"HARDA". POSTAĆ KRÓLOWEJ ŚWIĘTOSŁAWY W POWIEŚCIACH ELŻBIETY CHEREZIŃSKIEJ

The subject of the article is an analysis of the figure of Queen Sigrid in the novels of Elzbieta Cherezińska "Harda" and "Queen". The heroine is an extraordinary woman, very strong and intelligent, that had a significant impact on political events in medieval Europe. She is a semi-legendary figure, probably the daughter of Mieszko and Dobrawa or Oda, mother of Canute the King of Sweden, Norway, Denmark and England. She is mentioned by several historical sources, for example, Thietmar, Adam of Bremen, and the Scandinavian sagas. In the historical sources, she appears under the name that was given to her after she married the King of Sweden, Eric, the Slavic name of “Svietoslava” is only hypothetical. The rudimentary and uncertain information about this character allows the author to create a literary heroine who is very attractive to modern readers.The author combines the myth-creating potential of the Middle Ages with the modern tendency to highlight the importance of women in history. The author relates the image of a strong woman to the image of a strong state – the Polish Piasts, which was a major power in the European arena.