Masovia

Following the death of Bolesław III in 1138 Poland was devided in dukedoms, according to his testament. Masovia was one of these duchies, and it was governed by a branch of the Piast dynasty till 1526. In 1351 the dukes of Mazovia became vasals of the Polish kings. And the Masovian bishopric of Plock was always part of the Polish archidiocese of Gniezno. Since the Polish-Lithuanian Union of 1385 it was localized between the joined Jagiellonian states. It is now located in east-central Poland and it's largest city Warsaw is also a Polish capital.

Book's characters

This post may (and probably will) change

• Zbyszko of Bogdaniec - a young nobleman about to become a knight [pronounce "zbih-shcko”]. Version of old Polish name "Zbygniew" and translates to "the one who will have excess ("zbyt-") of anger ("gniew")" - towards his enemies, that means who will be stronger than his anemies due to his anger or "the one who will get rid of [his enemies] ("zbyc/pozbyc sie", "to get rid of") due to his anger".
• Maćko of Bogdaniec - Zbyszko's uncle, old and experienced knight. Polish version on Christian name: Mathew.
• Jurand of Spychów - anti-Teutonic rebel and Danusia's father
• Danusia - Zbyszko is in love with her, she is Jurand's daughter and Duchess' of Mazovia servant. Child's version of the name "Danuta". Lithuanian equivalent: "Danute".
• Jagienka of Zgorzelice - a young girl that falls in love with Zbyszko

• Duchess Anna - the Duchess of Masovia
• Janusz I - the Duke of Masovia and Duke of Warsaw - a historical figure
• King Władysław Jagiełło - a historical figure, King of Poland between 1381 and 1434

• Fulko de Lorche -a rich knight from Lotharingia who becomes close friends with Zbyszko
• Siegfried de Löwe - the komtur of Szczytno who is behind the evil plan of kidnapping Danusia
• Kuno von Liechtenstein - the Order's delegate to the King of Poland, who is attacked by Zbyszko
• Mikolaj of Dlugolas (Nicholas of Long Woods) called Martel - frequently mentioned nobleman.
• Cztan from Rogow - he solicited Jagienka's favor. 

Tithe

A tithe is a one-tenth part of something, paid as a tax to support, in this case, a Christian religious organization.

St. Stanislaw

Stanisław Szczepanowski or Stanislaus of Szczepanów was a Bishop of Kraków known chiefly for having been slain by Polish King Bolesław II the Bold. Stanisław is venerated in the Roman Catholic Church as Saint Stanislaus the Martyr. [more at Wikipedia]

Burgundians

The Burgundians or Burgundes were an East Germanic tribe.

Saracen

Saracens was a term used in the Middle Ages for all those who professed the religion of Islam.
[more at Wikipedia]

Belial

Belial also named Matanbuchus, Mechembuchus, Meterbuchus in older scripts) is an evil being in Jewish apocrypha, and also a term used to characterize the wicked or worthless. [more at Wikipedia]

Pavise

A pavise is a large shield used in medieval Europe to protect the entire body. The pavise was primarily used by archers and crossbowmen particularly during sieges. [more at Wikipedia]

Wilno

Wilno is a Polish name of Vilnius, the largest city and the capital of Lithuania. Vilnius has also been known by many names in different languages throughout its history. Most notable non-Lithuanian names for the city include: Polish: Wilno, Latin: Vilna, German: Wilna. [more at Wikipedia]

Olesnica

Olesnica is a town in the Trzebnickie Hills in southwestern Poland. It is situated in Lower Silesian Voivodeship. It is the seat of Oleśnica County, and also of the rural district of Gmina Oleśnica.

Tepa Podkowa

Tępa Podkowa is a Polish Coat of Arms. It was used by several szlachta families in the times of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.
The name literally means "Dull Horseshoe". [more at Wikipedia]