Pawel Popiel, The Popiel Family, by-name Chosciak, Coat of Arms Sulima. Historical Sketch. Krakow 1936. Published by Family, pages 6-11.

he Popiels belonged to not so rich but very propagated Ruthenian nobility settled in Eastern Malopolska and lands of Przemysl, Halich and Sanok. The members of the Family used to take many by-names or nicknames for distinction and sometimes these by-names or nicknames bacame family names and, often, the family name became by-name as in Broniszowski, Chosciak, Chwostyk, Czarnokozic, Hunczak, Hryckowicz, Kisielewicz, Kiszczak, Kolodrob, Konaszewicz, Lastowczak, Malewicz, Oleszkowicz, Owsiannik, Petrykocz, Popowicz, Romanowicz, Salowicz, Stepaniuk, Zazula. In a very interesting monography by dr. Barwinski “Konaszewicze”, rich in details of the Family origins, Barwinski gives attention to similarity of certain by-names such as Chosciak or Chwostyk, to a by-name Choscisko given in Wielkopolska Chronicle and by Dlugosz as a by-name of a pre-historic Prince Popiel The Second, what in his opinion speaks for certain clan tradition. St. Kossakowski in his historic-genealogic Monographies says that the Sulima-Popiels by-named Oleszkowicz come from Walachian settlers, to whom the King Wladislaw Jagiello granted offices of the area superiors with the requirement of maintaining certain military force for King’s service. Chostia or Kostia means Constantin and from there the Popiel-Chostiak come, similarly to Oleszkowicz which comes from Alexander. Niesiecki in his “Armorial” gives an account, that the Popiels owned a village called Kotow as well as some other villages in Drohobycz region and that the King Jagiello awarded certain two Popiels (probably for achievments at the Battle of Grunwald) with uninhabited lands nearby Drohobycz with the duty of military service for the King, where a village called Popiele was established. Another historician Franciszek Siarczynski says that the King Jagiello awarded a Knight Popiel with lands in 1414. The knight settled people in the land and established a village which was a nest of Popiels clan. Before that the Popiels owned a village called Podleszany or Podlesie in Sanok region, which was sold to “nobili Pelka de Jurgiowice” (Knight Pelka of Jurgiowice) in 1431. That village was also called later Popiele. Therefore we can accept that that Knight Popiel was a progenitor of the family and since he received the grant in 1414, the probable date of his birth could be 1380.

According with enclosed genealogical table at the end, that Knight had four surviving sons: Iwanko, Jakib, Hodor and Fil. They could be classified as Polish nationals of Ruthenian nobility, as their Ruthenian names prove.
The contemporary records are mentioning about Iwanko and his brothers Jakib, Hodor and Fil at the occasion of mortgaging of the village Podlesie to Pelka, what ended with sale of the village for 160 grzywna, which sale was subject to King’s approval because of certain military duties imposed on estate holder. The King Jagiello awarded later, in 1427, certain Hriczko, son of Fil, and Thiszko, son of Jakib (both Popiels) with lands in the basin of Rathiczna-River for their merits (pro meritis et servitiis diligentissimis et ut fiant promptires ad servitia nostra, locum vacuum sen desertum super fluvio dicto Rathiczna, perpetue et in acvum, ratione cuius donationis servire pro qualibet expeditione bellica quatuor sagittariis super equis valentibus- tenebuntur et fiant astrict) as hereditary lands, with military duty for the King’s service. The form of award was a feud. The original of the act is missing, but its content is known from citation of it by the King Zygmunt August in the King’s decree of 1549 confirming the Popiels’ rights to the lands (Confirmatio privilegii olim Vladislai Regis pro parte Popielorum). The King Jagiello’s grant detailed the metes and bounds of the lands granted, with specifications of all rights for the owners, excluding use of the forest except gathering fuel wood. A lot of documents gives accounts on majority of the persons shown in the genealogical table. From 1439 the Popiels are mentioning in many documents related to the estate and court matters such as the sale of Popiele and Raticzno, and in Kotow, Komarowicze, Rolow Maly i Wielki. For long time the lands were changing hands within the family or clan. In 1531 the King’s Commission examined and judged the borders between the village Popiele and King’s estates Hubicze and Deraszyce. In 1439 Thiszko and his brother Dymitr Desz from Raticzna, Popiels, bougth a part of inheritance of Hriczko Popiel. Truchan, the son of Fil and brother of Hriczko bught also some lands from Hriczko. In 1439 Iwan and Kuzma, the Popiels brothers and sons of Fil sold a part of Popiele and one-third of Raticzno, which was located between lands of Hriczko and Truchan.

In 1442 Michajlo of Raticzno sold his part to his cousins Thiszko and Dmytr. Also, mentioned in the records are Vljan de Raticzno, Popiel de Komorowicze, Petro Mojsowicz, Stanko, Kasko Manowicz i Josko (Jozef) Pop de Popelye(1496), however, there is no information about details of their lineage.

In 1444 Popiel de Komorowicze had a quarrel with Herburt of Felsztyn, Komorowicze was a village nearby Dobromil, shortly only owned by one of Popiels.

In 1445 Dymitr of Raticzno entered into a contract of sale with Vljan Popiel.

In 1466 Iwan the son of Fil sold his part of Popiele to Alexander de Robothycze. This Alexander iwas in the court against Hrycko Radowicz Popiel, the son of Rad, grandson of Dymitr Desz and great grandson of Jakib.

It is impossible to go in depths into a great number of legal acts, judgements and records related the Popiels like for example grandsons of Fil: Wasyl Deszek, Klimek (Clemens Popyel de Popyele) and Matwiej.

In 1466 Iwanek and Jaczko Popiel sold their inheritance in Rolow Maly to Petro Phal, and Matwiej Popiel with sons Iwan, Utka and Anuszka and daughters Anna, Chotinka, Fedka and Nastka exchanged his part with Petro Phal’s lands in Rolow Wielki. Matwiej is known in the records as Popiel de Popyele et de Rolow.

In 1492 Senko, Fil’s grandson sold his part in Popiele to Petro Kolodrubowicz Popiel. In the same time Josko de Popyele was a pop (orthodox priest) in Popiele and born Popiel. The clan of Popiels never would agree to have a stranger priest, not from the family.

In 1494 Stenko and Petro Mojsowicz are mentioned, married with two sisters: Ulka and Nastka.

Separate branches of Popiels were the Popiel-Konaszewiczs and the Popiel-Kolodrubys. Certain Kunasz or Kuzma was the Konaszewiczs’ progenitor and the other version of his name proves about his conversion to Roman Catholic Church, while the Popiels in 15 century were in majority of Orthodox Church. Kunasz was a son of Thiszko, grandson of Jakib and geat grandson of the Knight Popiel, the progenitor. The records are mentioning about him three times, last time in 1506.
The Popiel-Kolodrubys were very closely related with Konaszewiczs, also they had a great deal of common estate affairs. Their head was Popiel of Popiele nicknamed Kolodrub, the Kunasz’s brother. After him his son Peter Kolodrub.
Interesting story was related to the village Kotow nearby Drohobycz, which was the Popiels’ property for years. The village was repossessed by the King Zygmunt I under the pretense that there were no sufficient records proving ownership. The village was included into the Sambor sub-prefecture and later into private estate of Queen Bona.
The King Zygmunt II August returned the village in 1549 to the Popiel-Kolodrubs with the Queen’s agreement (Confirmatio privilegii olim Vladislai Regis pro parte Popielorum), namely to Fedko, Pawel and Zanek and other family members who together complained supporting their cause with unknown today grant of the King Jagiello. The King Zygmunt II August confirmed their hereditary rights to the estate (iure hereditaro) similarly to the owned village Popiele, however, the saltworks stayed with the King, as well as forest privileges.

In 1519 the King offered an office of hereditary sub-prefect of Kotowo to Kasko (Iwasko) Popiel-Konaszewicz, brother of Rad and Zanko Zachar.

In 1541 Hrycko Popiel receives King’s consent to buyout Orthodox Church’s estate called Iwanicze. Iwanicze was in hereditary possession of other branch of Popiels, which produced the pops (Orthodox priests) till the time when due to negligence in service they were not allowed to serve anymore and the vllage was taken by the King (Barwinski).

The Konaszewiczs progenitor Kuzma had sons Rad, Iwasko, Zanek and Zachar. The Zygmunt II August’s act mentions Rad, too. Kotow became property of Kolodrubs and Konaszewiczs. Rad mortgaged his part of Kotow to Fedko Kolodrub, together with subjects Tymko, Misych and Mitka. This proves that the Popiels had their own subjects.

Pawlo and Fedko Konaszewiczs took by force their uncle Pop Zachar’s land in 1546 and Pop Zachar sued them in the court of Przemysl. Fedko had a nickname Petelka and this nicname bacame a hereditary by-name of his sons Iwan, Wasko and Ignat and from then on they were called officially Petelczyc.

Zachar Zanko Konaszewicz was after the pop (priest) Josek, second pop from the clan in Popiele (nobilis et religiosus Zacharius Popiel popo ritus ruthenici, or noble and pious Zacharias Popiel priest of Ruthenian rite), therefore his sons Petro and Roman had by-name Popowicz.
They also used to mortgage their part in Popiele and Kotow, mainly to Bartlomiej Najnokonawski (1553).
Heirs after Rad were his nephews, sons of Iwasko and Zachar, since Rad’s son Prokop died earlier.

In 1566 Petro Konaszewicz Popowicz, Misko Kolodrub, Pawlo Konaszewicz, Iwaski and Hrycko Andruszkowicz-Popiel were sued by Walbach, a Saltwork Official, for negligence in maintenance of the road running through their lands.

In 1569 nobles Lucz Oliechowicz, Pawel, Petro and Demko Konaszewicz, Fedko Petelka Konaszewicz, Jasko Czarnokossa, Demko Stolban i Misko Kolodrub Popielowie filed a complaint against the Sambor Sub-prefecture for seizure of 50 oxen and 20 mares with colts, which were grazing in Kotowo King’s forest, supporting their claim from the restitution act granting them that privilege

The Przemysl region, apart from several magnates, was settled mainly by petty nobles, coming into land possession by private or public service and military merits. That was a case with Popiels. Because of petty estates, some of them moved to different regions or sub-prefectures or counties such as Broszniow (from where “Broszniowski”) or Czajkowice or Grodek in Lviv sub-prefecture.
They started using the Coat of Arms “Sulima” probably early in 17 century.

Most part of the book of professor Barwinski is about a remarkable hetman (general) Petro Sahajdaczny, proving, that he came from petty Ruthenian nobility in Przemysl region, that he was born in 1570 probably in Kulczyce nearby Sambor and that most probably he was a descendant of Popiel-Konaszewiczs. The Popiels were intermarrying Kulczyckis fairly often and Kulczyce was Popiels’ property for some time. ) Petro Sahajdaczny was maried to Anastazja Powczanska and died in 1622. He was remembered by people very well and many folk songs about him were popular for long time

A SONG SUNG BY WIDORT, PRINCE SANGUSZKO’S TRUBADOUR (in Ruthenian):

Hej, kto w lisi ozowysia (Hey, who’s calling in the woods)
Oj to moja myla, (Oh that’s my lover)
Po hryby chodyla, zabludyla. Hej! (She was gathering mushrooms and lost her way)
Hej na hori, tam zenci znut, (Hey, up on the hill reapers reap)
A popid horoju, popid kremenoju (And at the bottom of hill)
Kozaki idut. (Cossacks go.)
Po peredi Doroszenko wede swoje wijsko, (Doroshenko leads the army)
Wijsko zaporozskie, potychosenku. Hej! (Zaporozhski force, goes stealthily.)
A po zadu Sahajdacznyj (Sahajdachny with arriergard)
Szo prominial zinku. (The very he who swapped his wife)
na tiutiun, t ajlulku, neopatrznyj.-Hej! (for tobacco and pipe).

General Sahajdaczny-Konaszewicz used to use the Coat of Arms “Pobog”, different than Sas or Sulima, but it can be explained, that in Malopolska only Koniecpolski family who owned Drohobycz used “Pobog”. Petro Konaszewicz Sahajdaczny as a young boy was a page at the Koniecpolski’s court and probably was admitted to the heraldry. He bears this blazon as shown on the contemporary engraving, riding a horse in general’s dress, in a fur cap with general’s baton and with a bow and quiver. His family name was Konaszewicz and Sahajdaczny was his nickname given by his military comrades for he was a superb archer (sahajdak=quiver).

Jakub Sobieski in his Chocim War diaries calls Sahajdaczny inter clarissimos aetis suae in Polonia viros and accounts him for the greatest Ruthenian generals.
(…) (j.p.)

Translation from Polish to English: sp

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