Old Town Hall, Havlickuv Brod

Havlickuv Brod lies in the Czech - Moravian Highlands in eastern Bohemia. On the façade of the old town hall, below the clock, there is a skeleton standing inside a vaulted niche. Every hour on the hour the skeleton "speaks"; its jaw moves, as if counting the hours and reminding us of the Latin inscription on its scythe, "Qua hora nescis" - "You don't know which hour".  There are a few legends surrounding the origin of the skeleton, all basically the same but differing in details. The basic storyline says that a skeleton has stood here since about 1472, when the city was under attack by an enemy army. One of the town watchmen, named Hnát (all legends agree on the watchman's name), made a deal with the enemy to betray the town and open the gates to them, but before he could carry out his plan, it was discovered (one legend says by a group of women). Hnát was confronted and thrown to his death from the watchtower. His skeleton was then hung from the town hall as a warning to other would-be traitors. 

 

In 1662 the original skeleton was destroyed in a fire, and replaced with this wooden one. At that time, the scythe and bell were added. In 1972, the building was completely renovated and today it houses the municipal library.   You can click on the video image below to watch Death shake his little bell.

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Just outside the town of Kralíky, in eastern Bohemia (or western Moravia, depending on how old your map is), lies the village of Dolní Hedec. Here, on the hill known as "Mariánský Kopec", or "Mary's Hill", is a church dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. Originally there was a monastery here, belonging to the Servite order, with a pilgrimage church. A Pilgrim's Way leads from the base of the hill to the church, lined with 7 chapels, serving as Stations of the Cross. In 1833, the monastery was handed over to the Redemptorist order, who renovated it, but it burned in 1846. The church survived however, and some buildings of the monastery were rebuilt. Today it is used by an order of nuns.

In the vestibule, there is this interesting alter, decorated with images of Death, Vanitas, and miner's tools.

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The astronomical clock, part of the original Town Hall, was built in 1410 with the help of the astronomer Jan Sindel. Every hour on the hour, the two small doors at the top open, to reveal a procession of the 12 Apostles. This is actually heralded by Death ringing his passing-bell (Death can be seen just to the right of the Astronomical Sphere, the large dial resembling a clock face in the middle). This Astronomical Sphere is set up to display the time according to the three traditional systems used at the time of the clock's construction; Czech, German and Babylonian. It also presents the positions of the sun and moon, and the Earth's relative position within the zodiac. The dial at the bottom, the Calendarium, shows the current month and ruling zodiac sign.

A close-up of Death. Beside him is the figure of a Turk, who shakes his head while Death rings his bell, indicating that he does not wish to die. (Remember that this clock was originally built at a time when Christian Europe was at war with the "infidel" Muslim Turks). On the other side of the dial are two other figures, a vain man with a mirror, and a miser, who also shake their heads, refusing Death's warning.

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This information and the images come from Libor Rousek's personal website about the Náchod area, http://vinnetou.site.cas.cz/rousek/POVESTI/povest09.htm. (However, this website is only in Czech).

Near Náchod, in northeastern Bohemia, is the Ostas Conservation Area, a rocky area filled with cliffs and gulleys. On one hiking path is this remarkable natural skull, formed in the cliff wall. It is said to comemmorate the deaths of hundreds of Protestants, who were killed here in 1421, during the Hussite Wars.

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