Gabriel Rzączyński (6 July 1664 – 12 November 1737) was a Polish Jesuit, naturalist, geographer, and writer. He published several works in Latin on the natural history of Poland.
Rzączyński was born in Podlasie, from a family bearing the Ślepowron coat of arms, and joined the Jesuit order in 1682 and became a grammar teacher from 1687 at Lublin. In 1692 he taught theology at Kraków, still later rhetoric and philosophy at Toruń, Lublin and Poznań, and Łuck. After 1717 he became a prefect of Gdańsk schools and from 1721 rector at Ostrog. Following his wide travels he wrote on the curiosities of natural history in his Historia naturalis curiosa Regni Poloniae, Magni Ducatus Litvaniae, annexarumque provinciarum, in tractatus XX divisa (1721). In 1745 was published posthumously his Auctuarium [sic] historiae naturalis curiosae Regni Poloniae, Magni Ducatus Lithvaniae, annexarumque provinciarum, concinnatum. Aside from fauna, flora and geography, he wrote on contemporary myths and beliefs. In his 1721 work, he included descriptions of beliefs in vampires and walking corpses.
References
- Rzączyński, Gabriel (1721). Historia naturalis curiosa Regni Poloniae, Magni Ducatus Litvaniae, annexarumque provinciarum, in tractatus XX divisa (in Latin). Sandomiriae: typis collegii Soc. Jesu.
- Rzączyński, Gabriel (1745). Auctuarium [sic] historiae naturalis curiosae Regni Poloniae, Magni Ducatus Lithvaniae, annexarumque provinciarum, concinnatum. Opus pothumum [sic] (in Latin). Gedani: s.e.
- Fedorowicz, Zygmunt (1966). Fauna Polski w dziełach o. Gabriela Rzączyńskiego T. J. (1664-1737). Memorabilia Zoologica. 16 (in Polish). pp. 1–17.
- Maciesza, Aleksander Bolesław (1921). G. Rzączyński S. J. : pierwszy fizjograf Polski (in Polish). Sandomierz.
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: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - Rauer, Constantin (2008). "Von der Aufklärung des Vampirismus zum Vampirismus der Aufklärung: eine west-östliche Debatte zwischen einst und heute". Ethic@. 7 (1): 87–107. doi:10.5007/1677-2954.2008v7n1p87. ISSN 1677-2954.
- Lecouteux, Claude (2001). "Typologie de quelques morts malfaisants". Cahiers slaves. 3 (1): 227–244. doi:10.3406/casla.2001.907.