Masovians

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Masovians
Mazowszanie(Polish)
POL wojewodztwo mazowieckie flag.svg
Regions with significant populations
Poland (Masovian Voivodeship)
Languages
Polish (Masovian dialect)
Religion
Roman Catholicism
Related ethnic groups
Poles, Masurians, Podlachians

Masovians, [lower-alpha 1] also spelled as Mazovians, and historically known as Masurians, [lower-alpha 2] is an ethnographic group of Polish people that originates from the region of Masovia, located mostly within borders of the Masovian Voivodeship, Poland. They speak the Masovian dialect of Polish. [1] [2]

Contents

The group originates from the Lechitic tribe of Masovians, first referenced in the historical records by Nestor the Chronicler in the 11th century. [3]

In the Polish census of 2021, 97 people declared Mazovian national identity. [4]

Name

The name Masovian, in Polish, Mazowszanin, comes from the name of the region of Masovia, in Polish known as Mazowsze. The name of the region, comes from its Old Polish names Mazow, and Mazosze, and most likely came from word maz (ancestor word of modern maź and mazać), which was used to either describe a "muddy region" or a "person covered in mud". [5]

Historically, prior to the World War II, the population was known as Masurians (Polish: Mazurzy). Currently, the name is exclusively associated with Masurians (historically known as Prussian Masurians), another ethnic group related to Masovians, who inhabit nearby region of Masuria, while the population of Masovia is exclusively referred to as Masovians. [6]

History

The group originate from the Lechitic tribe of Masovians, first referenced in the historical records by Nestor the Chronicler in the 11th century. The tribe inhabited an area in modern region of Masovia, centered on the Vistula river. They were originally of the Slavic paganism faith, prior to the christianization of Poland, begun in 10th century. The main settlements of the tribes were Ciechanów, Czersk, Łomża, Płock, Płońsk, and Wizna. [3]

Ethnographic subgroups

The pair of Lowiczans in the traditional regional cloths. 43. TKB - Beskid z Bielska-Bialej 08.JPG
The pair of Łowiczans in the traditional regional cloths.

There are several subgroups of Masovian people. It include Łowiczans, Poborzans, and Podlachians. Historically, it also included Międzyrzec Boyars. [1]

Notes

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Masovian Voivodeship</span> Voivodeship of Poland

Masovian Voivodeship or Mazowieckie Province or Mazowieckie Voivodeship or Mazovian Voivodeship or Mazovian Province, etc. is a voivodeship (province) in east-central Poland, containing Poland's capital Warsaw.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Masurians</span> Lechitic ethnic group of northeastern Poland

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Polans (western)</span> Central European ethnic group

The Polans, also known as Polanians or Western Polans, were a West Slavic and Lechitic tribe, inhabiting the Warta River basin of the contemporary Greater Poland region starting in the 6th century. They were one of the main tribes in Central Europe and were closely related to the Vistulans, Masovians, Czechs and Slovaks. According to Zygmunt Gloger, their name was derived from the word "pole" meaning "field", thus denoting them as "men of the fields".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rawa Voivodeship</span> Kingdom of Poland locality

Rawa Voivodeship was a unit of administrative division and local government in the Kingdom of Poland since 15th century until the partitions of Poland in 1795. It was part of the Greater Poland Province. Together with the Plock and Masovian Voivodeships it formed the former Duchy of Masovia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Polish tribes</span>

"Polish tribes" is a term used sometimes to describe the tribes of West Slavic Lechites that lived from around the mid-6th century in the territories that became Polish with the creation of the Polish state by the Piast dynasty. The territory on which they lived became a part of the first Polish state created by duke Mieszko I and expanded at the end of the 10th century, enlarged further by conquests of king Bolesław I at the beginning of the 11th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mazovian Lowland</span>

The Mazovian Lowland, also known as the Masovian Plain, is the largest geographical region in central Poland, roughly covering the historical region of Masovia. Sometimes it is also categorized as including Mazovian-Podlasian Lowlands which together form part of the greater North European Plain.

Lechites, also known as the Lechitic tribes, is a name given to certain West Slavic tribes who inhabited modern-day Poland and eastern Germany, and were speakers of the Lechitic languages. Distinct from the Czech–Slovak subgroup, they are the closest ancestors of ethnic Poles and of Pomeranians, Lusatians and Polabians.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mazowsze (folk group)</span> Song and dance ensemble

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chełmno Land</span> Historical region in north-central Poland

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mazovia</span> Historical region in mid-northeastern Poland

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Czersk Land</span>

Czersk Land was an administrative unit (ziemia) of the Kingdom of Poland and the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. With its capital in the town of Czersk, it belonged to the Masovian Voivodeship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Łomża Land</span>

Łomża Land, named after the town of Łomża, was an administrative unit (ziemia) of both the Kingdom of Poland and the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. It was part of Masovian Voivodeship, and existed from the 14th century until the Partitions of Poland. Łomża Land was the largest province of the historic region of Mazovia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greater Poland people</span> Ethnic group

Greater Poland people is a collection of the ethnographic groups of Polish people, that originate from the region of Greater Poland.

The Borderlands Poles, also known as the Borderlands groups, is a term for the collection of the ethnographic groups of Polish people from the area of the Eastern Borderlands, an area to the east of modern borders of Poland, within the modern territory of Belarus, Lithuania, Ukraine. They are mostly descendants of Masovians, and to lesser extend, Lesser Poland people, who colonized the area across centuries. The groups aren't directly connected, having different origins, and developing separately. However, they are categorized together, due to the shared factor of devolving on the eastern boundaries of Polish population, influenced by the other ethnic groups located to the east. In the aftermath of World War II, they were displaced from the Soviet Union to Poland, mostly in the first repatriation of 1944–1946, and later in the second repatriation of 1955–1959. As such, they, and their descendants, now live across Poland. Such people are also known as the Bug River Poles.

The Bug River Poles are Polish people who, either were, or are descendants of, the inhabitants of the area of the Eastern Borderlands, an area to the east of modern borders of Poland, within the modern territory of Belarus, Lithuania, Ukraine, that were displaced from there to Poland between 1944 and 1959.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Łowiczans</span> Ethnic group

Łowiczans, also known as the Łowicz Dukes, is an ethnographic group of Polish people, that are part of the ethnographic subgroup of Masovians. They originate from the north west Masovia, located within borders of the Masovian Voivodeship, Poland. The group speak in the Łowicz subdialect of the Masovian dialect of Polish.

Poborzans, also spelled as Pobożans, are an ethnographic group of Polish people, that are part of the ethnographic subgroup of Masovians. They originate from the north west Masovia, located within the region of Poborze and Zawkrze, to the north of Mława river. The group is descendant of the Polish nobility that had inhabit the area in the Late Middle Ages. They are culturally separate from the neighbouring groups.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sieradzans</span> Ethnographic group of Polish people

Sieradzans is an ethnographic group of Polish people that originate from the historical region of Sieradz Land, located within borders of the Łódź Voivodeship, Poland. The group does not express much cultural separateness from other Poles. Historically, the group has been heavily inflected by the neighboring groups of Silesians, Greater Poland people, and Lesser Poland people.

References

  1. 1 2 G. Odoj, A. Peć: Dziedzictwo kulturowe – edukacja regionalna. ("Cultural heritage – regional education"), Dzierżoniów: Wydawnictwo Alex, 2000, p. 74, ISBN   83-85589-35-X, OCLC   749376082.
  2. Janusz Kamocki: Zarys grup etnograficznych w Polsce ("Outline of ethnographic groups in Poland"). In: Polskie Towarzystwo Turystyczno-Krajoznawcze: Ziemia 1965 – Prace i materiały krajoznawcze. Warsaw: Wydawnictwo Sport i Turystyka, 1966, p. 112.
  3. 1 2 "Plemiona lechickie i ich ziemie" [Lechite tribes and their lands]. literat.ug.edu.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2024-01-05.
  4. "Tablice z ostatecznymi danymi w zakresie przynależności narodowo-etnicznej, języka używanego w domu oraz przynależności do wyznania religijnego". Główny Urząd Statystyczny. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
  5. Stefan Hrabec: Jeszcze raz o nazwie Mazowsze. ("Once again called Mazovia") In: Onomastica no. 7, issue. 4, part. 2, Wrocław 1958.
  6. SGKP , vol. 2. p. 458.