The
following is a direct translation from the classical genealogical
and heraldic reference "Herbarz Polski" by Kasper
Niesiecki, S. J., Lipsk edition, 1839-1846.
On a red field are three golden crosses, placed so that one of
them is pointed straight down while the two above are placed to
the side of a triangle, and the ends of all three meet in the
center. There is, however, this difference, that some use these
arms with a circle, placed in the center where the crosses meet,
and on a blue field, while others do not have this circle. On the
helm are three ostrich feathers, but some use five. I would take
this circle to be a ring, inasmuch as our Ks. Petrasancta,
cap. 63 always takes such circles to be rings ex usu
Fecialium and says that in Swabia, Austria, and near the
Rhine there are many such families who bear rings in their coats
of arms; evidently (here I am stating his opinion) the rings were
acquired in those days when men would strive in a glorious
competition for a ring which was bestowed upon him who won.
Despite all this that author has none among the various coats of
arms like those of Brodzic, only in fol. 48 he has one
with one such cross, elongated and extended in the extremities,
of gold, on a circle of vigorous color: he adds that this was the
arms of Cadwallader, the latest King of Britain. The same author
writes in that same work on the merits of this cross, and I refer
those interested to him. Also writing about this were Paprocki in
Gniazdo, fol. 89., 0 herbach, fol. 269, and
Okolski, vol. 1, fol. 79, and Liber Klejnoty, fol. 42,
and MS. P. Rutka.
Paprocki ascribes the origin of these arms to this occasion, to
which they all bear witness. Kazimierz the Monk, King of Poland,
was waging war against the tyrant Mieclaw and the Jadzwings
associated with him, when one plucky young Pole displayed his
courage to him on all occasions, protecting his side, for which
he was given numerous properties in Mazovia and granted this coat
of arms. Rev. Rutka designates 1038 as the year of this origin,
and says that the man had a long and handsome beard, and he and
the arms were named Brodzic [from broda = "beard" in
Polish]. But others derive the origin of this name from the name
of his estates at Brody. Paprocki recalls that he saw on the list
of founders of a Plock church in 1106 three brothers, born counts
of Brody, Wzebor, Swentoslaw, and Krystyn, who bequeathed a tithe
from their estates to that church. There is furthermore a small
town in the Plock district called Plodsko, at one time a village
near which the Brodzices had numerous estates. Of Stefan,
Multanski voivode, they write that after he had defeated a
hundred thousand Turks, in commemoration of this victory he
erected three crosses of stone. Dlugosz speaks of this family,
calling it "Genus Polonicum providum et in Masovia
propagatum" [a provident Polish clan, widespread in Mazovia].
[Krasicki's notes: 1422. Sieciech z Brodzic, Lublin starosta,
signed the alliance between King Wladyslaw of Poland and the
Teutonic Knights, Cod. Dip. Vol. IV, fol. 114.]
Bearers of these Arms
|
Bonikowski |
Pilitowski |
| Kliczewski |
Radomski |
| Kunecki |
Radziminski |
| Kurzatkowski |
Sieromski |
| Lacki |
Zawadzki |
| Mojecki |
Zochowski |
|