7 Fascinating Facts You Never Knew About… The Iconic Czech Legends
1. Visiting Blanik to Meet the Blanik Knights
A journey to learn about the Blanik Knights isn’t truly complete without visiting Blanik, the lookout tower, and Veřejová Rock. This is where an army, led by a brave warrior from the past, is believed to rise to assist the oppressed Czech people. The story of the Blanik Knights was popularized by Alois Jirásek in his Old Czech Tales, but it originates from the 15th century, or possibly even earlier. According to the earliest written sources, the tale of a hidden underground army was recounted by Mikuláš Vlásenický (1421-1495) from Vlásenice near Pelhřimov in 1471. He shared his vision of a fierce battle between the Bohemians and their foes, so intense that the pond at Býkovice under Blanik would overflow with blood. At that moment, the stone lion in Miličín will let out a mighty roar, awakening the dormant army beneath Blanik (check out the distances on the maps – it’s truly an adventure!), and the knights will emerge, driving away their enemies and ensuring justice. For now, things are peaceful at Blanik, making it a perfect spot for a bicycle ride or a hike along the nature trails. You can explore the gigantic stone head atop Velký Blaník and make your way to the Blaník Nature House near Kondrace, or visit the intriguing ruins of the Baroque chapel at Malý Blaník.
2. How to Find the Grave of the Czech Forefather
Did you know that during the national revival, Czech patriots had quite a bit of accurate information while searching for the grave of the Czech forefather? Although the specifics of where Čech and his companions climbed Mount Říp are unclear, they did know that he died in 661 and was buried in Ctiněvsi. There are tales of a tombstone being discovered (although the unique stone with its inscription has been lost) and several possible locations for the grave: it could be where the shadow of the Ctiněves church spire falls at noon, near a group of tall poplar trees visible from Říp on the village’s far left, or even at Želiv hill. However, locating it isn’t easy; a prophecy from the 19th century suggests that only a farmer plowing with a pair of black or spotted cows will succeed.
3. The Grave of the Legendary Super Horse Šemík
Across from Vyšehrad, on the opposite bank of the Vltava River, you can find the Church of St. Philip and St. James perched on a low rock. An old legend holds that along the shore beneath it lies a stone with the imprint of a horseshoe, said to belong to the fearless super horse Šemík. He is believed to have leaped over the walls of Vyšehrad with Horymír on his back, swam across the Vltava River, and then sped away towards Neumětely. While the mythical horse might have leaped over different walls of Vyšehrad than what’s visible today, it doesn’t diminish the allure of the story. Near Prague lies Neumětely, and one interesting sight there is Šemík’s grave in the village square. It’s a stone topped with a beautiful sandstone roof. The inscription reads that “…it is believed in Neumětely that Šemík, the loyal horse of knight Horymír, rests here.” This belief continues today, given that no one really knows if anything lies beneath that stone. Moreover, in Neumětely, it’s also said that if anyone dares to move the stone, misfortune will befall the village.
4. The White Lady of Rosenberg and Her Horrific Marriage
When exploring various castles and chateaus in Jindřichův Hradec, Rožmberk, Třeboň, Telč, or Český Krumlov, you might hear the creaking of old doors, the flutter of starched skirts, and the clattering of shoes on the stone paths. This won’t be the guide or the castle keeper; it will likely be the White Lady, Protector of the House of Rosenberg and the Lords of Hradec. Legends often tell that she was originally Perchta of Rožmberk (1429-1476), who was married to John of Liechtenstein in Mikulov. Their marriage was troubled from the very start: the widowed knight expected a significant dowry to help settle his debts, but Perchta’s father only provided small sums. Consequently, John took out his frustrations on Perchta. The archives in Třeboň still hold letters in which Perchta pleaded with her family for help. Her husband starved her, subjected her to cold, and didn’t even allow her a private room. In one letter, she beseeches a brother for a blanket, while in another, she confides feeling “so poor that I can hardly avoid despair…” and pleads, “Rescue me from these wicked men, and you’ll earn the merit of saving a soul from purgatory.” The situation eventually gained public attention and became a matter for King George of Poděbrady. In a time when women rarely complained about their husbands, let alone sought divorce or separation, Perchta was ultimately allowed to leave her husband and take refuge in the Benedictine monastery of Schottenstift in Vienna after twenty-four long years of suffering. Following John’s death in 1473, she returned to her family and contributed her efforts to helping the needy.
After her death, she reportedly appeared as a dark phantom at Rosenberg estates, warning of nearing death, fire, or family additions. Excluding fairy tale night tours, the last known sighting was during World War II. During this time, a Nazi youth group was camping in Rožmberk when, at the moment of raising the swastika flag, a white, ominous figure appeared on the Jacobin tower, witnessed by several individuals. The enigma remained unsolved because, while belief in ghosts was low, there wasn’t any staircase or ladder leading to the top of the tower for anyone to have climbed up to create such an apparition.
5. The Rosenberg Tomb in Vyšší Brod and the Golden Chairs
The last descendant of the Rosenberg family, one of the oldest and wealthiest noble families in the Czech lands, was Petr Vok. Due to overwhelming debts, he was forced to sell off two-thirds of the family estate and eventually passed away in 1611 in Třeboň. During his funeral, the Rosenberg tomb in the monastery church in Vyšší Brod was reportedly sealed so that no one would enter it again. Chronicler Bohuslav Balbín added to its reputation as a grim place by claiming that the bodies of the Lords of the Rose were not laid to rest in coffins but were seated in chairs like rulers even in death. The tomb was likely only opened once in 1902 when the steps of the main altar began to collapse. However, none of the legends were validated, and there has been little desire to explore the tomb further as another local legend stated that any abbot who ordered its opening would die in the same year. Recently, it was uncovered that the tomb is much larger than previously thought, housing forty members of the renowned House of Rosenberg, resting in coffins instead of sitting in ornate chairs around a grand table.
6. Did the Devil Claim the Famous Fishmonger?
The renowned pond keeper Jakub Krčín from Jelčany (1531-1604), who served as the Regent of Rožmberk and helped create the Třeboň pond system, spent the last years of his life in a fortress in Obděnice. He had a tomb prepared in the local church, which included a grave stone with a space left blank for the date of his death. However, that space was never filled in, and during the church’s renovation in the 19th century, it was found that the tomb was empty. So, where did Krčín go? Did he visit his daughter in Mitrovice as he aged? Was he interred under a stone with Krčín’s name in the Church of St. Lawrence in Sedlec-Prčice? Or did the devil finally take this troublesome pond keeper to hell?
7. The Lady of Karlštejn
The royal castle of Karlštejn is associated with the jeweler’s Father of the Fatherland Charles IV. His dark story involves Kateřina Bechyňová from Lažany, the wife of the castle’s purgrave. The entire scandal began due to Václav Hájek of Libočany, the dean of the Karlštejn chapter, who documented people’s concerns about Katherine’s cruel treatment of her subjects and the mysterious vanishing of numerous servants. There was a trial, but Catherine was feared too much for anyone to speak out against her. Ultimately, the key testimonial came from Prokop Papež, a furrier from Prague who had no fear of Katherine. He testified, “…I know that Mrs. Katerina… has killed my sister Katerina Právovic from Dušniki and has also slain another girl, the blacksmith’s daughter from Pičín, named Dorota… After killing her, Katerina hung her over the perch and tied a mortar to her head.” Following this, many accusations surfaced, with witnesses reporting hearing cries of those tortured from the castle and having seen a dead body in the moat. It was ultimately discovered that Katherine had tortured, mutilated, and murdered many individuals—mostly young girls, but also men. The total number remains unknown; she herself confessed to fourteen horrific murders. Similar to Elizabeth Bathory, known as the Lady of Chachtice (1560-1614), it’s said she bathed in the blood of her victims to stay eternally youthful.
The court’s decision led by Vojtěch of Pernštejn shocked many: rather than the expected pardon (she was a noblewoman!), the murderer was imprisoned in the Mihulka Tower at Prague Castle on February 27, 1533, to starve. She passed away in March of that same year, and it is said that she took Vojtěch of Pernštejn with her to his grave through her curse.
