When and where was Jan Kochanowski born?
Jan Kochanowski entered the world in 1530 at Sycyna, a village near Radom within the Kingdom of Poland. He belonged to the szlachta class, the Polish nobility bearing the Korwin coat of arms.
Questions about Jan Kochanowski
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What major tragedy did Jan Kochanowski write first in Polish?
The Dismissal of the Greek Envoys became the first tragedy written in Polish when it was performed on the 12th of January 1578 in Warsaw's Ujazdów Castle. This blank-verse play recounted an incident modeled after Homer leading to the Trojan War.
Why is Urszula important to the works of Jan Kochanowski?
Urszula died at age two-and-a-half and her death profoundly affected Jan Kochanowski inspiring one of his most memorable works known as Treny or Laments. These nineteen elegies mourning his daughter were published later in three volumes in 1584 under the title Laments.
Who appointed Jan Kochanowski standard-bearer of Sandomierz?
King Stefan Batory appointed him standard-bearer of Sandomierz on the 9th of October 1579. Prior to this appointment he had served as a royal secretary starting in mid-1563 and received the provostship of Poznań Cathedral on the 7th of February 1564.
How did Jan Kochanowski die and where was he buried?
Jan Kochanowski died suddenly in Lublin on the 22nd of August 1584 likely due to a heart attack at age fifty-four. He was initially buried in the crypt of a parish church in Zwoleń though no original tombstones survive today before his remains were moved to his family crypt by Zwoleń church authorities in 1830.