Ride of the kings
The Ride of the Kings (Czech: Jízda králů ) is a traditional parade in Moravia . It was declared an Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO in 2011 . The ride still takes place annually in Vlčnov , every two years in Kunovice , every three years in Hluk and annually in Skoronice .
Origin and Distribution
The King's Ride in its current form has been held since 1808, but its origin is unclear. It probably goes back to Easter processions , which in turn may have pagan forerunners. Although there is no evidence for this, the tradition is also traced back to the flight of the Hungarian King Matthias Corvinus after a lost battle, who is said to have escaped his enemies by putting on women's clothes. The return of the Bohemian King Wenceslaus II from captivity in Brandenburg is also considered a possible model.
The ride of the kings still took place in the 19th and early 20th centuries in many places in Moravia, but also in Slovakia and Hungary. It now only exists in a few villages in Moravian Slovakia and Hanna .
Milan Kundera made the ride of kings the subject of his novel The Joke .
Similar customs can also be found elsewhere in Europe, such as the Easter riding (also cross riding , Křižerje ) of the Sorbs in Lusatia .
procedure
Before the festival, the different costumes and decorations for riders and horses in each village are made. A king - usually a boy between the ages of eleven and sixteen - is selected; he wears the typical local woman's costume and a white paper flower in his mouth. This is supposed to prevent him from speaking because he has to be silent for twenty-four hours. Accompanied by a procession of horsemen, the king's entourage, collecting donations and shouting out traditional verses, the king rides through the village.
Web links
- The King's Ride on the side of the Vlčnov municipality
Individual evidence
- ↑ Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity
- ↑ Václav Frolec et al .: Jízda králů. Prague 1990 (e-text) ( Memento of the original from October 27, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
