Neklan
Neklan is a legendary Bohemian ruler from the pre-Christian ancestry of the Přemyslids . His name is recorded in the Chronica Boemorum des Cosmas of Prague , which was written at the beginning of the 12th century.
Lore
According to the tradition of the Cosmas Chronicle, a war between the Czechs and a neighboring tribe called " Lučané " or "Žatčané" took place during the Neklan period. Their cruel and aggressive leader Vlastislav invaded the territory of the Czechs in order to gain rule over the whole country. The cowardly neklan gave the brave hero Tyr his horse and armor to represent him. Under the leadership of the disguised hero, the Czechs won the war and killed all opponents except one man who had been protected by a spell by his stepmother. Vlastislav, but also Tyr, fell in battle.
After the victory Neklan Vlastislavs son handed the Sorbs Durynk to education. But Durynk killed the ward in the hope of pleasing its ruler. When he brought the child's head to Prague on a plate, the tribal leaders were appalled by the crime. Durynk, given a choice of three deaths, hanged himself from a tree.
meaning
The material forms an independent unit in the chronicle. Cosmas puts it behind the description of the Maiden's War and characterizes it as a legend ( fama ). It is the last event for the credibility of which the chronicler does not want to vouch, since it happened in "old times". Consequently, he does not give a year. The location of the war in the 9th century, which can still be found in František Palacký , results from the year 894 mentioned below by Cosmas. Bořivoj I is said to have been baptized in this year , the first historically attested Přemyslid ruler.
Historically and archaeologically, the names of the landscapes, rivers and castles mentioned by Cosmas are primarily examined today. Prague Castle and Levý Hradec are mentioned as castles of the Czechs, the capital of the opposing tribe is said to have been the northern Czech city of Žatec . The leader Vlastislav is said to have built a castle between Bílina and Litoměřice that bore his name. In the municipality of Vlastislav , a castle complex has actually been archaeologically proven. The field near the municipality of Tursko west of Prague was also archaeologically examined. According to Cosmas, the opposing armies had met there, and the fallen hero Tyr was buried there. The investigations showed burials in the field from the 5th century BC to the early Middle Ages. The grave mounds are still visible in part in the landscape.
In literary terms, the story is classified as a heroic epic , comparable to the old Russian igor song . The material was further developed in the following years and turned into a legend, the hero Tyr was given the name Čestmír in the 19th century. The most famous version was written by Alois Jirásek in 1894 under the title "Staré pověsti české" (Old Bohemian Legends).
literature
- Kosmova Kronika česká . Paseka, Praha-Litomyšl 2005, ISBN 80-7185-515-4 .
- Michal Lutovský: Po stopách prvních Přemyslovců . Volume 1, Nakladatelství Libri 2006, ISBN 80-7277-308-9 .
- František Palacký: Z dějin národu českého . Melantrich, Praha 1973.
- Naďa Profantová, Martin Profant: Encyklopedie slovanských bohů a mýtů . Nakladatelství Libri, Praha 2000, ISBN 80-7277-011-X .