1. Sarmatization of the Polish Christmas carol
– posthumous success of the Jagiellonian dynastic ideology
dr Wojciech M. Marchwica, Institute of Musicology, Jagellonian University

2. late Middle Ages –looking for deep roots
The end of “Christian republic” dream.
Seeking for the ancient genealogy:
Teutonic vision of Saxons and Vandals,
French ideas of Franko-gallicanism,
Nordic mythology of Goths,
Italians – offspring of ancient Romans,
ambitious kings of the Jagiellonian house went after Sarmatization idea.
Term “Sarmatians” (= all Slaves) in French chronicles in the 10th c.
© W. Marchwica, Kraków 2009

3. History of Sarmatians’ myth
1475 – Latin version of Geographike Hyphegesis by Ptolomeus.
Two Sarmatias:
European” betweenVistula and Don,
“Asiatic” between Don and Volga.
Ideology appeared in 15th c. – political thought as a means of linking together the multi-ethnic state.
© W. Marchwica, Kraków 2009

4. creation of the SARMATA cathegory
Superordinate cathegory with respect to ethnic-national connotations – Sarmata.
Sarmata could be a Pole, Ruthenian or Lithuanian, as well as a Pomeranian or Silesian.
Political unification of Commonwealth – the vision in Cronicae Regni Poloniae (ca 1480) by Jan Długosz.
© W. Marchwica, Kraków 2009

5. Growing the Sarmatian myth
Maciej Miechowita in Tractatus de duabus Sarmatiis Asiana et Europiana (1517) identify ancient Sarmatia with the Polish Kingdom.
“Brothers Sarmatians” being officially equal.
Confirmation of myth:
Konradus Celtis, Marcin Bielski, Marcin Kromer and
Maciej Stryjkowski by the end of 16th c.
© W. Marchwica, Kraków 2009

6. Sarmata – negative pattern
Stanisław Sarnicki in Annales, …Polonorum et Lithuanorum (1587) describes the background of Saramatians from biblical Asarmot, son of Sem.
Separation of noble class in Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth from Europe strengthened after the Polish-Swedish war in 1655.
Sarmata as homophobic catholic and narrow-thinking person.
© W. Marchwica, Kraków 2009

7. Music of Jagiellonian era – A pan-European moDel
High-level professional music production in the 15th-16th cc. (Nicolai de Radom, Nicolai de Cracovia, Wacław from Szamotuły).
Great names still in period (Mikołaj Zieleński, Adam Jarzębski, Marcin Mielczewski).
Italian opera theatre in Warsaw ( ).
© W. Marchwica, Kraków 2009

8. Christmas carols of renaissance era
Majority of songs:
versions of Latin songs and hymns,
translations of German (often Lutheran) compositions.
Gregorian melodic pattern can be very easily observed.
Sine mesura notation like in chant.
© W. Marchwica, Kraków 2009

9. Gregorian Chant influences
Similarity between the song and Christmas introitus.
© W. Marchwica, Kraków 2009

10. Gregorian Chant influences
Similarity between the song and Gloria.
© W. Marchwica, Kraków 2009

11. pan-European texts of carols in 15th and 16th cc.
Dogma of happiness – an element of religious belief – not a real human feeling.
Radość niewymowna
Dzisiejszy dzień nam zjawiona,
halleluja,
Od Boga światłości,
Szczerej swej miłości.
Zesłał Pan Syna swego
Ojcom ślubionego. (KP IV/3)
An undefined Joy
This day revealed,
alleluia,
From the Light of God,
His faithful love.
He send His Son
Married to fathers.
© W. Marchwica, Kraków 2009

12. pan-European texts of carols in 15th and 16th cc.
Reminiscences of psalms and stereotype of joy.
Music in Polish kingdom remained “officially” European – un-national.
Niech brzmią bębny i organy, także i cymbały,
Zaśpiewajcie wesoło, grajcie w cytary…
(Zaśpiewajcie wszyscy starzy…)
Take a psalm, and bring hither the timbrel, the pleasant harp with the psaltery.
Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day.
(Psalm 81, vers 2-3)
© W. Marchwica, Kraków 2009

13. Christmas carols after 1600 - text
Changes within the texts:
Polish local names,
describing the local dances and habits,
local „rendering” of all Holy Night actors including saints or angels,
usage of local instruments instead of biblical harp or lyra.
© W. Marchwica, Kraków 2009

14. Christmas carols after 1600 - Music
Usage of secular melodies for religious songs:
sing on the note remarks, f.e. “biegła liszka” (“A fox was running”),
acquiring dance-like patterns, f.e. (Ch 161 Swarzyłam się z pastuchem) entitled directly “Makowski’s dance”.
© W. Marchwica, Kraków 2009

15. Christmas carols after 1600 - Music
Popularity of dance-like triple meters.
“Choral” free meter disappeared after 1600.
The huge increase of triple meter caused by use of dance-like patterns (mostly triple) typical for Polish national dances.
Reversal of proportions already after 1600.
© W. Marchwica, Kraków 2009

16. Christmas carols after 1600 - Music
Use of dances as the basis for carols – f.e. polka.
© W. Marchwica, Kraków 2009

17. Christmas carols after 1600 - Music
Changing 16th c. mixed time measures into simple triple mazurka pattern.
© W. Marchwica, Kraków 2009

18. Christmas carols after 1600
Special attention to a very specific publication of 1630 by Jan Żabczyc entitled Symfonie Anielskie (Angels’ Symphonies).
...iż dla krótkości czasu i defektu pewnego w typografijej nie włożono noty każdej symfonijej należącej, przeto niż wygotowano będzie śpiewanie przystojne, podkładam noty tańców zwyczajnych w Polszcze.
…because of the rush during publishing and because of the defect of typo-graphing system we did not attach the music to each of the Symphony; so until the appropriate publication would be ready, I enclose the notes of popular dances in Poland.
© W. Marchwica, Kraków 2009

19. Christmas Music after 1600
Another group of Christmas music answering Sarmatian, national style:
half-professional production – pastorellas,
use a stylistic staffage encompassing elements of archaization and folklorization,
peculiar Sarmatian musical style.
© W. Marchwica, Kraków 2009

20. …thanks for your attention
Wojciech M. Marchwica