하늘나무, 세상을 만들어 가다

The seat of the kings of Bohemia, a city of grandness, whose glory reaches to the heavens. Amongst the great cities of the world, it is the greatest, rich in commerce and strong in arms, and endowed with beauty, the towers of which rise above other towns. Founded by Princes Libusse and Přemysl, her husband and the father of the Přemyslid Dynasty, with a castle of stone at a place called Hradčany, to which later quarters were adjoined and during the reign of Emperor Charles the whole of the New Town was built on the opposite bank of the Vltava River, with the largest stone bridge the world had ever seen connecting it to the Old Town, made of much stone and mortar, to which, according to the legend, thousands of eggs were added for greater strength.

The populations if of a diverse nature. The Czechs dominate, but many a German can be found amongst merchants and tradesmen, who live in their won quarter, and even the Jews have been granted their own "town" within Prague, into which no Christian dare step foot. To celebrate the glory of God, the One and Only, monasteries were founded at Emmaus, Strahov, and Klarov, and churches of stone are so numerous that you could not count them on two hands. The greatest and most renowned of all, consecrated to Saints Vitus and Aldabert, shall soon stand, for it has been being constructed for nearly fifty years and soon shall be completed. Under Emperor Charles a University was founded as well, which provides learning in four arts, and from many distant lands do foreigners come to study. If one was to visit only one city in life, may on make haste to Prague, for there is no more beautiful city in the world.

Knight Raymond was a good friend of the Count of Poitiers. Once they went together to hunt wild pigs, but the Count of Poitiers was attacked by a raging boar and knocked from his horse. Brave Raymond rushed to save his friends and tried to kill the enraged beast, but his blow glanced off its back and instead of taking down the creature, he killed his friend with one blow. Aghast at his deed, Raymond fled deep into the forest, where he grieved over the death of his friend, little knowing that he had acted according to an ancient prophesy, and through an evil heart. Thirsty, he knelt down by a pool in the woods to take a drink and rest a while, whereupon he saw a most beautiful maiden sitting by the pool. She came to him at once and asked what a knight was seeking so deep in the woods and why he was so sad. Disarmed by her beaut, Raymond fell in love with the girl and told her the whole story of his misfortune. Then right away he asked for he hand in marriage and the maiden, who was called Melusine accepted his offer, but she warned him that her husband must never enter her chamber on a Saturday and must leave her alone all day.

From the moment that the knight returned from the forest with his bride, he met with only good fortune. He defeated all the old rivals of his family, put to rights all wrongs against them and got back many castles and estates that others had stolen from his glorious family, thereby exalting his own good name and that of his line. Raymond served his liege so bravely that the lord asked him what he would like to have for his services.

Whereupon the knight replied that he wished to have in freehold as much land as would fit within the skin of one stag. His liege lord laughed and gladly agreed, little knowing that Melusine had advised him to cut the skin of a stag into thin ribbons and wave a long rope from them. This she then made even longer by a magic spell, so that it would hold an even greater tract of land. Melusine made a spring rise up in the middle of this land to water the earth and ensure a good harvest every year. By other spells, Melusine erected the great Castle Lusignan, where she and Raymond made their home.

Knight Raymond and Melusine lived happily and had many children together, all of whom were marked by the mark of the family, though all became brave knights and wise rulers. In time, though, Raymond began to be consumed by curiosity as to what his wife was doing alone in her chambers on Saturday and why only she could be there on that day. So one Saturday he hid and waited for his wife to come to her chambers. With his knife he cut a slit in the door through which he could see inside. And what he spied there horrified him. In her room was a big tub of water in which Melusine reclined, but from the wait down she had the body of a scaly creature - a serpent! Fright gripped his heart and he called out in surprise. At which Melusine realised that her husband had betrayed him [sic] promise to her. She was seized by terrible sadness, turned into a dragon and flew out the window. And from that moment Raymond never saw his wife again...

Until many, many years later, she appeared to him to tell him he would die in three days time. And so it came to pass, and Raymond died. From that day forth cursed Melusine secretly guards the lives of all the descendants of her line, and appears to them three days before their death to foretell it.

As was foretold, many glorious princely families descended from the line of Raymond and Melusine. Among the most renowned, respected and foremost of them is the Luxembourg family, including Wenceslas IV, King of Bohemia, and his brother Sigismund, King of Hungary. That is why the knights of this clan often carry in tournaments an ornament in the form of a dragon, and because they themselves have a little dragon's blood in them, it is not prudent to anger them or enter into conflict with them or disagree with them, because their lineage makes them quick-tempered, quarrelsome and hot-blooded.

On Libusse and Premysl

Krok, ruler of the Bohemian tribes, had been blessed with three daughters. Kazi, Teta, and Libusse. Kazi possessed vast knowledge of all matter of flora and herbs and was wise in the arts of healing, Teta above all others worshipped the gods and goddesses and made unto them all manner of sacrifices, and the last daughter enjoyed great favour and respect, for wisdom and reason did serve her well, and having been endowed with the power of soothsaying, oft did look into the future and make prophesies. When old Krok died, it was she who sat upon the throne and ruled wisely, for she could resolve conflict with her esteemed reasoning and bring peace to all aggrieved parties.

It was a time of abundance and equality between all; however, her rule went against the will of many men, for as is told "long of hair and short of reason, and shame be upon men who are ruled by a woman." Libusse, suffering great pangs of sorrow, convened a great congress to which she did invite her sisters and the elder rulers from throughout the land. And she did say unto them, "You do not appreciate freedom and for you it is a great shame for a woman to rule over you. Thus, I shall give unto you a Voivode—a man—upon condition that you listen to my words and heed my advice.”

The joyous rulers from throughout the land did swear to heed her words, and she did order them to place saddle upon her steed and allow him to go whither he may roam. At this place shall they lay eyes upon their new Voivode, a ploughman, who shall be driving a team of oxen. And it did happen as she had foreseen, and the horse did truly lead them to the ploughman, who bore the name of Přemysl. They said unto him, “Princess Libusse and all of the people of the great Czech hereby do entreat you to come with us and accept the rule that fate has bestowed upon you and your descendants.” And in reply to the messengers Přemysl did say, “It is regrettable that you have come this very morning. For if I could finish ploughing this one field, bread would be had in great abundance for all time. But alas, you have disturbed me in my task and this land shall oft know great hunger.” And then he said unto them, “I shall repeat the words that Libusse has said unto you. As you did not desire to heed a girl’s advice, now it shall be my lineage that rules over you with an iron rod.” Thereafter, he travelled with them to Libusse, whose fair hand he took in marriage, and for many years ruled wisely and well. After him his sons ruled in his stead, and thus was established the great and esteemed Přemyslid Dynasty.