Okoliczności powoływania władców jako element ideologii władzy monarszej w kronikach Galla Anonima i Komasa z Pragi. Studium historyczno-ustrojowe

The article discusses one of the elements of the medieval ideology of authority, namely, the way rulers were appointed. In the Middle Ages the circumstances in which particular people and whole dynasties were posted to the throne in a country were an important component of legitimization of the monarch's authority. The considerations presented in the article are an analysis of two medieval chronicles from the first half of the 12th century: a Polish one, written by Gall Anonymous, and a Czech one, written by Komas of Prague. Both these chroniclers mentioned the same factors that posted a ruler to the throne. The first and basic source of the monarch's authority was God. Owing to His involvement the dynasties of Piasts and Przemyślidas received an inalienable and natural right to wield power in their countries. The other factors that legitimize the authority of the ruling dynasties are, according to Gall, the right of succession, and – to a lesser degree – the Pope's or the Emperor's will. In Komas's opinion, on the other hand, apart from the factors mentioned by Gall, the will of the people, that is election, played an important role in posting a person to the throne. Both the chroniclers, in the ideologies they created, presented the position of their countries in the international arena in different ways. Gall looked at Poland against the background of Bolesław the Brave's coronation, which, in his opinion, took place in Gniezno in the year 1000. Owing to this event Poland was sovereign and its rules were independent. On the other hand, Komas saw Bohemia as a part of the German Empire and he considered the German rulers suzerains of the Czech state