Levéltári Közlemények, 63. (1992)

Levéltári Közlemények, 63. (1992) 1–2. - Rácz György: Az Árpádok sávozott címere egyes főúri pecséteken a XIII–XIV. században / 123–135. o.

Sávozott címerek XIII—XIV. századi főúri pecséteken 135 THE STRIPED ARMS OF THE ÁRPADS ON SOME MAGNATES' SEALS OF THE THIRTEENTH AND FOURTEENTH CENTURIES György Rácz The article examines those seals of the thirteenth- and fourteenth-century magnate dignitaries which, in contrast to the contemporary custom, do not portray the bearer's clan or family arms, but bear images resembling the striped shield of the ruling Árpád house. The author uses as his starting point the known fact that at the beginning of the thirteenth century dignitaries were entitled to the use of the royal shield as a symbol of the power they had received from the king. Toward the middle of the century, this is superseded by the family symbol as the image on official seals. But some continue to use the striped shield. The author was able to define three groups from among these. Due to the fragmentary nature of the evidence, he proposes the following hypothetical conclusions. As the result of the decision of a dignitary of András II, the ancestral symbol of the Aba clan, the eagle was replaced by a striped shield, which dignitaries of this clan used as their family arms until the midfourteenth century. Similarly, the Transylvanian voivodes also preserved their seal emblem from the beginning of the thirteenth century, in this case apparently ex officio. This is noteworthy, because it does not occur in the case of other dignitaries. The third group is found among the feudatories of András HI. It is proposed that the king permitted the use of the royal family seal by those magnates who entered into an alliance with him that was confirmed in writing. Thus, it appears that the last king of the house of Árpád consciously made use of the meaning contained in the arms' symbols. Finally, the author also examines how the relationship between lord and retainers is portrayed on these seals, and how the heirs of officials adopted the striped shield according to their desire, in some cases making it part of the family arms. Beginning in the mid-fourteenth century, this phenomenon comes to an end. The dignitaries henceforth use only family arms, and the striped shield appears as part of the family arms.