ORIGO GENTIS V ČESKÉ STŘEDOVĚKÉ HISTORIOGRAF II

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 Czechs lived on in three phases of the Middle Ages. Stage one was captured by Cosmas of Prague († 1125) in the oldest nation-state chronicle. Another milestone was the founding legend in the Old Czech Chronicle recorded 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.

Keywords

• Bohemia
• mediaeval historiography
• founding myths
• Cosmas of Prague
• so-called Dalimil
• Giovanni de’ Marignolli