Papers by Dariusz Sikorski
![Research paper thumbnail of Sikorski - Jak nie odkryto grobu św. Piotra, czyli (zła) historiografia dziennikarska, [w:] Między archeologią a historią. Księga dedykowana pamięci prof. dr. hab. Andrzeja Marka Wyrwy (1955-2022), red. K Kaczmarek, J. Linette, M. Przybył, Poznań 2024](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/119411272/thumbnails/1.jpg)
Profesjonalni historycy zazwyczaj sądzą, że wyniki ich badań prezentowane w monografiach naukowyc... more Profesjonalni historycy zazwyczaj sądzą, że wyniki ich badań prezentowane w monografiach naukowych i specjalistycznych czasopismach, a zwłaszcza publikacje popularnonaukowe, wpływają na kształtowanie powszechnej świadomości historycznej. Siła tego złudzenia jest ogromna, bo co rusz jakiś historyk akademik (tak nazwijmy w skrócie historyka zawodowego, którego status określa wyłącznie zatrudnienie w instytucjach naukowych i posiadanie stopnia naukowego) jest zdziwiony, że większą popularnością i szerszym zasięgiem oddziaływania cieszą się książki, artykuły prasowe, filmy dokumentalne oraz teksty publikowane w sieci, których autorzy często prezentują wiedzę na temat przeszłości oderwaną od rzeczywistego stanu profesjonalnych badań. Historycy akademicy zachodzą w głowę: dlaczego rzetelne prace popularnonaukowe budzą mniejsze zainteresowanie szerszej publiczności niż kiepskie merytorycznie, wysokonakładowe książki pisane przez amatorów nieposiadających podstawowych umiejętności ani wiedzy w zakresie poruszanych przez nich problemów? Stawiane są różne diagnozy tego zjawiska, których nie będę tu omawiał. Uwagę poświęcę jednej z wielu postaci nieprofesjonalnej historiografii, którą nazywam historiografią dziennikarską.
The article is a critical analysis of a methodology of history textbook. The author questions the... more The article is a critical analysis of a methodology of history textbook. The author questions the concept of the book as an academic textbook, the understanding of the concept of themethodology of history presented in it, and selected chapters on specific issues. Attention is drawn to the conceptual disorder in almost all parts of the book and the low substantive
quality of most of the pieces included in it.
Ibrahim ibn Yaqub's Account of His Travel to Slavic Countries as Transmitted by al-Bakri, with Co... more Ibrahim ibn Yaqub's Account of His Travel to Slavic Countries as Transmitted by al-Bakri, with Contemporary Commentaries, ed. by Mustafa S w i t a t, translated by Agnieszka Waśkiewicz (Studies in Oriental Culture and Literature, ed. by Barbara Michalak-Pikulska),
Autor zwraca uwagę na kilka problemów, które pojawiły się w ostatnich 30 latach w związku z badan... more Autor zwraca uwagę na kilka problemów, które pojawiły się w ostatnich 30 latach w związku z badaniami mediewistycznymi, czy ogólniej - historycznymi, i w istotny sposób wpłynęły na uprawianie mediewistyki w tym okresie. Podkreślono tu rolę archeologii w badaniach wczesnego średniowiecza i wskazano problemy, które ciągle towarzyszą historykom starającym się korzystać ze źródeł archeologicznych. Nie bez wpływu na uprawianie mediewistyki są zmienne warunki zewnętrzne, z których szczególnie ważną rolę odegra cyfryzacja badań historycznych.
The Routledge Handbook of East Central and Eastern Europe in the Middle Ages, 500–1300, ed. F. Curta, 2021
Accounts of how the Church organization started in Central and Eastern Europe and how it grew unt... more Accounts of how the Church organization started in Central and Eastern Europe and how it grew until the 12th century are incomplete and highly conjectural. The scarcity of sources, which sometimes contradict each other, leads to hypotheses based only partially on the sources. Few of them are therefore verifiable, given the considerable differences between historians’ opinions. This is the reason for which the development of the Church organization presented in this chapter is a compromise between a concise historical outline and a historiographic survey.
Recenzje nawet w krajowej literaturze. Szkoda, że zły zwyczaj utrwala się także za granicą. Tłuma... more Recenzje nawet w krajowej literaturze. Szkoda, że zły zwyczaj utrwala się także za granicą. Tłumaczenia łacińskich cytatów okazują się parę razy nieścisłe: słowa pauper fuit hauc operosa to niezupełnie to samo, co "höchst arm war" (s. 152), a Eneasz Sylwiusz w cytowanym urywku (s. 156) odnosi się nie do granic Moraw (jak zostało przetłumaczone), lecz Czech -i to na wschód i północ od nich siedział "naród śląski". Zdarzają się też niegodne niemieckiej sumienności braki redakcyjne, jak nieuzupełniony odsyłacz na s. 178 ("hierzu oben S. ###") czy indeksowe hasło Władysław III (s. 268) bez jakichkolwiek numerów stron. Książka jest zaopatrzona w indeksy: geograficzny, osobowy oraz rzeczowy, którego umieszczenie było świetnym pomysłem i szkoda, że realizacja sprowadziła go ad curiosum, skoro liczy sobie zaledwie 1 stronę z 48 hasłami (wśród nich zaś w dodatku liczne nazwy etniczne, które winny się znaleźć w indeksie geograficznym). Docenić za to trzeba umieszczone na wyklejkach mapy.
Historia Slavorum Occidentis, 2020
![Research paper thumbnail of Sikorski - Badania nad wierzeniami Słowian, [w:] BADANIA NAD WIERZENIAMI SŁOWIAN: WCZORAJ, DZIŚ, red. GRZEGORZ ANTOSIK, MICHAŁ ŁUCZYŃSKI, JUTRO MUZEUM MITOLOGII SŁOWIAŃSKIEJ 2020, s. 162-174](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/63667883/thumbnails/1.jpg)
Seria: BIBLIOTEKA MUZEUM MITOLOGII SŁOWIAŃSKIEJ ZESZYT 1 Redakcja: RADOSŁAW SAWICKI Tłumaczenia z... more Seria: BIBLIOTEKA MUZEUM MITOLOGII SŁOWIAŃSKIEJ ZESZYT 1 Redakcja: RADOSŁAW SAWICKI Tłumaczenia z języków obcych: MICHAŁ ŁUCZYŃSKI Skład i projekt okładki: MACIEJ STAŃKĘ/www.behance.net/maciejstanke Na okładce wykorzystano grafikę "Perun" z serii "Panteon bogów słowiańskich" autorstwa Hanny Doli. FB/HannaDolaArt "Wspólna Ziemia", 2020 Wydawca: STOWARZYSZENIE EKOLOGICZNO-KULTURALNE "WSPÓLNA ZIEMIA" Parszczenica 7/2, 89-607 Konarzyny ISBN 978-83-935819-1-7 Owidz 2020. Wydanie I Nakład: 400 egz. WSTĘP / 5 JUAN ANTONIO ALYAREZ-PEDROSA NOŃEZ / 7 ANDRIEJ ANATOLIEWICZ BESKOV / 10 KRZYSZTOF BRACHA / 22 NATALIA CHAMAJKO / 26 NIKOS CHAUSIDIS/30 JANUSZ CIEŚLIK/37 Jlftl DYNDA / 45 MARIUSZ FILIP/55 LUBOMIR GABOR / 64 BOGUSŁAW GEDIGA / 68 ALEKSANDR V. IVANENKO / 74 MAKSIM ANATOLIEWICZ JUJUKIN / 78 KAMIL KAJKOWSKI / 84 KONRAD KOŚNIK /109 ANDRZEJ PIOTR KOWALSKI /116 SERGIO MAZZANTI i 122 EWA MASŁOWSKA /127 RANKO MATASOVIĆ / 130 ADRIAN MIANECKI /134 LECH OSTASZ i 138 NADIA PROFANTOVA / 141 KONSTANTIN RACHNO /151 STANISŁAW ROSIK / 156 DARIUSZ ANDRZEJ SIKORSKI / 162 LESZEK PAWEŁ SŁUPECKI 175 WOJCIECH SOWA /178 PAWEŁ SZCZEPANIK i 182 ANDRZEJ SZYJEWSKI /188 MICHAŁ TERA/196 TATIANA WAŁODZINA / 200 JOANNA WAWRZENIUK / 204 ROMAN ZAROFF / 208 JAKUB ZIELINA/212 PODSUMOWANIE / 216
Dobosz Jozef, Jurek Tomasz (eds), Polonia coepit habere cpiscopnm. 'lhe origin of the Poznan bish... more Dobosz Jozef, Jurek Tomasz (eds), Polonia coepit habere cpiscopnm. 'lhe origin of the Poznan bishopric in the light of the latest research. Adam Mickiewicz University Press. Poznan 2019. Series Historia no 237. Pp 152. ISBN 978-83-232-3557-6. ISSN 0554-8217. English text..
![Research paper thumbnail of Sikorski - Obecność Skandynawów w Polsce w okresie wczesnopiastowskim w świetle źródeł pisanych, [w:] Wikingowie w Polsce? Zabytki skandynawskie z ziem polskich, red. M. Bogacki, A. Janowski, Ł. Kaczmarek, Gniezno 2019](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/62956251/thumbnails/1.jpg)
In the article, the author briefly presents the views of historians formulated from the
beginning... more In the article, the author briefly presents the views of historians formulated from the
beginning of the i9th century on the participation of Scandinavians in the formation of
the first Piast monarchy (mid-ioth century to around 1040). Most of them did not have
any support in the sources and had a character of speculations built on analogies. These
included numerous examples of the Scandinavian influence on political processes in eastern
Europę, the Baltic area and the Mediterranean basin in the toth and nth centuries.
The only morę serious source in the source materiał was the identification of Mieszko I as
a Scandinavian, based on his name (Dagone/Dagome) in a verdict of a document issued
on his behalf before 992.
Currently, most researchers reject this Scandinavian etymology, conseąuently rejecting
such origins of Mieszko I. A theory originating in the 20th century a by Władysław
Semkowicz, which suggested that a wełl-known I2th century famiły of Avdank originates
from Scandinavia, did not actuałły have any source certification and its concept was fuli
of logicał errors together with some recently-discovered fractographic ones as wełł. In
conclusion, the author States that, based on written sources, it is impossible to cłaim
Scandinavian warrior groups remained on Polish soil in the earły Piast period.
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Papers by Dariusz Sikorski
quality of most of the pieces included in it.
beginning of the i9th century on the participation of Scandinavians in the formation of
the first Piast monarchy (mid-ioth century to around 1040). Most of them did not have
any support in the sources and had a character of speculations built on analogies. These
included numerous examples of the Scandinavian influence on political processes in eastern
Europę, the Baltic area and the Mediterranean basin in the toth and nth centuries.
The only morę serious source in the source materiał was the identification of Mieszko I as
a Scandinavian, based on his name (Dagone/Dagome) in a verdict of a document issued
on his behalf before 992.
Currently, most researchers reject this Scandinavian etymology, conseąuently rejecting
such origins of Mieszko I. A theory originating in the 20th century a by Władysław
Semkowicz, which suggested that a wełl-known I2th century famiły of Avdank originates
from Scandinavia, did not actuałły have any source certification and its concept was fuli
of logicał errors together with some recently-discovered fractographic ones as wełł. In
conclusion, the author States that, based on written sources, it is impossible to cłaim
Scandinavian warrior groups remained on Polish soil in the earły Piast period.
quality of most of the pieces included in it.
beginning of the i9th century on the participation of Scandinavians in the formation of
the first Piast monarchy (mid-ioth century to around 1040). Most of them did not have
any support in the sources and had a character of speculations built on analogies. These
included numerous examples of the Scandinavian influence on political processes in eastern
Europę, the Baltic area and the Mediterranean basin in the toth and nth centuries.
The only morę serious source in the source materiał was the identification of Mieszko I as
a Scandinavian, based on his name (Dagone/Dagome) in a verdict of a document issued
on his behalf before 992.
Currently, most researchers reject this Scandinavian etymology, conseąuently rejecting
such origins of Mieszko I. A theory originating in the 20th century a by Władysław
Semkowicz, which suggested that a wełl-known I2th century famiły of Avdank originates
from Scandinavia, did not actuałły have any source certification and its concept was fuli
of logicał errors together with some recently-discovered fractographic ones as wełł. In
conclusion, the author States that, based on written sources, it is impossible to cłaim
Scandinavian warrior groups remained on Polish soil in the earły Piast period.
is to point out that the assumption of historians that St. Adalbert was considered
a saint as a result of a formal canonization process conducted by the Pope,
finds no confirmation in sources, and had no analogy in those times. Because the
canonization of St. Adalbert is seen as the occurrence connected with the establishment
of the metropolis in Gniezno, this fact is supposed to serve as the argument
confirming the active papal policy in the process of foundation of the archbishopric
in Gniezno. Thus, the author contends that the cult of St. Adalbert could have
developed spontaneously and without any action from papacy. Moreover, this fact
does not imply the allegedly necessary, direct involvement of papacy in the process
of foundation of the metropolis in Gniezno. The main thesis of the chapter entitled “The Mission in Poland and the Alleged Papal Missionary Prerogatives in the Early Middle Ages” (p. 145 is included in the title. The conviction about the leadership of papacy (in various
forms) in the missionary activities is so strongly rooted in the majority of
historians that they assume the participation of this institution in the missionary
activities, even if there is no mention in sources, including the mission on
Polish lands in the 10th century. The author is trying to demonstrate that this
concept has no justification in sources, and the interpretations attributed to
some source material that were supposed to justify this concept were removed
from the historical context.
Also the title of the chapter “About the Alleged, Bohemian Origin of the
Polish Christian Terminology” (p. 223 suggests a principal conclusion. The
Bohemian origin of the earliest ecclesiastical terminology in Poland, accepted
thus far without reservations by both historians and by linguists, is one of the
main theories supposed to prove that the first current of Christianity in Poland
was connected with the Czechs and indirectly with Bavaria whose the then capital
Regensburg had been, until 970s the seat of a bishop for Bohemia. The author
is trying to indicate that this widespread belief in linguistics was shaped
by a strong influence of historiographic concepts—formulated since the turn of
the 20th century until the 1960-70s— that nowadays have been generally abandoned.
The advocates of such concepts, on the basis of historical reasons, came to the conviction about a strong Bohemian influence (and previously of Great
Moravian) shaping Christianity in Poland. In its final form, this thesis, already as
an “independent” theory of linguistics, was adopted by historians, without their
being aware of their earlier participation in its creation. The author shows that
the arguments of linguists are based on false historical premises whereas strictly
linguistic theories do not allow us to formulate the theory that Polish ecclesiastical
terminology was born as early as the 10th and 11th century. The author is also
trying to suggest—in the form of an outline of a scholarly project—that Polish
Christian terminology was truly shaped by the models originating from Bohemia
at a different time and in different circumstances. As far as the sources of terminology
in the earliest period are concerned, the author provides arguments suggesting
that it could have been shaped under the influence of clergymen educated
in the German centres (mainly in Saxony).
The longest chapter (“A Political and Ecclesiastical Affiliation of the Lands
of Southern Poland in the 10th Century”, s. @) treats of a complex issue which
is the extension of the Bohemian state in the 10th century. This issue is closely
connected with the origin of Christianity in Poland because the concepts of subordination
of Polish lands in the south to Czechs in the 10th century imply the
acknowledgement that Christianity in those territories may have appeared earlier
than in Great Poland. Moreover, Christianity was an import from Bohemia, and,
according to some, probably even the heritage of the 9th century, reaching back
to the tradition of the Great Moravian state. Due to the kind of source material,
the problem is very complex. As one of the main sources (Al-Bakri) is written
in Arabic, a critical analysis of this source is made difficult for historians non-
Arabists and only partly possible. It has been attempted to demonstrate to what
extent out knowledge of the work of Al-Bakri (containing the fragments of the
account by Ibrahim ibn Jacob) is very limited, in contrast to the explicit conclusions
that are drawn on its basis, and to signal progress in the interpretation
of this source which was made since the publication of the edition by Tadeusz
Kowalski in 1947, which has not yet been acquired by Polish research. In this
chapter, a critical analysis is conducted of the main source materials (among
others Cosmas, the Prague document), which are used as the texts supposedly
proving that the lands of southern Poland belonged to Bohemia. The author
contends that Cosmas, most likely, created his vision of the times of Mieszko
I and Bolesław I the Brave after reading several false documents that were available
to him (including the Prague document from 1086), which he quotes in his
Chronicle, and consequently his information (e.g., about the conquest of Cracow
in 999) has no reference to reality. In the historiography dealing with the beginnings of the Church in Poland,
the question of archbishop’s pallium plays a significant role because of the pallium
of Bishop Aron from Cracow and the question of its legal status as well as
the pallium of Bruno of Querfurt. Recently, doubts have been expressed concerning
legal efficiency of Archbishop Gaudentius as Metropolitan Archbishop
of Gniezno. He was, supposedly, an “incomplete” metropolitan archbishop due
to the lack of pallium. The presentation of the origin of the pallium and the customs
of using it since the times of Pope Gregory I after the 11th c., is expected to
provide the necessary background for the considerations regarding Polish matters.
The basic conclusion consists in the emphasis that the pallium was not the
insigne equal to the position of Metropolitan Bishop, and on the other hand, the
lack of pallium of the metropolitan archbishop in office, need not have weakened
his position nor interfere with the function he performed.