Wenceslas helmet
| Wenceslas helmet | |
|---|---|
|
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| Information | |
| Weapon type: | Protective weapon |
| Designations: | Wenceslas helmet, helmet of St. Wenceslas |
| Use: | helmet |
| Creation time: | around 800 to 1000 AD |
| Working time: | about 10th century |
| Region of origin / author: |
Bohemia , armory |
| Distribution: | Bohemia |
| Lists on the subject | |
The Wenceslas helmet is an early medieval nasal helmet in the treasure of St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague . Together with a mail shirt and a neck guard, it forms the armor of Saint Wenceslas . The cathedral's inventory lists the helmet for the first time in 1354. It is still one of the most valuable items in Prague's cathedral treasure .
description
The helmet consists of two parts: the helmet bell and a nose iron. The conical helmet bell, forged from one piece of iron, is 17 centimeters high and has a diameter of 23 × 21 centimeters at the oval base. It is badly damaged on the top and back, suggesting use in combat. The cross-shaped nose iron is also made of iron, the surface is covered with sheet silver and decorated with the representation of a crucified . The figure wears a tunic that extends from the waist to the knees. Bracelets or shackles are attached to the outstretched arms. The head is bald, the chin bearded, and three teeth protrude from the wide open mouth. For centuries interpreted as a figure of Christ , recent research points to clear parallels with the Nordic god Odin and his self-sacrifice on the world ash Yggdrasil .
The helmet bell dates from the 10th century. The nasal iron, on the other hand, is significantly older. The Western European or Scandinavian forging originated in the 9th century, possibly as early as 800. Originally it could be a headdress have acted. When the two parts were connected to each other, the helmet was no longer in use and lost its protective function , because the nose iron, bent slightly inward, would have broken the wearer's nose if hit. The Wenceslas helmet received the connection and thus its present form at the end of the 10th century. An indication of this is given by the Christian legend from around 992–994 , which describes the fight of Wenceslas with the prince of Kouřim Castle . When he saw the sign of the cross shining on Wenceslas forehead, he surrendered to the supposedly invincible opponent without a fight. Christian therefore already knew the helmet with the cross-shaped nose iron and used the motif to emphasize Wenceslas' superiority - an early example of the saint as a superior fighter.
Wenceslas was one of the first Christian princes in Bohemia at the beginning of the 10th century . In 929 or 935 his brother Boleslav I had him murdered. The cult that began soon afterwards turned the victim of fratricide into a saint , patron saint of the Přemyslid dynasty and the Prague diocese, founded in 973 . In the course of the founding of the diocese, the helmet was presumably also made - as one of the first relics that helped promote the cult of saints. The High Middle Ages revered Wenceslas as patron and protector of the whole country and helper in danger of war. From the 11th to the 14th centuries, statues , coins and seals depicted Wenceslaus typically armed and in full armor, with the helmet as an indispensable attribute. From around 1400 the war helmet was replaced by a ducal hat until the romanticizing depictions of the 19th century rediscovered the fighter with helmet. The sculptor Josef Václav Myslbek was also inspired by the helmet from the cathedral treasury at the beginning of the 20th century for his famous equestrian statue on Wenceslas Square in Prague.
literature
- Anežka Merhautová: Vznik a význam svatováclavské přilby. In: Luboš Polanský, Jiří Sláma, Dušan Třeštík (eds.): Přemyslovský stát kolem roku 1000. Na paměť knížete Boleslava II. († 7. února 999). Nakladatelství Lidové noviny, Praha 2000, ISBN 80-7106-272-3 , pp. 85-92.
swell
- Legenda Christiani. Vita et passio sancti Wenceslai et sancte Ludmile ave eius. Edited by Jaroslav Ludvíkovský, Prague 1978, p. 101 ( Memento from September 27, 2007 in the Internet Archive )
