Abdank coat of arms


Abdank is a Polish coat of arms. It was used by several szlachta families in the times of the Kingdom of Poland and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.

Blazoning

Gules łękawica argent, crest: łąkawica as in arms.

History

According to Kasper Niesiecki the beginning of this shield dates from the time of Krakus, a mythological Polish monarch who founded and gave his name to the city of Kraków. On Wawel Mount, where Kraków's castle stood, from the Wisła river side, a man-eating dragon showed up. One day a man called Skuba, a young shoemaker, took the skin of a flayed sheep, put tar and sulphur and fire-brand into it and threw it into the dragon's lair. The dragon, not recognizing the deception, assumed it was a sacrifice from the people of Kraków and ate the fake sheep. The fire in his belly ignited it and as a result the dragon became very thirsty. He drank and drank the water from the Wisła river until he finally exploded and died. For his heroic deed Krakus granted Skuba the letter "W" to his shield, standing either for wąż or for Wawel. This letter can be seen on the Abdank coat of arms.
The Awdaniec Clan has been called variously: "Awdaniec," "Abdaniec," "Abdanka," "Awdanc," "Awdanczyc," "Habdaniec," "Habdank," "Habdaniec," "Hebdank," "Lakotka," "Lekawa," "Lekawica," "Lekotka," "Bialkotka," "Szczedrzyk," "Skuba," and probably other things similar and dissimilar. Known recorded war cries are: "Abdaniec!," "Abdank!,""Awdaniec!," "Habdank!," and "Hebdank!."

Abdank in literature

In Henryk Sienkiewicz's "With Fire and Sword" the Cossack leader Bohdan Khmelnytsky, wishing to hide his true identity, falsely introduces himself to the main protagonist Skrzetuski as "Zenobi Abdank, Abdank Coat of Arms, Abdank with a cross, a nobleman of Kiev county".

Notable bearers

Notable bearers of this Coat of Arms include: