Topór - is a Polish Coat of Arms. It was used by several szlachta families in the times of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.

History

Topór Coat of Arms is said to be one of the earlies Polish signs of szlachta, if not the first. It was first used on a stamp of late 13th century. Until the Union of Horodło it was used by approximately 220 Polish szlachta families, mostly in the Kraków, Lublin and Sandomierz areas.

During the Union the clan was represented by Maciej z Wąsocza, the voivod of Kraków and the accepted member of Lithuanian noble family was Jan Butrym, a Lithuanian boyar. After the union another 150 families in Lithuania adopted it. Due to its age it was sometimes referred to as Starża, an old-Polish word denoting the ancestry.

Blazon

Gules, axe Argent. The crest in the form of an axe embedded in the helm, Argent.

Notable bearers

Notable bearers of this Coat of Arms include:

• Cyprian Norwid
• Jerzy Ossoliński
• Józef Zabiełło

See also:

• Polish heraldry
• Heraldry
• Coat of Arms