Helena Kurcewiczówna
Encyclopedia
Helena Kurcewicz is a fictional character appearing in the novel With Fire and Sword
by Henryk Sienkiewicz
as the main female protagonist. She is also mentioned in The Deluge and in Colonel Wolodyjowski.
Helena is a beautiful orphaned princess living with her aunt and cousins in Rozłogi. Jan Skrzetuski
falls in love with her and vies for her hand against the Cossack
colonel Bohun
to whom she was promised.
In 1999 film
she is portrayed by Izabella Scorupco
.
Helena was raised by her uncle, Konstantyn. She grew in Rozłogi with her five cousins. After Konstantyn's death, his wife looked after Helena. As it turned out, she cared more for Wasyl's fortune than for the young orphan. Helena soon became completely dominated by her aunt who regarded herself the mistress of Rozłogi, even though Helena was its legal owner. In the meantime the old princess' sons became friends with Bohun
. The young Cossack fell in love with Helena but she didn't return his feelings. She was afraid of his cruelty and quick temper since he once killed a man in her presence. Bohun asked the Kurcewiczs for Helena's hand in marriage, promising to waive the right to Helena's dowry (Rozłogi). Driven by her greed, the widow accepted his proposal.
In 1648, Helena met Polish lieutenant Jan Skrzetuski
and they fell in love with each other. Skrzetuski threatened the Kurcewiczs and forced them to promise Helena's hand to him. Bohun soon discovered the old princess' betrayal. In the company of Onufry Zagłoba, he rushed to Rozłogi, intending to take revenge. During the fight, the widow and her two sons were killed. Zagłoba, seeing Bohun's cruelty, decided to save Helena from him. They managed to escape from Rozłogi but Bohun almost immediately set off in pursuit of them.
For many weeks Zagłoba and Helena wandered the country at war. The finally managed to get to Bar
, where Helena was supposed to be safe from pursuit. Bar, however, was soon captured by Cossacks led by Bohun. At the sight of him, Helena stabbed herself with a knife. Bohun took the wounded girl to the ravine on the river Dniester
in order to hid her. He put Helena in the Devil's Valley, in the care of his friend - witch Horpyna and left to the war. Thanks to information from Rzędzian, Skrzetuski's friends (Zagłoba, Wołodyjowski and Rzędzian) found Helena and freed her. On their way back they had to divide into two groups because of Tartars' attack. Rzędzian and Helena escaped to Zamość
. After the Siege of Zbarazh
and signing the treaty
with Cossacks, Helena finally reunited with her beloved Skrzetuski. They soon went to Lviv
to get married.
In next parts of the Trilogy ("The Deluge" and "Colonel Wolodyjowski") Helena is mentioned sporadically. She is a happy wife and mother. She has twelve sons and in 1672 her first daughter was born.
While escaping from Bohun's pursuit, she was forced to having her braids cut in order to disguise as a man.
At the beginning of the novel, Helena is shy and dominated by her aunt. In spite of being surrounded by crude people since childhood, she is good-natured and sensitive. She has a strong, trusting faith in God. She quickly falls in love with Skrzetuski and is sure of her feelings for him. As a noblewoman, she is brave and very proud. She treasures her honor above all else, she is even ready to commit a suicide to avoid disgrace. She deeply loves Skrzetuski and is faithful to him.
With Fire and Sword
With Fire and Sword is a historical novel by the Polish author Henryk Sienkiewicz, published in 1884. It is the first volume of a series known to Poles as the Trilogy, followed by The Deluge and Fire in the Steppe , also translated as Colonel Wolodyjowski...
by Henryk Sienkiewicz
Henryk Sienkiewicz
Henryk Adam Aleksander Pius Sienkiewicz was a Polish journalist and Nobel Prize-winning novelist. A Polish szlachcic of the Oszyk coat of arms, he was one of the most popular Polish writers at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, and received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1905 for his...
as the main female protagonist. She is also mentioned in The Deluge and in Colonel Wolodyjowski.
Helena is a beautiful orphaned princess living with her aunt and cousins in Rozłogi. Jan Skrzetuski
Jan Skrzetuski
Jan Skrzetuski is a fictional character created by Polish author Henryk Sienkiewicz in the novel With Fire and Sword. He is a man of honour, always faithful to his master, duke Jeremi Wiśniowiecki. He loves Helena Kurcewiczówna, who was kidnapped by the Ukrainian Cossack Bohun, who is also in...
falls in love with her and vies for her hand against the Cossack
Cossack
Cossacks are a group of predominantly East Slavic people who originally were members of democratic, semi-military communities in what is today Ukraine and Southern Russia inhabiting sparsely populated areas and islands in the lower Dnieper and Don basins and who played an important role in the...
colonel Bohun
Bohun (fictional)
Jur Bohun is the main antagonist in the novel With Fire and Sword by Henryk Sienkiewicz. He is a famous Cossack colonel of unknown origin, and originally a friend of the Kurcewicz family. He falls in love with Helena Kurcewiczówna and wants to marry her...
to whom she was promised.
In 1999 film
With Fire and Sword (film)
With Fire and Sword is the English title of the Polish film Ogniem i Mieczem, a historical drama directed by Jerzy Hoffman, released in 1999...
she is portrayed by Izabella Scorupco
Izabella Scorupco
Izabella Scorupco is a Polish-Swedish actress and model, best known for her portrayal of Bond girl Natalya Simonova in the 1995 James Bond film GoldenEye.- Biography :...
.
Story
Helena was born in 1630. Her mother died in childbirth. Her father, prince Wasyl Kurcewicz Bułyha, was the master of Rozłogi and served prince Michał Wiśniowiecki. In 1634, he was charged of treason and forced to leave the country. Since then nobody heard of him, he probably soon died. Few years later he was cleared of the charge.Helena was raised by her uncle, Konstantyn. She grew in Rozłogi with her five cousins. After Konstantyn's death, his wife looked after Helena. As it turned out, she cared more for Wasyl's fortune than for the young orphan. Helena soon became completely dominated by her aunt who regarded herself the mistress of Rozłogi, even though Helena was its legal owner. In the meantime the old princess' sons became friends with Bohun
Bohun (fictional)
Jur Bohun is the main antagonist in the novel With Fire and Sword by Henryk Sienkiewicz. He is a famous Cossack colonel of unknown origin, and originally a friend of the Kurcewicz family. He falls in love with Helena Kurcewiczówna and wants to marry her...
. The young Cossack fell in love with Helena but she didn't return his feelings. She was afraid of his cruelty and quick temper since he once killed a man in her presence. Bohun asked the Kurcewiczs for Helena's hand in marriage, promising to waive the right to Helena's dowry (Rozłogi). Driven by her greed, the widow accepted his proposal.
In 1648, Helena met Polish lieutenant Jan Skrzetuski
Jan Skrzetuski
Jan Skrzetuski is a fictional character created by Polish author Henryk Sienkiewicz in the novel With Fire and Sword. He is a man of honour, always faithful to his master, duke Jeremi Wiśniowiecki. He loves Helena Kurcewiczówna, who was kidnapped by the Ukrainian Cossack Bohun, who is also in...
and they fell in love with each other. Skrzetuski threatened the Kurcewiczs and forced them to promise Helena's hand to him. Bohun soon discovered the old princess' betrayal. In the company of Onufry Zagłoba, he rushed to Rozłogi, intending to take revenge. During the fight, the widow and her two sons were killed. Zagłoba, seeing Bohun's cruelty, decided to save Helena from him. They managed to escape from Rozłogi but Bohun almost immediately set off in pursuit of them.
For many weeks Zagłoba and Helena wandered the country at war. The finally managed to get to Bar
Bar, Ukraine
Bar is a city located on the Rov River in the Vinnytsia Oblast of western Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Barskyi Raion , and is part of the historic region of Podolia. The current estimated population is 17,200 .-History:The city was a small trade outpost named Row...
, where Helena was supposed to be safe from pursuit. Bar, however, was soon captured by Cossacks led by Bohun. At the sight of him, Helena stabbed herself with a knife. Bohun took the wounded girl to the ravine on the river Dniester
Dniester
The Dniester is a river in Eastern Europe. It runs through Ukraine and Moldova and separates most of Moldova's territory from the breakaway de facto state of Transnistria.-Names:...
in order to hid her. He put Helena in the Devil's Valley, in the care of his friend - witch Horpyna and left to the war. Thanks to information from Rzędzian, Skrzetuski's friends (Zagłoba, Wołodyjowski and Rzędzian) found Helena and freed her. On their way back they had to divide into two groups because of Tartars' attack. Rzędzian and Helena escaped to Zamość
Zamosc
Zamość ukr. Замостя is a town in southeastern Poland with 66,633 inhabitants , situated in the south-western part of Lublin Voivodeship , about from Lublin, from Warsaw and from the border with Ukraine...
. After the Siege of Zbarazh
Siege of Zbarazh
The Siege of Zbarazh was a 1649 battle of the Khmelnytsky Uprising.The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth forces held their positions besieged in the Zbarazh Castle until in the aftermath of Battle of Zboriv and the Treaty of Zboriv the hostilities paused and the siege ended. These events were...
and signing the treaty
Treaty of Zboriv
The Treaty of Zboriv was signed on August 17, 1649, after the Battle of Zboriv when the Crown forces of about 25,000 led by king John II Casimir of Poland clashed against a combined force of Cossacks and Crimean Tatars, led by hetman Bohdan Khmelnytsky and khan İslâm III Giray of Crimea...
with Cossacks, Helena finally reunited with her beloved Skrzetuski. They soon went to Lviv
Lviv
Lviv is a city in western Ukraine. The city is regarded as one of the main cultural centres of today's Ukraine and historically has also been a major Polish and Jewish cultural center, as Poles and Jews were the two main ethnicities of the city until the outbreak of World War II and the following...
to get married.
In next parts of the Trilogy ("The Deluge" and "Colonel Wolodyjowski") Helena is mentioned sporadically. She is a happy wife and mother. She has twelve sons and in 1672 her first daughter was born.
Description
Helena is described as an extraordinarily beautiful woman. She has dark eyes and long black hair, usually in two braids. She makes a big impression on many men. She is loved by Bohun and Skrzetuski, even Wołodyjowski becomes slightly infatuated with her. In "The Deluge" she is well-known for her beauty, enough to make Bogusław Radziwiłł plan to abduct her.
He was confused also because there looked upon him from under a marten-skin hood eyes such as he had never seen in his life,—black, satinlike, liquid, full of life and fire,— near which the eyes of Anusia Borzobogata would be as a tallow candle before a torch. Above those eyes dark velvety brows were defined in two delicate arches; her blushing face bloomed like the most beautiful flower, and through her slightly opened lips of raspberry hue were seen teeth like pearls, and from under her hood flowed out rich dark tresses.
While escaping from Bohun's pursuit, she was forced to having her braids cut in order to disguise as a man.
At the beginning of the novel, Helena is shy and dominated by her aunt. In spite of being surrounded by crude people since childhood, she is good-natured and sensitive. She has a strong, trusting faith in God. She quickly falls in love with Skrzetuski and is sure of her feelings for him. As a noblewoman, she is brave and very proud. She treasures her honor above all else, she is even ready to commit a suicide to avoid disgrace. She deeply loves Skrzetuski and is faithful to him.