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Origo gentis in Czech mediaeval historiography.

Publication at Faculty of Arts |
2020

Abstract

The author deals with the history of the founding myth of Czech Slavs from its oldest recording to the end of the Middle Ages. The legend of the origin of the Czechs developed in three phases during the Middle Ages.

The first one was captured by Cosmas of Prague (+ 1125) in the oldest nation-state chronicle. Another milestone is the founding legend in the Old Czech Chronicle by so called Dalimil from the early second decade of the 14th century.

The founding myth changed fundamentally in two official chronicles which were written under the authority of Charles IV (1346-1378), the "Bohemian Chronicle" by Giovanni de' Marignolli of Florence and the other "Bohemian Chronicle" by Přibík Pulkava of Radenín