House of Griffin#Notes

The dynasty is known by two names, Pomerania, after their primary fief, and Griffin, after their coat of arms, which had featured a griffin since the late 12th century: the first verifiable use of the griffin as the dynasty's heraldic emblem occurred in a seal of Casimir II, Duke of Pomerania, which showed the imaginary beast within a shield, and was attached to a document dated 1194.Werner Buchholz, Pommern, Siedler, 1999, p.37, {{ISBN|3-88680-272-8}}Kyra T. Inachin, Die Geschichte Pommerns, Hinstorff Rostock, 2008, p.18, {{ISBN|978-3-356-01044-2}} The name Pomerania comes from Slavic po more, which means "[land] along the sea".[http://www.pommersches-landesmuseum.de/kulturreferat-fuer-pommern/aufgaben/aufgaben.html Der Name Pommern (po more) ist slawischer Herkunft und bedeutet so viel wie „Land am Meer“.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200819090147/http://www.pommersches-landesmuseum.de/kulturreferat-fuer-pommern/aufgaben/aufgaben.html |date=2020-08-19 }} ({{langx|de|Pommersches Landesmuseum}})

The origins of the Griffins are not clear. Most theories derive them from either local West Slavic nobility or a cadet branch of the Polish house of Piasts. Medieval Polish chronicler Jan Długosz connected them with Polish noble family of Świebodzice from the south province of Poland named the Lesser Poland, who also used a griffin as their coat-of-arms and who in turn might also have been a cadet branch of the Piasts. At any rate, chronicler Gallus Anonymus in his Gesta principum Polonorum calls the Griffins "close cousins" of then-contemporary Bolesław III of Poland, directly implying a close dynastic relationship with the Piasts.

In the 17th century, the Griffins derived their roots from legendary beings from Sorb mythology called Gryphus or Baltus.M. L. Wójcik, Ród Gryfitów do końca XIII wieku. Pochodzenie — genealogia — rozsiedlenie [Griffin Dynasty Till the End of the 13th Century. Roots – Genealogy – Location], Historia CVII, Wrocław 1993

The first known members of the Griffins were the brothers Wartislaw I and Ratibor I. Wartislaw would be the ancestor of the line of dukes that ruled the Duchy of Pomerania until 1630; Ratibor would be the ancestor of the Ratiborides branch of the Griffins, that was to rule the lands of Schlawe and Stolp until the line became extinct and the area was incorporated in the Duchy of Pomerania. The first known member of the Swantiborides branch of the Griffins, notable as castellans of Pomeranian cities, was Wartislaw (II) Swantiboriz.

{{Pomeranian family tree}}

File:Cornelius Krommeny Drzewo genealogiczne ksiazat Pomorza Zachodniego.jpg|Family tree of the House of Pomerania, 1598, National Museum in Szczecin

1. Wartislaw I († between 1134 and 1148)
2. Bogusław I (* about 1130; † 1187) ∞ (I) Walburgis († 1177), daughter of Valdemar I of Denmark;
   (II) Anastasia, daughter of Mieszko III of Poland and Eudoxia of Kiev
3. (I) Ratibor (* 1160; † 1183) ∞ Salome, daughter of Mieszko III of Poland and Eudoxia of Kiev
4. (I) Wartislaw II. (* 1160; † 1184) ∞ Sophia, daughter of Bolesław IV. of Poland
5. (II) Bogislaw II. (* um 1177; † 1220) ∞ Miroslawa (†1233), Daughter of Mestwin I of Pomerelia and Swinislawa
6. Woislawa († 1229)
7. Barnim I (* ca. 1217/19; † 1278) ∞ (I) Marianne, Daughter of William of Lüneburg and Helene of Denmark
   (II) Margarete of Brunswick
   (III) Mathilde (Mechthild) († 1316), Daughter of Otto III, Margrave of Brandenburg and Beatrix of Böhmen
8. (I) Anastasia (* 1245; † 1317) ∞ Henry I of Mecklenburg (1230–1302)
9. (II) Bogislaw IV (*1258; † 1309) → Pomerania-Wolgast (see section below)
10. (III) Barnim II (* about 1277; † 1295)
11. (III) Otto I (* about 1279; † 1344) → Pomerania-Stettin (see section below)
12. (III) Miroslawa († 1328) ∞ Nikolaus I of Schwerin
13. (III) Beatrix († 1300 or 1315) ∞ Henry II of Werle
14. (?) Dobroslawa ∞ Jaczo of Salzwedel
15. (II) Casimir II (* c. 1180, † 1219) ∞ Ingardis of Denmark
16. Wartislaw III(* c. 1210; † 1264) ∞ Sophia
17. Elisabeth († 1222)
18. (II) Dobroslawa (* before 1187, † c. 1226)
19. Casimir I. (* after 1130; † 1180) ∞ Pritolawa
20. Ratibor I († 1156) → Ratiborides
21. Swantibor → Swantiborides

1. Bogislaw IV (*1258; † 1309) ∞ (I) Mechthild († vor 1309), Daughter of John I of Brandenburg and Jutta of Saxony
   (II) Margareta, (Daughter of Wizlaw II of Rügen and Agnes of Brandenburg
2. (II) Euphemia of Pomerania (1289–1330) ∞ Christopher II of Denmark
3. (II) Margareta (1287–1337) ∞ (I) Nikolaus of Rostock († 1314), (II) John of Ścinawa († 1365)
4. (II) Wartislaw IV (* before 1290; † 1326) ∞ Elisabeth of Lindau-Ruppin (?)
5. Bogislaw V-Stolp (* c. 1318; † 1373/74) ∞ (I) Elisabeth of Poland, daughter of Casimir III of Poland and Aldona of Lithuania
   (II) Adelheid of Brunswick-Grubenhagen, daughter of Ernest I of Brunswick-Grubenhagen and Adelheid of Everstein
6. (I) Casimir IV (* c. 1351; † 2.1.1377) ∞ (I) Johanna (Kenna) († 1368), daughter of Olgierd of Lithuania and Mary of Witebsk
   (II) Margareta († 1409), daughter of Siemowit III of Masovia and Eufemia of Toppau
7. (I) Elisabeth of Pomerania (* 1347; † 15.2.1393) ∞ Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor
8. (I) Daughter 2
9. (II) Wartislaw VII (* 1363/64; † 1395) ∞ Maria of Mecklenburg, daughter of Henry III of Mecklenburg
10. Eric (Bogislaw) of Pomerania (* 1382; † 1459) ∞ Philippa, daughter of Henry IV (England).
11. Catherine of Pomerania (* c. 1390; † 4.3.1426) ∞ John of Pfalz-Neumarkt
12. Christopher III of Denmark
13. (II) Bogislaw VIII (* c. 1364; † 11.2.1418) ∞ Sophie of Holstein
14. Bogislaw IX (* 1407/10; † 7.12.1446) ∞ Maria of Masovia, daughter of Siemowit IV of Masovia and Alexandra of Lithuania
15. Sophia (* c. 1435; † 24.8.1497) ∞ Eric II, Duke of Pomerania-Wolgast
16. Alexandra
17. (II) Barnim V (* 1369; † 1402/04)
18. (II) Margareta
19. Barnim IV (* 1325; † 22.8.1365) ∞ Sophie, daughter of John II of Werle
20. Wartislaw VI (* c. 1345; † 1394) ∞ Anna, daughter of John I, Duke of Mecklenburg-Stargard
21. Barnim VI (* c. 1365; † 1404) ∞ Veronica of Hohenzollern
22. Wartislaw IX (* um 1400; † 1457) ∞ Sophia of Saxe-Lauenburg, daughter of Eric IV
23. Eric II. (* c. 1425; † 1474) ∞ Sophia († 1497), daughter Bogislaw IX of Pomerania-Stolp
24. Bogislaw X (* 1454; † 1523)
25. Casimir VII. (VI.) (* c. 1455; † 1474)
26. Wartislaw XI (after 1465–1475)
27. Barnim († 1474)
28. Elisabeth, Priorin in Verchen abbey († 1516)
29. Sophia, (* 1460, † 1504) ∞ Magnus II of Mecklenburg
30. Margarete († 1526), married to Balthasar of Mecklenburg
31. Catherine (ca. 1465–1526), ∞ Duke Henry IV of Brunswick and Lunenburg (1463–1514), Prince of Wolfenbüttel
32. Mary, Äbtissin of Wollin († 1512)
33. Wartislaw X (* c. 1435; † 1478) ∞ (I) Elisabeth († 1465), widow of Joachim of Pommern-Stettin, daughter of John of Brandenburg-Kulmbach
    (II) Magdalena of Mecklenburg, widow of Count Burkhard of Barby
34. (I) Swantibor († 1464)
35. (I) Ertmar († 1464)
36. Elisabeth
37. Christoph
38. Barnim VII (* um 1390; † 1450)
39. Elisabeth, Äbtissin of Kammin
40. Wartislaw VIII ∞ Agnes of Saxe-Lauenburg, daughter of Eric IV of Saxe-Lauenburg
41. Barnim VIII. (* c. 1406, † 1451) ∞ Anna of Wunstorf
42. Agnes (1434–1512) ∞ (I) 1449 Frederick of Altmark (the Fat)
    (II) 1478 George II of Anhalt-Zerbst
43. Sophie ∞ Henry I of Brunswick
44. Bogislaw VI
45. Elisabeth ∞ Magnus I of Mecklenburg
46. Wartislaw V
47. (II) Jutta (1290–1336), Äbtissin in Krummin abbey
48. (II) Elisabeth (1291–1349) ∞ Eric I of Saxe-Lauenburg

1. Otto I (* c. 1279; † 1344) ∞ Elisabeth (*1281), daughter of Gerhard II, Count of Holstein-Plön and Ingeborg of Sweden
2. Barnim III (before 1300; † 24.08.1368)Werner Buchholz, Pommern, Siedler, 1999, p.149, {{ISBN|3-88680-272-8}} ∞ Agnes (1318–1371), daughter of Henry II, Duke of Brunswick-Lunenburg (Grubenhagen)
3. Otto
4. Casimir III (* before 1348; † 1372)
5. Swantibor I (III) (* ca 1351; † 21.6.1413) ∞ Anna of Hohenzollern, daughter of Albrecht of Nuremberg (the Pretty)
6. Otto II (* c. 1380; † 27.3.1428) ∞ Agnes, daughter of John II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Stargard and Wilheida of Lithuania
7. Casimir V (VI) (* after 1380; † 12.4.1435) ∞ (I) Catherine of Brunswick-Lüneburg († 1429), daughter of Bernard I, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (Celle)
   (II) Elisabeth († 1451), daughter of Eric I, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (Grubenhagen)
8. (I) Joachim the Elder (* um 1424)
9. (I) Anna († 1447) ∞ John V of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
10. (I) Joachim the Younger (* after 1424; † 1451) ∞ Elisabeth (* 1425; † 1465), daughter of John of Brandenburg and Barbara of Saxe-Wittenberg
11. Otto III (* 29.5.1444; † 10.9.1464)
12. Albrecht
13. Margareta
14. Bogislaw VII (*before 1355; † 1404)
15. Mechthild († 1331) ∞ John III of Werle († 1352)

1. Bogislaw X (* 1454; † 1523) ∞ Anna (1476–1503), daughter of Casimir IV. of Poland
2. Sophie of Pomerania (* 1498, † 1568) ∞ Frederick I of Denmark
3. George I (* 1493, † 1531) ∞ (I) Amalia (* 1490; † 1525), daughter of Elector Palatine Philip and Margaret of Bavaria
   (II) Margarete of Brandenburg, daughter of Joachim I of Brandenburg and Elisabeth of Denmark.
4. (I) Bogislaw (* 1514)
5. (I) Phillip I (* 1515; † 1560) ∞ Maria († 1583), daughter of John of Saxony
6. Georg (died early)
7. Erich (died early)
8. John Frederick (* 1542; † 1600)
9. Bogislaw XIII (* 1544; † 1606) ∞ Clara, daughter of Francis of Brunswick-Lüneburg
10. Philip II (* 1573; † 1618) ∞ Sophia, daughter of John II, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg
11. Francis (* 1577; † 1620) ∞ Sophia, daughter of Christian I of Saxony
12. Bogislaw XIV (* 1580; † 1637) ∞ Elisabeth, daughter of John II, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg and Elisabeth of Brunswick-Grubenhagen
13. Ulrich (* 1589; † 1622) ∞ Hedwig of Brunswick († 1650)
14. Anna ∞ Ernest of Croy and Aerschot
15. Ernest Bogislaw of Croy
16. Ernest Louis (* 1545, † 1592) ∞ Sophia Hedwig (1561–1631), daughter of Julius of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel
17. Hedwig Maria
18. Elisabeth Magdalena
19. Philipp Julius(* 1584, † 1625) ∞ Agnes, daughter of John George of Brandenburg.
20. Barnim X (IX)
21. Casimir VI (IX) (* 1557, † 1605)
22. Amalia (died unmarried)
23. Margaret ∞ Duke Francis II of Saxe-Lauenburg
24. Anna ∞ Ulrich of Mecklenburg-Güstrow
25. (I) Margaret (1518–1569) ∞ Ernest III of Brunswick-Grubenhagen
26. (II) Georgia (* 1531; † 1574) ∞ Stanislaus Latalski Count of Latochin
27. Anna (* 1492, † 1550) ∞ George I of Silesia of Silesia-Liegnitz
28. Barnim (* before 1501, † before 1501)
29. Barnim IX (* 1501, † 1573)
30. Elisabeth († before 1518)
31. Otto (* before 1503, † before 1518)
32. Casimir VIII (* 1494, † 1518)
33. Christopher; probably an illegitimate son, as Junker Christopher, Tochof of Schwerin

Members of the Ratiborides (Ratiboriden) branch were most probably descendants of Ratibor I, a brother of Wartislaw I.Werner Buchholz, Pommern, Siedler, 1999, p.38, {{ISBN|3-88680-272-8}}

1. Ratibor I
2. Bogislaw, ∞ (I) N.N.; (II) a daughter of Mieszko III of Poland
3. (I) Bogislaw (III), ∞ another daughter of Mieszko III of Poland
4. (II ?) Ratibor II (either half-brother of Bogislaw III or cousin)

The Swantiborides ({{langx|pl|link=no|Świętoborzyce}}) were related to the Griffins, but the link remains unclear. Probably they descend from Swantibor, a Pomeranian duke overthrown in a rebellion and expelled to Poland in 1105/06. This Swantibor might have been a cousin of Świętopełk, a Pomeranian duke defeated by Boleslaw III of Poland in a campaign of 1111/12. Yet, these assumptions all remain speculative.

1. Wartislaw (II) Swantibor (↑ 1196), Castellan of Szczecin ∞ unknown wife
2. Bartholomew († 1219), Castellan of Gützkow ∞ unknown wife
3. Wartislaw (* 1175/80, ↑ 1233), Castellan of Szczecin, Lord of Gützkow 1219 ∞ Dobroslawa, widow of Boleslaw of Poland Duke of Kujavia, daughter of Bogislaw I
4. Bartholomew (+ 1206/10, ↑ 1259/60)
5. Wartislaw (↑ 1230/32), Castellan of Szczecin
6. Konrad (↑ 1233), Canon at Kammin Cathedral 1176/1186, provost 1186/1189 and 1208, Bishop of Kammin 1219
7. Casimir (↑ 1219), Castellan of Kołobrzeg ∞ unknown wife
8. Swietoslawa / Swiatochna (↑ after 1217)
9. Swantibor (* 1219, ↑ 1244) ∞ unknown wife
10. Casimir (↑1277/1280), Castellan of Kolberg (Kołobrzeg) ∞ Miroslawa, who secondly married Johann Ramel, Castellan of Kolberg and Pomeranian counsellor 1265/1297.
11. daughter 3 ∞ Czyrnek, Castellan of Kolberg

File:Eric the Pomeranian of Denmark, Norway & Sweden statue 2010 Darłowo.jpg in Poland]]

1. Eric of Pomerania, son of Wartislaw VII, was King of Norway (1389–1442), elected King of Denmark (1396–1439), and of Sweden (1396–1439). He was the first king of the Nordic Kalmar Union.
2. Euphemia of Pomerania, daughter of Bogislaw IV, married Christopher II of Denmark and became queen of Denmark.
3. Elizabeth of Pomerania, daughter of Bogislaw V, was the fourth and last wife of Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor and king of Bohemia. Her daughter Anne of Bohemia, of Luxembourg and of Pomerania became Queen of England as a wife of King Richard II of England. She was known as "Good Queen Anne".
4. Sophie of Pomerania, daughter of Bogislaw X, married King Frederick I of Denmark and became Queen of Denmark and Norway.

Main burial sites of the Griffins are the Ducal Castle in Szczecin, Saint John Co-Cathedral in Kamień Pomorski and Saint Peter church in Wolgast. Eric of Pomerania, King of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, is buried in the Our Lady of Częstochowa church in Darłowo.

{{Interlanguage link|Ranunculus gryphum|pl|Jaskier Gryfitów}}, a microspecies of Ranunculus auricomus known from Pomerania, was named in honour of the dynasty.{{Cite journal |last=Halamski |first=Adam T. |date=2024 |title=Contribution à l'étude des renoncules tête d'or (Ranunculus auricomus aggr.) de la Poméranie polonaise. Trois espèces nouvelles des environs de Darłowo et Sławno |journal=Bulletin de la Société Linnéenne de Lyon |volume=93 |issue=7–8 |pages=169–205 |issn=2554-5280}}{{Cite web |title=Ranunculus gryphum {{!}} International Plant Names Index |url=https://beta.ipni.org/n/77347919-1 |access-date=2024-10-23 |website=beta.ipni.org}}

• Edward Rymar: Rodowód książąt pomorskich, Szczecin 1995.
• Martin Wehrmann: Genealogie des pommerschen Fürstenhauses. Veröffentlichungen the landesgeschichtlichen Forschungsstelle für Pommern, Reihe 1, Bd. 5. Leon Saunier, Stettin 1937.
• Martin Wehrmann: Geschichte von Pommern. Weltbild Verlag 1992, Reprint der Ausgaben von 1919 und 1921, {{ISBN|3-89350-112-6}}
• Udo Madsen: [http://www.ruegenwalde.com/greifen/ Die Greifen - Das herzogliche Geschlecht von Pommern]

• Pomeranian duchies and dukes
• History of Pomerania

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• http://www.genemaas.net/Pommern.htm {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220703021528/http://www.genemaas.net/Pommern.htm |date=2022-07-03 }}
• [http://genealogy.euweb.cz/pan/pomerania.html Rulers of Pomerania]
• [http://www.ruegenwalde.com/greifen/ Greifen, Herzöge von Pommern] {{in lang|de}}

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