Pani Eufrozyna of Rzeczpospolita Wendowie (Polish)

A Conceptual re-Drawing of the Polish Woman Warrior in the Historically Wrong sketch Series Project: Blood and Steel, which is roughly based on the early modern ear of Late 16th Century - 17th Century era of warfare. She represents the epitome of proud and brave polish winged hussar, and the name Rzeczpospolita Wendowie is bad translation of Wendish Commonwealth, the representation of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in the series.


Sing, Sing to the Glory of the Commonwealth!: www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_PjS9… - Krzesimir Dębski - Polonez Husarii



Perhaps the character Eufrozyna Jerzyowska had undergone the most redesigns of all the characters portrayed in my Historically Wrong sketch Series. Though, drawing polish winged hussar is fun, I had to actually re-read the history of Polis- Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Winged Hussar itself to come up with the actual design of the "wings". After much reading, apparently the "parade" version as depicted here is in my opinion, more practical than the original design , as well exposing the face to make the image looks more feminine...or at least, that's what i thought


Nevertheless, It's time for some bits of Polish History, best enjoyed with a plate of Golabki. I'm not expert at polish history, so if you do find any mistake, please do not hesitate to correct my err
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Poland is a country known for many things, from their kielbasa to polish diaspora, as well as being one of the major players in the European economy and industrial activity. Indeed, to many western eyes, the image of Poland had been that of a nation who experienced one of the most destruction in her land, from the 2nd World War to the era of Iron Curtain. The recent events in Poland had only begun to capture the imagination of westerners (or people in general), but we must also never forget that the Polish State, or the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, had been of the Europe's most powerful nation in the history of modern world. Indeed, there's more to the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth than the famous King John Sonieski's Winged Hussars who drove back the Ottomans in Vienna and saved Europe from the Ottoman Invasion.

Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was indeed, one of Europe's largest nation, after Muscovite and France, whose territories encompassed 11 million people at it's peak and covering nearly one million square kilometers. It was also one of the most culturally diverse and in most part religiously tolerant nation in Europe, where at that time, the religious conflict had been a common sight. The Polish-Lithuanian Army also became the dominant force in projecting the commonwealth interest, which in one time, managed to capture Moscow and installed a (short-lived) Polish Tzar on the Muscovite Throne. The Swedes also owed many of it's military supremacy; King Gustavus who spend most of his military career fighting against the commonwealth, based many of his military reform from the experience.

But how did this great nation came into being? before the formation of the commonwealth, in the middle ages, the region had been home to the Poles, who established their humble kingdom bordering the Holy Roman Empire to the west, as well as numerous Pagan Baltic tribes to the east. The Baltic Crusade has led many of the targeted pagan tribes to unite, with Lithuania assuming the leadership, forming the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, while the Kingdom of Poland, who at the same time, was busy feuding internally after the death of its Piast ruler. Their union came into being, when the Grand Duke of Lithuania, Wladyslaw Jagiello, was baptised into christianity, and married the Polish Queen, Jadwiga. Although, the early unions were pretty turbulent, the need to further solidify the union grew as the Russians under the Muscovites, grew stronger and threaten the integrity of the Polish-Lithuanian Union. Hence shortly afterwards, with the treaty of Lubin, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was born in 1569. From then on, it entered a period of prosperity and military supremacy in eastern Europe for decades to come. It's people lived in tolerance and the Oligarch government ruled with dynamism which was unique in comparison to the monarchies of Europe at that time.

However, it was in this period of 16th - 17th century, that other powerful nations besides the commonwealth, began to carve its way for European supremacy. The commonwealth had fought near constant wars with the Muscovites and Swedes in early 17th century, while clashing with the Hapsburg and Ottomans who took their part in wrestling for supremacy over moldavia. Although the commonwealth could be generally seen as the victors in many of the conflicts, the war had brought discontent amongst the population and the instability within the Polish-Lithuanian Government further weaken the state which made the commonwealth vulnerable to foreign intervention.

By mid 17th century, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth had entered a period which many historians referred to as the Deluge. The Khmelnytsky Uprising that took place in this time, became a full scale war of Independence for the Ukranian Cossacks which resulted in eastern part of Ukraine incorporated into the Tsardom of Muscovy. The event signalled the weakening state of the commonwealth to her neighbors, and before long, the Rzeczpospolita saw itself fighting against the Invasion led by Russian, the Swedes, and the Prussians. The aftermath had brought so much destruction to the Commonwealth land that it had lost nearly 1/3 of its population, and many of its cities, towns and villages sacked by the invaders. Thus, the Powerful Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was no more, but it still maintained status quo over the next decades and even participated in fighting against the Ottomans in the battle of Vienna, preventing the turks from pouring down into the heartland of Europe.

When Europe entered into 18th century, the instability withing the commonwealth brought great internal conflicts, in which, the Russian took part as "mediator", which resulted in Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth becoming a protectorate under the Russian Empire. When Catherine the Great took the Russian Imperial Crown, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth played an important part in her political ambition, which, by the late 18th century, the country was partitioned in three stages by the Russian Empire, Hapsburg Monarchy and the Kingdom of Prussia, erasing the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth completely from the map. It would be centuries long before Poland and Lithuania re-established themselves as independent countries in 1918........

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Now, Polish Women Warriors is pretty unheard and their depiction as winged hussar would be pretty inaccurate and anachronistic. Still, i suppose i can use my artistic license here. As for the character itself, Jej Milosc Panna Eufrozyna Jerzywoska of Mazovia, is drawn in a highly stylized Hussar Armor, complete with the leopard cloak, Lobster helmet, and the absence on wings on her back, instead, a wing attached to the horse! Maybe not as cool as the original depiction of the so called winged hussar, but i suppose i'm pretty satisfied with the final design of her.

Also, please disregard the horse, I suck at drawing horse, it always ended up turning into donkeys whenever i drew them  

Dedicated to all polish deviants here in DA, may we be blessed with plenty of Golabki and Kielbasa in everyday live. Sto lat, sto lat!

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Maybe Related to:

Her Ancestor, the Polish Medieval Warrior Woman:



As well as these following foes:

The Scandinavians , The russians , and the Prussians