Kult świętych a zwycięstwa militarne pierwszych Piastów (od X do początków XIII w.)

Summary The aim of this article is to proceed the analysis of the meaning of saints’ and relics’ cult in the military victories of the Piasts, from the 10th to the beginnings of the 13th century. To create a solid political community in Christian Europe it was crucial for a ruler to assure the saints’ protection and convince the subjects about their favorable intercession. The stories about the miracles beneficial for the Piasts shows to themselves and to their subjects that the rulers were chosen by God, who approves their proceedings. The Piasts became beneficiaries of the miracles due to the proper worshipping of the saints and their relics and in response to their Christianization activity. Using the descriptions of the saints’ miraculous support in battles in the texts written for the Piasts as an argument legitimizing and sacralizing their rule is a sign of the early reception and understanding the role of the cult of saints in the ideology of power.