms in the name of his daughters, made Stibor the governor of Kuyavia
and Łęczyca in Poland in 1383. Around this time, Stibor became the close friend of Margrave Sigismund of Brandenburg
(the future king of Hungary and later also german emperor), the fiancé of Queen Mary of Hungary
, who had been living in the Hungarian court since 1379.
However, Sigismund could seize the government of Hungary only when the queen and her mother were captured by some rebellious barons (25 July 1386) and appointed Stibor to his Master of the Court. Following his coronation (31 March 1387), King Sigismund entrusted Stibor with the government of Galicia (a province under the supremacy of the kings of Hungary at that time), because the Hungarian "prelates and barons" had persuaded him to promise that he would not employ foreigners in his household. Nevertheless, King Sigismund granted Stibor Beckov Castle
(1388) and Uhrovec
(1389) Castles (today Beckovský hrad and Uhrovec, respectively, in Slovakia
).
(Slov.) of the Counties Pozsony (1389), Trencsén and Nyitra (1392). In 1390 he received castles and properties in Vigvar, Torbag and Modor and in 1392 Stibor was granted the possession of land and castles of Csejte
, Holics
(today Čachtice and Holíč in Slovakia
), Berencs
, Detrekő
, Éleskő, Jókő
, Zavar
, Csejta and Korlátkő respectively, in Slovakia. Few years later he expanded his small empire with castles and properities in Dioś
, Szomolya
, Szent Vid, Suran, Maniga, Baganya, Zuk, Kreesztes, Rarkov, Bary, Koszonic, Rakovitz, Tatkolch, Ratkolch, Ilkaman, and Dévény in Nitra and Presburg counties. Altogether Stibor of Stiboricz was in possession of 31 castles and over 300 towns and villages which at the time was half of western Slovakia of today.
In 1395, a foreign delegate mentioned that Stibor and the Archbishop John Kanizsai of Esztergom
were the king's most influential advisors. King Sigismund's decree, issued in October 1397 upon the request of the Estates
assembled in Temesvár
(today Timişoara in Romania
), prohibited the employment of foreigners in the royal administration, but Stibor, mentioned by name, was one of the few foreigners the decree was not to be applied.
However, Stibor assisted his relatives to acquire offices and possessions in Hungary, which produced envy amongst the king's other followers. When he had left for Brzeg
to follow the king's fiancée, Margarete to Hungary, his opponents, led by the Archbishop John Kanizsai and the Palatine Detre Bebek, demanded that the king should dismiss his foreign advisers. When the king refused to comply with their demands, they brought him into captivity and deprived Stibor of his offices (28 April 1401). Stibor (and the king's other advisers of foreign origin) would have been ready even to renounce the possession of most of their castles, and finally, the members of the royal council set the king free (29 October 1401). Stibor remained the king's major adviser and he could maintain his possessions, as well. Shortly afterward, Stibor led the negotiations with the Teutonic Knights
who bought the Neumark
(in the Margraviate of Brandenburg
) from King Sigismund (25 July 1402).
In the first months of 1403, the some aristocrats, led by the Archbishop John Kanizsai, offered the crown to King Ladislaus of Naples against King Sigismund. Stibor recruited mercenaries, invaded the north-western parts of the kingdom and defeated the rebels' troops. The parties made an agreement under which the rebels accepted the king's rule and they were granted a royal pardon (29 October 1403). Shortly afterward, the king appointed him to the head of Nyitra county. He was also entrusted to govern the possessions of the Achdiocese of Esztergom and the Diocese of Eger (1405).
. Stibor was among the first members of the Order of the Dragon
founded by King Sigismund and his Queen Barbara of Celje
(1408). In 1409, he was appointed again to the office of the Voivode of Transylvania and he also became the head of Trencsén county.
In May 1410, King Sigismund entrusted him and the Palatine Nicholas I Garay
to mediate between the Teutonic Knights and King Władysław II of Poland
. When the negotiations failed and the war broke out, Stibor led the Hungarian armies against Poland and burned down few properties in Stary Sącz
county, returning shortly after that back to Hungary, fulfilling minimum of the obligations promised to the Teutonic Knights. At the end of 1411, he was one of the leaders of King Sigismund's troops fighting against the Venetian Republic in Friuli
.
Before his death, he set up a collegiate chapter
for Augustinians
in Vágújhely
(today Nové Mesto nad Váhom in Slovakia).
- from Radio Slovakia International
Citation:
"Becko is a Slovak Yorick. Everybody knows him and his wit is renowned. Thanks to his skills he’s achieved eternal fame with one of the most famous castle ruins bearing his name. Who was he? What is his story?
There is a hill close to the castle. At one time a chateux stood there. As the surrounding woods are populated by deer, it was a very popular place with the nobility. One of the noblemen, by the name of Stibor, was always accompanied by his jester, Becko. As he entertained the men very well, Stibor offered him a deal. He could ask for anything he wanted. Becko asked his master to build a castle on the hill by the end of the year. Everybody who passed the hill had to help build the fortress for 8 days, and so Stibor managed to keep his promise. Becko became the master of this place for a year. As the castle was in a strategic position, Stibor asked Becko to leave it. Again, the jester was told to ask for anything he wanted. "Give me as much gold as I weigh," said Becko. He asked for yet one more thing, that the castle be named after him. At the farewell party, Becko took a bag full of gold coins and left to seek his happiness elsewhere.
The whole story was invented, because at the time of Stibor’s reign Beckov castle had already been built. Similarly, the name of the ruin doesn’t originate in the name of the jester, which is an old Hungarian word meaning fool. Quoting the opinion of Slovak historians, the name Beckov is closely related with the word "bludinec", which once described a labyrinthine place.
The labyrinth could have been formed by the swamps that appeared when the river Vah flooded the area. So the castle is much older according to the historian Mrs Dvorakova. Stibor of Stiborice entered into his service to Hungarian kings in the second half of the 14th century. He became one of the most favoured noblemen at the court of Zigmund of Luxembourg. Stibor came into much property under this reign. According to the legend, Stibor was very cruel and showed no mercy towards his servants.
The noblemen took their dogs hunting. After satisfying their appetite, the hunters threw the leftovers to the animals. A boy, a servant's son, came to see his father during one of the hunts. As he was hungry, the boy tried to steal a piece of meat from a dog. This made the dog aggressive. The father of the boy killed it whilst defending his child. Stibor became angry with the man and threw him from the top of the castle hill. As the servant was falling, he shouted out: In a year and a day! Stibor forgot about the curse. In a year's time, his son was getting married. Stibor got drunk and took a nap on a castle terrace. A snake suddenly appeared and bit Stibor in the eye. The wounded master jumped up in shock and ran to the end of the terrace. He fell from the same spot as the servant had done.
How is it then possible that such a cruel legend was created? It seems people mixed up the characters of the nobleman and his son, who was, according to medieval documents, a really vicious person. The stories about Stibor's character and the foundation of the castle might not correspond to real events, however there are some elements in the legend that make one wonder how things looked in the courts of the Hungarian nobility.
The first element - feasts.
It was important to impress the guests with the number and variety of dishes served, since this indicated the status of the host. The noblemen took great care in organizing feasts. A popular decoration on the festive table was a swan and many different kinds of meat. It is well known that many kings and noblemen suffered from gout, a typical royal disease. It was caused by the over consumption of meat.
At that time, a lot of meat was eaten. Whether it was pork, venison, pheasant or beef, it was all eaten up. The etiquette of the time permitted eating with hands. Most of the time a piece of bread was dipped into gravy or it was used as a table mat under a piece of meat. When they finished eating, the greasy bread was thrown to the dogs. Do you remember the little boy who stole a piece of meat from a dog?
The second element - dogs:
Dogs were mainly used for hunting since this was the main sport and entertainment of the noble men. It trained people to fight in battles. Boys and girls alike were trained in this way. Dogs were bred at the courts just for hunting. They were very valuable and were imported to medieval Hungary from abroad. These animals were an integrated part of castle social life. They can be spotted in every historical picture painted during that time.
The brutal violent acts of the legend were caused by alcohol, the third element.
The nobility mostly drank wine. However, wine drunk during feasts was not as strong as what we drink today as it was watered down. But it is a common fact that lots of alcohol was consumed. Even a century later when Beatrix of Aragon came to Upper Hungary she was shocked by the amount of alcohol consumption and by the horrible way in which the festivities were held. She had arrived from civilized Italy so she experienced a culture shock when she took part in the feasts at a Hungarian court for the first time.
And what about the main character of our story? Did the jester Becko exist?
Duke Stibor definitely had jesters at his court but it is really difficult to say for sure that a jester named Becko existed. We are not certain about his existence. But it seems he did not.
Despite historical true the legend depicts the founding of Beckov castle so vividly that every single person in Slovakia knows it almost off by heart. The Slovak Yorick is eternal however different the reality was".
and Germany
.
Stibor of Stiboricz's two brothers (Andrew and Nicholas) and their sons also held high offices and plenty of land and castles in the Kingdom of Hungary. They also hold land and castles in Poland although it was not of the same size compared to the properties that family owned in the north region of the Kingdom of Hungary
(in the actual Slovakia
). Most of the family, the Clan of Ostoja
, was mainly living in Poland.
Poles
thumb|right|180px|The state flag of [[Poland]] as used by Polish government and diplomatic authoritiesThe Polish people, or Poles , are a nation indigenous to Poland. They are united by the Polish language, which belongs to the historical Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages of Central Europe...
origin in the Kingdom of Hungary
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary comprised present-day Hungary, Slovakia and Croatia , Transylvania , Carpatho Ruthenia , Vojvodina , Burgenland , and other smaller territories surrounding present-day Hungary's borders...
. He was a close friend of King Sigismund of Hungary
Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor
Sigismund of Luxemburg KG was King of Hungary, of Croatia from 1387 to 1437, of Bohemia from 1419, and Holy Roman Emperor for four years from 1433 until 1437, the last Emperor of the House of Luxemburg. He was also King of Italy from 1431, and of Germany from 1411...
who appointed him to several offices during his reign. For instance, between 1395 and 1401, then from 1409 to 1414 he was the voivode of Transylvania
Transylvania
Transylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical...
(now in Romania). Stibor styled himself "Lord of the whole Váh
Váh
The Váh is the longest river in entire Slovakia. A left tributary of the Danube river, the Váh is 406 km long, including its Čierny Váh branch...
", referring to his properties along the 409-km-long river (in present-day Slovakia) where 15 of his 31 castles were situated.
Early career
Stibor descended from a Polish noble family of the Clan of OstojaClan of Ostoja
The Clan of Ostoja was a powerful group of Knights and Lords in late medieval Europe. The clan encompassed several families in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Upper Hungary , Hungary, Transylvania, Belorus, Ukraine and Prussia....
whose possession were located around Bydgoszcz in Greater Poland
Greater Poland
Greater Poland or Great Poland, often known by its Polish name Wielkopolska is a historical region of west-central Poland. Its chief city is Poznań.The boundaries of Greater Poland have varied somewhat throughout history...
; his father was Mościc, Voivode of Gniewkowo
Gniewkowo
Gniewkowo is a town in Inowrocław County, Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland with a population of 7,301 .- Location :Gniewkowo is located to the south of the Bydgoszcz forest on route 52, 15 km northeast of Inowrocław and 23 km southwest of Toruń.- History :Archaeological...
. Stibor arrived to the Kingdom of Hungary during the reign of King Louis I who inherited also the title of King of Poland (1370–1382). Following the king's death (10 September 1382), the Dowager Queen Elisabeth
Elisabeth of Bosnia
Elizabeth of Bosnia was Queen of Hungary from 1353 until 1382 and Queen of Poland from 1370 until 1382 as the second wife of King Louis the Great. After her tenure as queen consort, Elizabeth served as regent for her daughter Mary.As queen consort, Elizabeth was overshadowed by her domineering...
, who governed the two kingdoms in the name of his daughters, made Stibor the governor of Kuyavia
Kuyavia
Kujawy , 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...
and Łęczyca in Poland in 1383. Around this time, Stibor became the close friend of Margrave Sigismund of Brandenburg
Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor
Sigismund of Luxemburg KG was King of Hungary, of Croatia from 1387 to 1437, of Bohemia from 1419, and Holy Roman Emperor for four years from 1433 until 1437, the last Emperor of the House of Luxemburg. He was also King of Italy from 1431, and of Germany from 1411...
(the future king of Hungary and later also german emperor), the fiancé of Queen Mary of Hungary
Mary of Hungary
Mary of Anjou was queen regnant of Hungary from 1382 until her death in 1395.-Childhood:...
, who had been living in the Hungarian court since 1379.
However, Sigismund could seize the government of Hungary only when the queen and her mother were captured by some rebellious barons (25 July 1386) and appointed Stibor to his Master of the Court. Following his coronation (31 March 1387), King Sigismund entrusted Stibor with the government of Galicia (a province under the supremacy of the kings of Hungary at that time), because the Hungarian "prelates and barons" had persuaded him to promise that he would not employ foreigners in his household. Nevertheless, King Sigismund granted Stibor Beckov Castle
Beckov Castle
Beckov Castle is a castle in ruins located near the village of Beckov in Nové Mesto nad Váhom District, Trenčín Region, western Slovakia.It is a natural cultural monument and its present appearance is the result of renovations in the last quarter of the 20th century and since 2002.-Great...
(1388) and Uhrovec
Uhrovec
Uhrovec is a village and municipality in the Bánovce nad Bebravou District of the Trenčín Region of Slovakia.-Geography:The village lies at an altitude of 258 metres and covers an area of 22.95km². It has a population of 1478 people...
(1389) Castles (today Beckovský hrad and Uhrovec, respectively, in Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
).
The king's advisor
Stibor was granted the ius indigenatus (the right to hold offices) and became the head (ispán)(Hung.) or županZupan
Żupan was a long garment, always lined, worn by almost all males of the noble social class in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, typical male attire from the beginning of the 16th to half of the 18th century, still surviving as a part of the Polishnational dress.- Derivation :The name żupan has...
(Slov.) of the Counties Pozsony (1389), Trencsén and Nyitra (1392). In 1390 he received castles and properties in Vigvar, Torbag and Modor and in 1392 Stibor was granted the possession of land and castles of Csejte
Cachtice
Čachtice is a village in Nové Mesto nad Váhom District in western Slovakia with a population of 3,630 .The village is situated between the Danubian Lowland and the Little Carpathians. It is best known for the ruins of the nearby Čachtice Castle, home of Elizabeth Báthory who is alleged to be the...
, Holics
Holíc
Holíč is a town in western Slovakia.-History:The oldest archaeological findings are from the Neolithic, and there are findings from the Bronze Age, Iron Age and the Roman time. The town was first mentioned in 1205 as Wywar, meaning "New Castle". The Árpád dynasty built a stone castle after Mongol...
(today Čachtice and Holíč in Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
), Berencs
Branc
Branč is a village and municipality in the Nitra District in western centralSlovakia, in the Nitra Region.-Geography:The village lies at an altitude of 137 metres and covers an area of 13.808 km²...
, Detrekő
Plavec
Plaveč is a village and municipality in Stará Ľubovňa District in the Prešov Region of northern Slovakia.-History:In historical records the village was first mentioned in 1287. The ruins of the 13th century Plaveč Castle lie above the town, after a fire in 1856. -Geography:The municipality lies at...
, Éleskő, Jókő
Dobrá Voda
Dobrá Voda is a municipality of Trnava District in the Trnava region of Slovakia.-External links:*http://www.statistics.sk/mosmis/eng/run.html...
, Zavar
Zavar
Zavar is a village and municipality of Trnava District in the Trnava region of Slovakia.-External links:*http://www.statistics.sk/mosmis/eng/run.html*http://www.zavar.sk/...
, Csejta and Korlátkő respectively, in Slovakia. Few years later he expanded his small empire with castles and properities in Dioś
Dios
Dios may refer to:* Dios, Spanish for God* Dios , an Argentine band* Dios, a character in Terry Pratchett's Discworld novel series* dios , a rock band from Hawthorne, California, formerly known as "dios"...
, Szomolya
Szomolya
- External links :* *...
, Szent Vid, Suran, Maniga, Baganya, Zuk, Kreesztes, Rarkov, Bary, Koszonic, Rakovitz, Tatkolch, Ratkolch, Ilkaman, and Dévény in Nitra and Presburg counties. Altogether Stibor of Stiboricz was in possession of 31 castles and over 300 towns and villages which at the time was half of western Slovakia of today.
In 1395, a foreign delegate mentioned that Stibor and the Archbishop John Kanizsai of Esztergom
Esztergom
Esztergom , is a city in northern Hungary, 46 km north-west of the capital Budapest. It lies in Komárom-Esztergom county, on the right bank of the river Danube, which forms the border with Slovakia there....
were the king's most influential advisors. King Sigismund's decree, issued in October 1397 upon the request of the Estates
Estates of the realm
The Estates of the realm were the broad social orders of the hierarchically conceived society, recognized in the Middle Ages and Early Modern period in Christian Europe; they are sometimes distinguished as the three estates: the clergy, the nobility, and commoners, and are often referred to by...
assembled in Temesvár
Timisoara
Timișoara is the capital city of Timiș County, in western Romania. One of the largest Romanian cities, with an estimated population of 311,586 inhabitants , and considered the informal capital city of the historical region of Banat, Timișoara is the main social, economic and cultural center in the...
(today Timişoara in Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
), prohibited the employment of foreigners in the royal administration, but Stibor, mentioned by name, was one of the few foreigners the decree was not to be applied.
However, Stibor assisted his relatives to acquire offices and possessions in Hungary, which produced envy amongst the king's other followers. When he had left for Brzeg
Brzeg
Brzeg is a town in southwestern Poland with 38,496 inhabitants , situated in Silesia in the Opole Voivodeship on the left bank of the Oder...
to follow the king's fiancée, Margarete to Hungary, his opponents, led by the Archbishop John Kanizsai and the Palatine Detre Bebek, demanded that the king should dismiss his foreign advisers. When the king refused to comply with their demands, they brought him into captivity and deprived Stibor of his offices (28 April 1401). Stibor (and the king's other advisers of foreign origin) would have been ready even to renounce the possession of most of their castles, and finally, the members of the royal council set the king free (29 October 1401). Stibor remained the king's major adviser and he could maintain his possessions, as well. Shortly afterward, Stibor led the negotiations with the Teutonic Knights
Teutonic Knights
The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem , commonly the Teutonic Order , is a German medieval military order, in modern times a purely religious Catholic order...
who bought the Neumark
Neumark
Neumark comprised a region of the Prussian province of Brandenburg, Germany.Neumark may also refer to:* Neumark, Thuringia* Neumark, Saxony* Neumark * Nowe Miasto Lubawskie or Neumark, a town in Poland, situated at river Drwęca...
(in the Margraviate of Brandenburg
Margraviate of Brandenburg
The Margraviate of Brandenburg was a major principality of the Holy Roman Empire from 1157 to 1806. Also known as the March of Brandenburg , it played a pivotal role in the history of Germany and Central Europe....
) from King Sigismund (25 July 1402).
In the first months of 1403, the some aristocrats, led by the Archbishop John Kanizsai, offered the crown to King Ladislaus of Naples against King Sigismund. Stibor recruited mercenaries, invaded the north-western parts of the kingdom and defeated the rebels' troops. The parties made an agreement under which the rebels accepted the king's rule and they were granted a royal pardon (29 October 1403). Shortly afterward, the king appointed him to the head of Nyitra county. He was also entrusted to govern the possessions of the Achdiocese of Esztergom and the Diocese of Eger (1405).
His last years
In 1407, he fought in BosniaBosnia (region)
Bosnia is a eponomous region of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It lies mainly in the Dinaric Alps, ranging to the southern borders of the Pannonian plain, with the rivers Sava and Drina marking its northern and eastern borders. The other eponomous region, the southern, other half of the country is...
. Stibor was among the first members of the Order of the Dragon
Order of the Dragon
The Order of the Dragon was a monarchical chivalric order for selected nobility,founded in 1408 by Sigismund, King of Hungary and later Holy Roman Emperor The Order of the Dragon (Latin Societas Draconistrarum) was a monarchical chivalric order for selected nobility,founded in 1408 by Sigismund,...
founded by King Sigismund and his Queen Barbara of Celje
Barbara of Celje
Barbara of Cilli was the spouse of Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund and as such Holy Roman Empress. She was by marriage also Queen of Hungary and Bohemia and also Holy Roman Empress. She received the sobriquet "Messalina of Germany" for her political intrigues, and was instrumental in creating the...
(1408). In 1409, he was appointed again to the office of the Voivode of Transylvania and he also became the head of Trencsén county.
In May 1410, King Sigismund entrusted him and the Palatine Nicholas I Garay
Nicholas I Garay
Nicholas I Garay , Croatia of Gorjani/Gara, form city Đakovo, the chief governor of Bratislava, was a palatine to the King of Hungary . He was Palatine of Pozsony and he was Count of Pozsony ; Count of Baranya ; and Duke of Mаčva...
to mediate between the Teutonic Knights and King Władysław II of Poland
Jogaila
Jogaila, later 'He is known under a number of names: ; ; . See also: Jogaila : names and titles. was Grand Duke of Lithuania , king consort of Kingdom of Poland , and sole King of Poland . He ruled in Lithuania from 1377, at first with his uncle Kęstutis...
. When the negotiations failed and the war broke out, Stibor led the Hungarian armies against Poland and burned down few properties in Stary Sącz
Stary Sacz
Stary Sącz - is a town in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, Poland, seat of the municipality Stary Sącz. It's a one of the oldest towns in Poland, founded in 13th century.- Geography :...
county, returning shortly after that back to Hungary, fulfilling minimum of the obligations promised to the Teutonic Knights. At the end of 1411, he was one of the leaders of King Sigismund's troops fighting against the Venetian Republic in Friuli
Friuli
Friuli is an area of northeastern Italy with its own particular cultural and historical identity. It comprises the major part of the autonomous region Friuli-Venezia Giulia, i.e. the province of Udine, Pordenone, Gorizia, excluding Trieste...
.
Before his death, he set up a collegiate chapter
Chapter
Chapter, as an organizational class title, may refer to:* A main division of a piece of writing or document, as a Chapter and a chapter in legislation...
for Augustinians
Augustinians
The term Augustinians, named after Saint Augustine of Hippo , applies to two separate and unrelated types of Catholic religious orders:...
in Vágújhely
Nové Mesto nad Váhom
Nové Mesto nad Váhom is a town in the Trenčín Region of Slovakia.- Geography :District town located at the northern edge of the Danubian Hills at the foothills of the northern end of the White Carpathians, on the Váh river. Other mountains nearby are the White Carpathians and the Považský Inovec...
(today Nové Mesto nad Váhom in Slovakia).
The legend
Becko is a Slovak YorickYorick
Yorick is the deceased court jester whose skull is exhumed by the gravedigger in Act 5, Scene 1, of William Shakespeare's Hamlet.Yorick may also refer to:* Yorick...
- from Radio Slovakia International
Citation:
"Becko is a Slovak Yorick. Everybody knows him and his wit is renowned. Thanks to his skills he’s achieved eternal fame with one of the most famous castle ruins bearing his name. Who was he? What is his story?
There is a hill close to the castle. At one time a chateux stood there. As the surrounding woods are populated by deer, it was a very popular place with the nobility. One of the noblemen, by the name of Stibor, was always accompanied by his jester, Becko. As he entertained the men very well, Stibor offered him a deal. He could ask for anything he wanted. Becko asked his master to build a castle on the hill by the end of the year. Everybody who passed the hill had to help build the fortress for 8 days, and so Stibor managed to keep his promise. Becko became the master of this place for a year. As the castle was in a strategic position, Stibor asked Becko to leave it. Again, the jester was told to ask for anything he wanted. "Give me as much gold as I weigh," said Becko. He asked for yet one more thing, that the castle be named after him. At the farewell party, Becko took a bag full of gold coins and left to seek his happiness elsewhere.
The whole story was invented, because at the time of Stibor’s reign Beckov castle had already been built. Similarly, the name of the ruin doesn’t originate in the name of the jester, which is an old Hungarian word meaning fool. Quoting the opinion of Slovak historians, the name Beckov is closely related with the word "bludinec", which once described a labyrinthine place.
The labyrinth could have been formed by the swamps that appeared when the river Vah flooded the area. So the castle is much older according to the historian Mrs Dvorakova. Stibor of Stiborice entered into his service to Hungarian kings in the second half of the 14th century. He became one of the most favoured noblemen at the court of Zigmund of Luxembourg. Stibor came into much property under this reign. According to the legend, Stibor was very cruel and showed no mercy towards his servants.
The noblemen took their dogs hunting. After satisfying their appetite, the hunters threw the leftovers to the animals. A boy, a servant's son, came to see his father during one of the hunts. As he was hungry, the boy tried to steal a piece of meat from a dog. This made the dog aggressive. The father of the boy killed it whilst defending his child. Stibor became angry with the man and threw him from the top of the castle hill. As the servant was falling, he shouted out: In a year and a day! Stibor forgot about the curse. In a year's time, his son was getting married. Stibor got drunk and took a nap on a castle terrace. A snake suddenly appeared and bit Stibor in the eye. The wounded master jumped up in shock and ran to the end of the terrace. He fell from the same spot as the servant had done.
Explanation of the legend
The stories about his cruelty have also been made up. According to historical sources, Duke Stibor seems to have been, on the contrary, a very kind hearted and open minded person who founded hospitals and monasteries. He often pleaded on behalf of criminals and begged for their mercy. He really comes across as a very good person.How is it then possible that such a cruel legend was created? It seems people mixed up the characters of the nobleman and his son, who was, according to medieval documents, a really vicious person. The stories about Stibor's character and the foundation of the castle might not correspond to real events, however there are some elements in the legend that make one wonder how things looked in the courts of the Hungarian nobility.
The first element - feasts.
It was important to impress the guests with the number and variety of dishes served, since this indicated the status of the host. The noblemen took great care in organizing feasts. A popular decoration on the festive table was a swan and many different kinds of meat. It is well known that many kings and noblemen suffered from gout, a typical royal disease. It was caused by the over consumption of meat.
At that time, a lot of meat was eaten. Whether it was pork, venison, pheasant or beef, it was all eaten up. The etiquette of the time permitted eating with hands. Most of the time a piece of bread was dipped into gravy or it was used as a table mat under a piece of meat. When they finished eating, the greasy bread was thrown to the dogs. Do you remember the little boy who stole a piece of meat from a dog?
The second element - dogs:
Dogs were mainly used for hunting since this was the main sport and entertainment of the noble men. It trained people to fight in battles. Boys and girls alike were trained in this way. Dogs were bred at the courts just for hunting. They were very valuable and were imported to medieval Hungary from abroad. These animals were an integrated part of castle social life. They can be spotted in every historical picture painted during that time.
The brutal violent acts of the legend were caused by alcohol, the third element.
The nobility mostly drank wine. However, wine drunk during feasts was not as strong as what we drink today as it was watered down. But it is a common fact that lots of alcohol was consumed. Even a century later when Beatrix of Aragon came to Upper Hungary she was shocked by the amount of alcohol consumption and by the horrible way in which the festivities were held. She had arrived from civilized Italy so she experienced a culture shock when she took part in the feasts at a Hungarian court for the first time.
And what about the main character of our story? Did the jester Becko exist?
Duke Stibor definitely had jesters at his court but it is really difficult to say for sure that a jester named Becko existed. We are not certain about his existence. But it seems he did not.
Despite historical true the legend depicts the founding of Beckov castle so vividly that every single person in Slovakia knows it almost off by heart. The Slovak Yorick is eternal however different the reality was".
Family
His wife was Dobrohna Stęszewska, who gave birth to a son (also called Stibor) and a daughter (Rachna) that become wife of polish Lord Andrew Ossoliński. His son, Stibor of Beckov inherited and increased all his possessions with more land and castles in MoraviaMoravia
Moravia is a historical region in Central Europe in the east of the Czech Republic, and one of the former Czech lands, together with Bohemia and Silesia. It takes its name from the Morava River which rises in the northwest of the region...
and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
Stibor of Stiboricz's two brothers (Andrew and Nicholas) and their sons also held high offices and plenty of land and castles in the Kingdom of Hungary. They also hold land and castles in Poland although it was not of the same size compared to the properties that family owned in the north region of the Kingdom of Hungary
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary comprised present-day Hungary, Slovakia and Croatia , Transylvania , Carpatho Ruthenia , Vojvodina , Burgenland , and other smaller territories surrounding present-day Hungary's borders...
(in the actual Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
). Most of the family, the Clan of Ostoja
Clan of Ostoja
The Clan of Ostoja was a powerful group of Knights and Lords in late medieval Europe. The clan encompassed several families in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Upper Hungary , Hungary, Transylvania, Belorus, Ukraine and Prussia....
, was mainly living in Poland.
Sources
- Engel, Pál: Magyarország világi archontológiája (1301–1457) (The Temporal Archontology of Hungary (1301-1457)); História - MTA Történettudományi Intézete, 1996, Budapest; ISBN 963 8312 43 2.
- Markó, László: A magyar állam főméltóságai Szent Istvántól napjainkig - Életrajzi Lexikon (The High Officers of the Hungarian State from Saint Stephen to the Present Days - A Biographical Encyclopedia); Magyar Könyvklub, 2000, Budapest; ISBN 963 547 085 1.
- Mályusz, Elemér: Zsigmond király uralma Magyarországon (King Sigismund's reign in Hungary); Gondolat, 1984; ISBN 963 281 414 2.
- Dvořáková, Daniela : Rytier a jeho kráľ. Stibor zo Stiboríc a Žigmund Lucemburský. Budmerice, Vydavatel'stvo Rak 2003, ISBN 978-80-85501-25-4
- A. Prochaska, Scibor ze Sciborzyc, Roczniki Tow. Nauk. w Tor., R19: 1912
- Gusztáv Wenzel: Stibor vajda, Budapest 1874
- Mályusz, Elemér: Zsigmond király uralma Magyarországon (King Sigismund's reign in Hungary); Gondolat, 1984; ISBN 963-281-414-2
- László: A magyar állam főméltóságai Szent Istvántól napjainkig - Életrajzi Lexikon (The High Officers of the Hungarian State from Saint Stephen to the Present Days - A Biographical Encyclopedia); Magyar Könyvklub, 2000, Budapest; ISBN 963-547-085-1
- Sroka, Stanislaw A. : Scibor ze Sciborzyc. Rys biograficzny. In: Polska i jej sasiedzi w póznym sredniowieczu. Kraków, Towarzystwo Naukowe "Societas Vistulana" 2000
- Bogyay, Thomas von. "Drachenorden." In: Lexikon des Mittelalters 3. Munich, 1986