This ancient Bohemian legend dates back to the 8th century and tells the story of an oracle who foretold the coming of the golden city, Prague. Libuše, and her prophecies, were both a warning and blessing to her people. Ultimately, her prophetic visions would cause a chain reaction that would end her rule and usher in the Přemyslid Dynasty.
Libuše was one of three extraordinary sisters who were incredibly gifted in their respective fields. Libuše was the youngest of the sisters and was gifted with the power of foresight and prophecy. The second oldest sister, Teta, was a priestess and a teacher who instructed the Bohemians on how to worship their deities, idols, and nymphs properly. Kazi, the oldest sister, was a renowned healer and herbalist.
Alongside their father, Teta and Kazi only make a small appearance in the legend. Duke Krok, their father, is only briefly described by Cosmas of Prague as: "a man known for his age, absolutely perfect, rich and worldly in his judgments, and sophisticated. This wonderful man had no male heirs, but rather three daughters, who nature had granted the treasures of wisdom."
Cosmas of Prague was a notable figure in that his written works chronicled the detailed accounts of the Czech land's history. His novel Chronica Boemorum contains a historical record of the Czech lands from ancient times to the 12th century. The legend of Libuše is part of Cosmas's chronicle. This novelization is possibly the oldest version of the story, but Alois Jirásek wrote the most popular telling of Libuše and the coming of Prague. His 1894 novel Ancient Bohemian Legends contains several myths and legends:
· Maiden's War
· Libuše and Přemysl
· Krok's Daughters
· Bohemian Arrival
· Golem of Prague
Because of her kind and just nature, and her gift of foresight, Libuše was chosen to be her father's successor. Though she was a fantastic leader, the male population stirred themselves into a frenzy and demanded that Libuše marry. The men wished to rid themselves and their nation from the shame of having a woman ruler.
People would come to Libuše to settle disputes. She was their ruler, but most importantly, she was the judge who would determine difficult circumstances that arose between her people. During one confrontation, where an older gentleman was not favored in the final ruling, he became very aggravated and shouted at Libuše:
"Why must we have a female judge? Every nation is ruled by a man – what a shame! Long hair means short reason!"
Through the man's misogynistic ramblings, he garnered many supporters to the claim that a female ruler humiliated their nation in the eyes of others. Libuše offered her various constituents her prophetic council and warned them of the path that they've chosen.
"Find yourself a Duke and myself a husband, if you will. But beware, a man will be a stern ruler, harsh upon you, unlike I was. If you are unsure about what man to choose, take my white horse and go wherever it goes, until it stops in front of a man. You will know that it is the right man by these signs: he ploughs with two oxen, and eats from an iron table. If you like, take horses, a robe, a cloak and shawls and go give that man a message from me and my people and bring a duke to yourselves and a husband to me."
There are several variations of this legend, but the message remains the same through each retelling of Libuše and her prophetic visions. Fed up with the men and their lust for a ruler that would mistreat them, Libuše abided by what the people wanted, even if it was against their better judgments. Her council did precisely as she instructed. They took her white horse and followed it to the man who would be Duke.
Upon finding the man, the council witnessed the two oxen as foretold and a man eating his lunch on the side of an overturned plough (the iron table). Přemysl the ploughman was recruited by the council and brought back to Libuše just as instructed. At this time, Libuše ascended a rocky cliff that overlooked the Vltava river, where she prophesied the coming of a grand city. Some two-hundred years later, the city of Prague would become the seat of power for the Přemyslid Dynasty.
Though they had not realized it at the time, the council chose a ruler that would eventually thrust the nation into war. Přemysl was exactly the ruler that Libuše foretold, one who was harsh and stern, and ultimately one who believed that women shouldn't enjoy the same rights as men. Under Libuše's rule, both men and women had the same rights, but soon that came to an end. It's unclear how Libuše died in the legend, though one thing is exact: her death marked the end of the matriarchal society. Feudalism and serfdom would take their place as Přemysl implemented the patriarchal society.
This act infuriated the women of the Czech lands and sparked the first shots across the bow. A war was coming, a fight for the rights of women, the Maidens' War. Civil war erupted between Přemysl's forces and the Czech lands women who disliked the direction their new Duke was taking them in.
The maidens removed themselves from the city and set up their military camp at castle Děvín, where they trained in the art of war to restore their rights under the new patriarchy. The rebel forces' commanding officer was Vlasta, Libuše's chambermaid, who led the other women in a bloody struggle against Přemysl. The women were mocked openly, and their rebellion taken as nothing more than a joke until the women began to fight back, and won many of the battles.
The women deployed exciting tactics in the war against the men. They utilized their charm and feminine wiles, catching the men off guard just before the slaughter began. The women also declared that castle Děvín was off-limits; beware to any men stupid enough to come upon the castle, for their life will surely be at stake.
While Vlasta was notable for her role as commanding officer of the rebel forces, another took center stage during the legend's most exciting moment. Šárka was a high ranking lieutenant in the Maidens' War and was by far the most clever tactician. Through a fantastic mock betrayal performance, Šárka feigned helplessness as she was tied to a tree and left to die. She screamed and cursed the rebel forces to gain the attention and sympathy of a band of men patrolling the forest for the women.
Šárka successfully conned the male forces into helping her. She begged for something to drink and to be set free. Ctirad, the best fighter amongst the men, took pity on the poor girl and believed her story. He untied her, and then they all set up camp for the night. They all enjoyed the company of the beautiful woman they had just freed. Šárka poured mead for all the men, but little did they know that she spiked the mead with a potent sleeping powder. Once the men fell asleep, the rebel forces emerged from the tree line and slaughtered them, except for one.
Ctirad was kept alive, imprisoned, and dragged back to castle Děvín where he was tortured to death. Once word had traveled back to the male forces that their greatest warrior was dishonored, they became even more enraged. They began to attack women traveling on the roads, killing them, hoping that it would lure the rebel leader out into the open. It was a successful tactic as Vlasta could no longer bear the torment that the men rained down upon the helpless women travelers. She obliged and met them in open combat. Vlasta was killed in the struggle, and her army disbanded soon after. The men burned castle Děvín to the ground to prove their point: they secured victory by any means necessary.
Written by James Lemons
Sources for further reading:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Bohemian_Legends
https://praguesummer.com/bohemian-legends-part-i/
https://english.radio.cz/princess-libuse-wisest-woman-czech-literary-history-8091287
http://www.myczechrepublic.com/prague/history/prague_legends.html