JAKUB
Vysehrad, which means upper Castle in English, offers so many legends, stories, and historical facts that I have a hard time to decide where to even start.
KEVIN
What kind of legends are you talking about?
JAKUB
You see, Vysehrad is a younger castle than Prague castle, built in the middle of the 10th Century. There was a road between both castles and alongside the road merchants and Prague Jews settled.
But in the legends, Vysehrad is mentioned first – legends such as Princess Libuse who picked a common man for her husband or Girls War, a revolt of women against men after the death of Princess Libuse. Or about the treasure…
KEVIN
Definitely start with the treasure, please.
JAKUB
Princess Libuse had once a dream that difficult times will come soon to her land. She decided to protect her people and ordered miners to find and bring her as much gold as they can. Then she took all that gold and hid it inside this hill. The only person she told where the treasure was hidden, was her husband Premysl. When they both died, the secret was lost forever.
KEVIN
Of course, it was!
So, what else is here?
JAKUB
You can see many important buildings here – such as basilica of Saint Lawrence, Romanesque Rotunda of Saint Martin or the church of Saint Peter and Paul. Also, we have here a National cemetery Slavin where many famous Czech people are buried, including Composers Antonin Dvorak and Bedrich Smetana, or a writer Karel Capek who invented a word “robot”.
KEVIN
I didn’t know that, very cool.
Any more stories?
JAKUB
I personally like the one about Charles the IV. You see, he significantly altered Vysehrad. In the evening before his coronation at the Prague castle, he came to Vysehrad, dressed in a simple robe, put on bast shoes, and wore a straw pouch over his shoulder to honor an origin of the first ruler, Premysl. The coronation procession also started here the next morning.
KEVIN
I am really starting to like that king a lot. He did so much for his kingdom and yet, he was so humble.
JAKUB
You got it. Another great ruler was a woman, Holy Roman Empress Maria Theresa. In her era, Vysehrad got seized by Bavarian-French troops and later by Prussians, who wanted to blow up the whole castle. Fortunately, three brave men prevented the disaster and were later awarded by Marie Theresa with life annuity.
KEVIN
Well, they sure deserved it!
And what about these rocks here, what are those?
JAKUB
According to legend, the devil lost his bet with a local priest and got so mad that he threw a column and broke it like this.
KEVIN
Really? That is kind of funny. Are we done with the stories here?
JAKUB
No. I saved the most famous one to be the last one.
Prince Kresomysl was so obsessed with the hidden Libuse’s treasure that he encouraged farmers to become miners and look for it. One of the farmers, Horymir, protested and fought back so Kresomysl got him arrested and ordered his execution. Horymir’s last wish was to ride his loyal horse Semik for the last time. When they brought the horse, Horymir whispered something to him before the ride. Moments later, they went flying over the wall and swam over the Vltava river. Because of this huge jump, stunned Kresomysl forgave Horymir and gave him freedom but poor Semik died of injuries.
(Pavlina O`Toole: Kevin Alone)
Could Socrates Have Been in Prague?
