Oleńka Billewiczówna

In the novel

The novel opens with a description of the Samogitian family of the Billewiczes and the will of Herakliusz Billewicz, chamberlain (podkomorzy) of Upita. In it the grandfather destines his granddaughter Aleksandra to be the wife of Andrzej Kmicic, the son of a friend, and entrusts her care to the nobility of Lauda¹. From the scene of her first meeting with Kmicic at Wodokty, the narrator calls her Oleńka².

The very first weeks of the betrothal confront her with Kmicic's violence. After the burning of Wołmontowicze she hides him from his pursuers, and then drives him away³:

– Krew na waćpana ręku jako na Kainowym! – krzyknęła, odskakując jakby na widok węża. – Precz, na wieki!…

Henryk Sienkiewicz, The Deluge (Potop)³

(Our translation: "There is blood on your hand, sir, as on Cain's!" she cried, springing back as if at the sight of a snake. "Away, for ever!…")

At Kėdainiai, when Janusz Radziwiłł announces the agreement with the Swedes and Kmicic does not abandon the hetman, she rejects him with the words „Precz… zdrajco!” ("Away… traitor!")⁴. The hetman then sends her, together with her uncle, the sword-bearer (miecznik) of Rosienie, to Taurogi under the protection of Prince Bogusław Radziwiłł⁵. There Bogusław seeks her hand, and the sword-bearer refuses on her behalf, invoking the will, under which her only choice is between Kmicic and the convent⁶. From chapter XXVI of the third volume the reader learns that she escaped from Taurogi together with Anusia Borzobohata-Krasieńska under Braun's protection⁷. We do not summarise here her later fortunes, which are settled in the final chapters.

Historical basis

In the film

In Jerzy Hoffman's film Oleńka Billewiczówna was played by Małgorzata Braunek⁸. According to the National Film Archive's description, her performance was received „dość ozięble” ("rather coolly") at the time of the premiere⁹.