Foray

Foray

[
Adam Mickiewicz's Pan Tadeusz immortalized the tradition of forays.] A foray ( _pl. zajazd) was a traditional method of law enforcement in Poland. In view of the weakness of the executive in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, it was used by members of the szlachta to defend their rights.

In legal practice, zajazd was sanctioned by starosta officials, and was the fourth step in the execution of a legal ruling. After the guilty party refused to abandon the disputed property, starost would call his supporters as well as opponents of the guilty party (therefore creating a temporary force of militia) and attempt to remove the guilty party from his manor.

Since the mid-17th century, zajazds were increasingly done without a legal sanction simply when a member of szlachta would gather his supporters and raid an estate of his opponent. They would become a common occurrence during the period of "noble's anarchy" in the Commonwealth.

In literature, zajazds were most famously portrayed in Adam Mickiewicz's Pan Tadeusz, as well as in "The Trilogy" (With Fire and Sword, The Deluge, Fire in the Steppe) of Henryk Sienkiewicz.


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  • foray — UK US /ˈfɒreɪ/ noun [C] ► a short involvement in an activity, an area, or a market that is different from a person or company s usual one: a foray into sth »This is the company s first foray into the US market. »The supermarket has made a foray… …   Financial and business terms

  • Foray — For ay (f[o^]r [asl] or f[ o]*r[=a] ; 277), n. [Another form of forahe. Cf. {Forray}.] A sudden or irregular incursion in border warfare; hence, any irregular incursion for war or spoils; a raid. Spenser. [1913 Webster] The huge Earl Doorm …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Foray — For ay, v. t. To pillage; to ravage. [1913 Webster] He might foray our lands. Sir W. Scott. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • foray — ► NOUN 1) a sudden attack or incursion into enemy territory. 2) a brief but spirited attempt to become involved in a new activity. ► VERB ▪ make or go on a foray. DERIVATIVES forayer noun. ORIGIN from Old French forrier forager …   English terms dictionary

  • foray — I noun aggression, armed attack, attack, brigandage, depredation, drive, hostile invasion, incursion, inimical descent, inroad, invasion, looting, maraud, offense, offensive, pillaging, plundering, predatory incursion, push, raid, ransack, razzia …   Law dictionary

  • foray — (n.) late 14c., Scottish, from the verb (14c.), perhaps a back formation of M.E. forreyer raider, forager (mid 14c.), from O.Fr. forrier, from forrer to forage (see FORAGE (Cf. forage)). Disused by 18c.; revived by Scott …   Etymology dictionary

  • foray — [n] incursion, attempt attack, depredation, descent, inroad, invasion, irruption, raid, reconnaissance, sally, sortie; concepts 86,90,159 Ant. abstention, idleness, laziness …   New thesaurus

  • foray — [fôr′ā] vt., vi. [ME forraien, prob. back form. < forreier, forager < OFr forrier < forrer, to forage < forre: see FORAGE] to raid for spoils; plunder; pillage n. [ME forrai] a sudden attack or raid in order to seize or steal things …   English World dictionary

  • Foray — June Foray June Foray (* 18. September 1917 in Springfield, Massachusetts, USA) ist eine US amerikanische Synchronsprecherin. Inhaltsverzeichnis 1 Karriere …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • foray — n. 1) to make a foray 2) a bold foray 3) a foray into * * * [ fɒreɪ] a bold foray a foray into to make a foray …   Combinatory dictionary

  • foray — for|ay [ˈfɔreı US ˈfo: , ˈfa: ] n [Date: 1300 1400; : Old French; Origin: forrer, from forre; FORAGE2] 1.) a short attempt at doing a particular job or activity, especially one that is very different from what you usually do foray into ▪ It will… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

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