Legends of old Prague. Legends of Prague: How Rabbi Lev created the Golem

Prague is one of the most mystical cities in Europe, and perhaps the whole world. G. Myripk, a writer and financier (according to rumors, used forbidden occult techniques in the fight against competitors), gives his definition of the uniqueness of Prague: “Other cities, no matter how ancient they may be, seem to me to be slaves of those who live in them; they are like as if disinfected with some strong sterilizing acid - Prague controls its inhabitants like puppets: pulling their strings from the first to the last breath "... The magical essence of the city is best manifested in the low season, when autumn or spring fogs enter Prague from the Vltava - Moldau rivers return full rights of citizenship to the ghosts of different centuries and eras.

The modern capital of the Czech Republic was made up of four cities: Hradcany (grown around the royal fortress - Hrad), trade and university Old city(Stare Mesto), founded for German colonists by King Přemysl Otakar II quarter of Mala Strana and finally erected by Emperor Charles IV New town(Nove Mesto). Each of these cities had its own laws, rights and privileges. They merged into a single administrative system only in 1784. If we add here the ancient knightly Vysehrad and the Old Jewish Town, united with Prague only in 1850, then there are already six Prague cities.

The ancient Slavic city was founded in the 9th century by the princess-prophetess Libushe near the town of Melnik, where at the confluence of the Vltava and Laba waters the paths of Cech, Lech and Rus diverged.

The most ancient ghosts surround two Prague strongholds that acted as antitheses in history - the imperial residence of the Castle and the disgraced Vysehrad, with which, however, the first events of Czech history are connected. The wise and beautiful princess-prophetess Libuše, the founder of the Visegrad fortress on the rock above the Vltava, ordered the hero Přemysl to be brought to her straight from the plow to make him her husband. From their marriage came the dynasty of Czech kings. After Libuse's death, her friends tried to defend the matriarchal order in famous war maidens, but were defeated.

It is believed that Libuše did not lay down the burden of caring for her people even after her death. Her messenger - a headless knight - appears under the walls of Visegrad. He is tasked with finding out what life is like for Czechs in the Czech lands and reporting this to his mistress. ( Popular belief in his poetic vision does not consider the absence of a head as an obstacle to this task). If Libuše receives news that the Czechs need her help, she can stand up for her people. They say that under the cliff on which the Visegrad Castle was built, the knights of Libuše have been sleeping for more than a thousand years, ready to awaken at the word of their mistress.

Legend tells that Libuše, accompanied by young maidens, often went to the bathhouse under the walls of Vyšehrad. It is believed that when twilight falls on Prague, beauties from the last millennium appear in the place where they served their mistress, and a late traveler can hear their enchanting singing. In fact, the romantic Libuše bathhouse on the southern side of the fortress is the ruins of a 15th-century watchtower: river ships brought food here and lifted it up through a hollow in the rock.

The gloomy spirits of pagan times swirl, gathering near the City. They come from the era when the ancient gods of the Slavs desperately resisted the coming new faith. The founder of the City, Prince Borivoi (850-895), together with his wife Lyudmila, was converted to Christianity by the creator Slavic alphabet Methodius. Borivoy had a son, Vorotislav. He himself was a good Christian, but his wife Dragomira, although she was baptized, followed pagan customs. After the death of Vorotislav, Dragomira became the ruler-regent under her young son Vyacheslav. A pagan not only by faith, but also by character, Dragomira was distinguished by her irrepressible disposition. Surrounding herself with like-minded people, she tried to turn back the history of the Czech Republic, reviving pre-Christian orders. Lyudmila tried to ensure that Dragomira was removed from board affairs. But the treacherous princess took cruel revenge on her mother-in-law. The assassins they sent broke into Lyudmila while she was praying and strangled her. This happened in 927. Folk legend tells about the terrible end of Dragomira.

One day she left Prague Castle to make a sacrifice to pagan deities. Along the way, Dragomira shouted curses at Christianity. Her blasphemies did not go unpunished - suddenly the earth opened up, sulfur flames blazed from the chasm, and the chariot with the princess was swallowed up by the hellish abyss. Prague residents know that Dragomira can appear in our time on a carriage engulfed in hellish fire without a coachman. On dark and stormy nights, amid the reflections of lightning and the howling of the wind, hellish horses carry her through the streets of Hradcan. Another legend says that the soul of the princess, who has not received repose, appears once a year in the form of a fiery dog ​​at the Church of St. Mikulasha.

Modern Cathedral of St. Vita (XIV century) includes an ancient chapel dedicated to the patron saint of the Czech lands, the holy passion-bearer Vyacheslav (Vaclav), the son of Vorotislav and Dragomira, who was killed in September 935. A door with a handle in the shape of a lion's head leads into the luxuriously decorated chapel - it was this that the martyr prince grabbed hold of as he fell under the mortal blows. From the chapel of St. Wenceslas has a passage to the treasury where the royal regalia is kept - they are shown to the public only on special occasions. The crown of St. is also kept in this storeroom. Vaclav. Legend claims that anyone who dares to try on the crown of the holy prince will die terrible death. The last person to take the crown was the German protector of Bohemia and Moravia, Heydrich. Soon after this, his car was blown up by Czechoslovak saboteurs.

The Charles Bridge, built by master Peter Parler on the instructions of King Charles IV of the Luxembourg dynasty, connects not only Lesser Town with the Old Town - this bridge seems to have been thrown across centuries. In the era crusades here was the most important strategic crossing on the route that was supposed to end in Jerusalem. There is evidence that the Charles Bridge was built in accordance with astrological and numerological prescriptions. Its sculpture gallery preserves the memory of sacred milestones of Czech history. According to legend, the place where the famous Prague knight stands was marked in ancient times by a pagan temple, and the idol, overthrown from here, still lies at the bottom of the river. The island of Kampa, covered by a bridge, is separated from Mala Strana by a channel called Chertovka. This name did not arise by chance - mills have stood here since ancient times (and millers, as you know, know evil spirits). One of the houses remained in Prague history called "At the Seven Devils".

But there is also a spirit of holiness on the bridge. Between the sixth and seventh bays there is a statue of the holy bishop John of Nepomuk (Nepomuk). From this very place in 1393 the Prague archbishop was thrown into the river. Tradition says that King Wenceslas IV doomed him to death for refusing to reveal the queen's secret confession. Today, generally speaking, not very religious Czechs come to the statue to entrust their deepest secrets to Jan Nepomuk and make wishes (which they believe will be granted).

We have not yet named many Prague ghosts here. A silver horseman appears on Vratislavova Street - King Přemysl Otakar II; on Celetnaya, near Carolinum University, you can meet the ghosts of a prostitute and a priest (once an angry servant of God killed a harlot here and suddenly died from a stroke); in the pub “U Ribar” (and they say that in many other pubs too), a late visitor is not immune from meeting the melancholy Master Palekh, who once betrayed Jan Hus to death. A large number of ghosts are associated with the medieval community of alchemists and with the Jewish diaspora.

It has been suggested that the abundance of ghosts in Prague is explained by some natural phenomenon, for example, the presence of radioactive rocks in the ground. But Prague itself, with its architectural landscape, remains the strongest factor influencing human consciousness. G. Meyrink, who never tired of being amazed by the city on the Vltava, admitted: “This fantastic Gothic with its sculptures, as if cast from dried blood! No matter how much I look at her, she never ceases to excite my soul.”

edited news Elfin - 1-11-2013, 07:06

Edgar Poe, Alfred Hitchcock, and Quentin Tarantino together rest next to these legends of old Prague. Old-timers know that Prague streets can not only inspire, but also frighten with their stories that come to life as soon as the sun sets below the horizon...

The Great and Terrible Golem

photo: flick.com

Anyone who is not familiar with the Golem knows nothing about Prague. In terms of popularity, this somewhat shapeless creature with its clay shoulder is already ready to move Kafka from the podium of Prague heroes. He looks at us like Big Brother, from tourist books and postcards, and his clumsy steps can be heard in the old Jewish quarters. Once a Jew, Rabbi Judah Loew sculpted a giant Golem from Vltava clay in order to protect the Jewish population from constant persecution. The smart Jew succeeded, but he did not foresee one unpleasant fact: the grown-up “little one” rebelled and began to terrify the residents of the city. The owner had to kill his naughty brainchild, and the Golem never appeared in crime chronicles again. But there are rumors that the Rabbi's son brought him back to life, and if you give an unfriendly pat on the shoulder to any Prague Jew, the Golem will certainly appear to talk to you face to face in a dark alley.

Sweet couple without a head

House at the Golden Well, photo: flickr.com

If you venture on a tour of mystical Prague, you will probably be fed the legend of the headless knight and his wife. Usually the names of these heroes are kept silent, but you can ask them about it personally - when you meet in the house near the golden well, which is located on the corner of Karlova and Seminarskaya streets. Come here at night, for, according to legend, the headless knight and his wife are nocturnal after an extraordinary event centuries ago. Once they arrived in Prague from Spain and stopped here for the night. The owner of the house, suffering from a severe form of gold fever, cut off the couple's heads and took their money. Then, in the best traditions of serial maniacs, he buried the bodies in the basement and threw the heads into the river. The ghosts of the knight and his wife decided that they could not survive without money in the next world and began to appear to the greedy killer demanding the return of an old debt.

Fire turkey at the mill

Mill near Kampa Island in Prague, photo: czechtourism.cz

In addition to victims of greed, one can also meet former slaves of gluttony on the streets of Prague. An old legend of Prague says that there lived on Kampa a certain gentleman with a big heart and an equally capacious stomach. The gentleman's favorite dish was baked turkey, which appeared on the table for any occasion. On Good Friday, the believing gentleman tried to abstain from food, but the memories of turkeys turned out to be stronger than his religious duty. In the end, he attacked the baked turkey - and the whole diet went down the drain, and the gentleman himself after a while went to the next world due to problems with bile. Since then, every Good Friday, a fiery turkey began to fly to the mill in Kampe, pecking the local dogs to death and setting fire to everyone who stood in his way. Ornithologists consider him to be the reincarnation of a gluttonous gentleman, and firefighters recommend that tourists come to Sovovy Mills with a fire extinguisher.

Dance with the Devil in Bread Shoes

Czernin Palace in Prague, photo: wikipedia.org

An excellent plot for Edgar Allan Poe's black stories could be the story of a capricious countess who lived in the Chernin Palace. She was spoiled by luxury to such an extent that she could afford shoes made of bird skin and a coat made of polar fox fur. One day, while preparing for the next ball, the countess had an attack of unprecedented extravagance: she ordered shoes to be made from bread to go with her pink silk dress. The shoemaker twisted his finger at his temple, but obediently followed the order of the capricious woman. During the ball, everyone was delighted with her courage, although in their hearts they cursed the fashionista for her excess vanity. One of the gentlemen, dressed all in black, whispered a bunch of compliments to her during the dance and promised to show her something special at the end of the evening. Next... children can be taken away from the screen. Through the labyrinths of the palace they went straight to the basement, where after the words “prize to the studio!” The countess's bread shoes, which had grown to her feet, burst into flames. Neither the countess nor her pink silk dress could be saved. Until now, the woman wanders along the long corridors and laments her fate. But the countess was not left without a piece of bread. By the way, shoes made from bread can be seen today in the Museum of Prague Legends and Ghosts (Mostetskaya St., 18).

Faust and the black hole

House of Faust in Prague, photo: flickr.com

Be careful: in some Prague houses there are not only brownies, but also the devil himself. However, if you have very ambitious plans for the near future, best place than Prague, you won’t be able to find them for their execution. All you need is a small legal formality - a pact with the devil. Address of the magic office: Charles Square, 40. It was from these walls that the legend came about the famous Doctor Faust, who boiled magic powders in retorts and crucibles, and at night summoned the devil, who served him like a horse prophetic Oleg. As you know, when his service life came to an end, Faust took a direct flight to hell. In the house after his disappearance, there was a black hole in the ceiling, which did not close, despite all the efforts of the masons: the next morning the bricks were still lying on the floor, and from the hole there was an eerie smell of sulfur and smoke. Today, within the walls of this magical house in Mala Strana you can see alchemical symbols and, if you’re lucky, discuss the details of a future contract with the horned one.

The Butcher and Civic Duty

Church of St. Jacob in Prague, photo: flickr.com

Better late than never. Such a sentence was handed down in the heavenly office to one Prague butcher who did not fulfill his civic duty during his lifetime. In ancient times, when the city was attacked by enemies (for example, the Swedes in 1648), Prague butchers stood up with their axes to protect women, children and cows. Legend has it that during a German attack in 1611, a butcher chose to remain in the hot embrace of his mistress rather than rush into heated combat with the enemy. After his death in heaven, he was given an unenviable sentence: at night the butcher is obliged to guard the peace of the city residents with a fiery ax in his hands. If you find yourself in the area of ​​St. Jacob's Church in Prague, know that you can finally relax here: no evil spirits - just a cute ghost with a sparkling fiery ax behind his back.

Brothel on Karmelitskaya

Opposite the Church with the Jezulat on Karmelitskaya Street, perhaps the most unfortunate woman is wandering Prague legends- a pimp with a broken tongue. Not just a pimp, but a shameless pimp who sticks out her tongue with a nail hole at everyone. During her lifetime, citizen Kulichkova made money by renting out her apartment to girls of easy virtue. At the same time, the work of a pimp also fell on her fragile shoulders. Once she promised an innocent lady to a nobleman, but instead slipped an experienced chimera into his bed, who awarded the noble citizen with the unpleasant disease of the goddess of love. The nobleman turned out to be a guy of no timid nature. As revenge for his deception, he nailed the lying procuress with his tongue to the gate, at which she died for a long time and painfully. Her restless soul still wanders around the former brothel and will go to another world only after the innocent girl surrenders to a nobleman in that very apartment. According to moralists, this will never happen.

Prague is a romantic and medieval city Czech Republic. It is also called the city of a thousand spiers, and for good reason. Prague is a magical town with ancient castles, fairytale towers and knights.

This city is so beautiful
That looks down on the sky and the earth.
Proudly the needles of its towers
Soaring above the world and piercing the clouds.

This city fairy houses, ancient piers, crooked streets and great bridges. A city where every building has a secret, a city that you just fall in love with once and for all. Prague is so beautiful that you treat it like a fairy tale, full of the miracle that people are always looking for.

Explore magical Prague.

Prague is imbued with mysticism. Here alchemists still extract gold from lead. The townspeople make deals with the devil from time to time. The streets of this city keep unsolved mysteries. Prague is a city with history. A city that is ready to lift the veil of its secrets and legends for a while.

This is the most mysterious city in Europe, where there is a ghost in every house, where every quarter has its own belief. To learn at least something about Prague, you need to wander for hours along the narrow streets, absorbing the spirit of antiquity, looking at Gothic houses and fantasizing about fairytale streets, where alchemists, magicians and clay Golums once wandered.

Prague is a journey into the past. Are you ready to get into the time machine? Then we’ll walk through Mala Strana, go up to Vysehrad, and then take a walk along the Old Town Square, which is never deserted even at night.

Feel the time on Old Town Square.

Crowds of travelers gather here, waiting for an unusual sight. They take a seat at a table in an outdoor cafe in advance and wait. Every hour the town hall clock comes to life. Not much, not little, but 500 years ago, here, as now, a mini-play was performed, the main characters of which were the figures of the apostles emerging from a secret door. An incredible sight, I tell you. Even without a concert, these hours are wonderful. Is not it?

It is not surprising that Death, ringing the bell and dancing the wooden apostles, gathers such a crowd every hour. By the way, it was not far from this place that Charles IV was born.

Take a postcard photo of Charles Bridge.

There is hardly a person today who does not know what the Charles Bridge is. This is probably the most famous photo Charles Bridge, which everyone has seen, but perhaps not everyone knows interesting legend. The first stone of Charles Bridge was laid by Charles the Fourth on July 9, 1357 at 5:31 am (astrologers assured that this was the very favorable time). In those times great importance was given to numerology, and in order for the bridge to stand forever, Charles the Fourth was advised to lay the stone on this very day and time, because these numbers yield a palindrome: 1357_9_7_5_31. Prague has survived more than one flood, but the bridge still stands.

There are many legends about the bridge. They say that they searched for cement for a long time until they realized that egg white has similar properties, and messengers scattered to all corners of the Czech Republic with orders to collect chicken eggs. In one village they didn’t understand the order (they were afraid that the eggs would rot on the way), so they sent a cart boiled eggs. The eggs were still useful (to feed hungry builders), and the name of that village has since become a household name.

There are 30 sculptures on the bridge. But the most popular is the figurine of John of Nepomuk. Everyone rubs him and makes wishes.

Be dumbfounded by the greatness of St. Vitus.

The heart of Prague is St. Vitus Cathedral. It took more than 600 years to build, and now it is so big that it doesn’t even fit into any photo. It is worth going inside and succumbing to the charm of the stained glass windows and magnificent vaults. Every aspect, every detail, even every terrifying gargoyle of the temple is simply a paradise for lovers of the Gothic.

It was here that all the Czech kings were coronated, and within these walls the main Czech saints are buried, emperors and other nobility of old Bohemia are buried.

And if I were asked about my list of wonders of the world, I would, without even thinking, rank St. Vitus Cathedral among the first places.

The fortress, where the Cathedral of St. Vitus is located, is considered business card cities. And before becoming one of the largest structures in the world, Royal Palace was in ruins after the fire. Can you guess what the king's name was and who was able to restore him?

The atmosphere reigning here is not inferior to the Old Town, and in some places even surpasses it. Here, with observation deck reveals itself best view to Prague.

What can you look at endlessly? Fire water? I would add the red roofs of Prague to this list.

Explore the old streets of Prague.

Every building in Prague is like a work of art. But the thing is that the Prague houses have survived three numerologies, and a lot of confusion arose about how to get to this or that place. The story was resolved this way: Prague residents began to paint their houses and add “house signs.”

Drawings and coats of arms often signified the occupation of the family that lived in the house. Therefore, you are unlikely to find two identical houses in the city. Beauty and practicality combined in one.

A little magic on the streets of Prague...

Treat yourself to berries.

Small stands with flowers and fresh berries are scattered throughout the city center. Is it possible to pass by such juicy strawberries, especially when their aroma comes from the other side of the street? So I couldn’t resist)

Be enchanted by Golden Lane.

If you come to Zlata Ulochka after 5 pm, you can walk along it absolutely free. Thereby saving 50 CZK. This street is popular because goldsmiths live here. In the Middle Ages they were called alchemists, who could easily turn even a stone into gold. That's where the name came from - Zlataya. They say that those who knew how to turn metal into gold made a pact with the devil. All the houses here are fabulous, and it seems that not people live here at all, but gnomes.

Get drunk in the oldest pub, U Fleku.

Young people from all over the world are rushing to Prague, in the carefree atmosphere of pubs, among which you can find historical sights. The most iconic place will be “At Fleku’s”, where, as always, smoke rises like a rocker, and songs are sung in all languages ​​of the world.

No less famous is the monastery brewery “U Tomas”, where the wonderful Brannik is brewed.

Pull the strings of the puppet.

All the streets of Prague are hung with these living dolls. You just have to pull the string and the puppet comes to life. They are everywhere here, and they are all so different, from fairy tales, singers, presidents. These are not just ordinary dolls, but a real Czech phenomenon.

They accompany Czechs throughout their lives. Every house has its own puppet show, on which all generations grow up playing with dolls.

Plunge into the world of the Jewish cemetery.

In the Jewish quarter there is unusual cemetery, where the burials, due to the ban on burying Jews outside the ghetto graves, were arranged in 14 layers. Here is the grave of the famous Rabbi Marachel, the one who invented the clay Golem. They say that he still sits in his coffin and reads magic books. Once upon a time, this warlock breathed life into a clay monster, which later became his assistant. But the magician began to use the Golem not for its intended purpose, but in witchcraft for evil spirits, murders and killings. Now Marachel lives in the cemetery, and Golem lives in the attic of the synagogue. You can laugh, but the Jews have not allowed anyone into the attic for many years.

Find an unusual monument.

Prague is European city, in which, as expected, you can find a lot of sculptures. But the most interesting thing here will not be “Pissing Boy”, as in, but immediately “Two (no longer) pissing boys.” They will write out (literally and figuratively) interesting quotes Czech philosophers.

Grab the green serpent's tail.

I'm talking about absinthe. It flows like a river here and is sold everywhere, in any bar and even in stores. For an experience, it is better to go to the Absintherie bar. Here you will be properly served a burning drink and even put on a show.

Well, that's all about Prague. I share useful links.

Prahatur.ru– a guide in Russian with interesting routes.

Dpp.cz– public transport in Prague.

Prazskeveze.cz- Prague towers.

Praguewelcome.cz– official tourist portal of Prague.

Arriving in Zlata Prague, travelers will certainly wander along the well-trodden tourist path. You should definitely walk across the Royal Charles Bridge, decorated with a string of statues of saints, and take a picture of yourself against the backdrop of the Vltava embankment. You definitely need to wait until the famous astronomical clock of the ancient city hall on Old Town Square begins its little show. You can't miss the changing of the guard near the palace where the president's residence is located. And finally, get to one of the ancient breweries for which Bohemia is famous. High quality beer provided long tradition. Since the 14th century, unscrupulous beer producers would sit in the city square wearing a collar and chain and pour their own low-quality drink on any passers-by who wanted to take revenge for the spoiled pleasure. After a day's walk around the city, there is no need to rush back to the hotel or stay too long in one of the many l famous restaurants, because Prague reveals all its mysteries and secrets at midnight.

As soon as dusk falls on the city, and darkness envelops the ancient medieval streets, everything around is transformed. It was this gloomy Prague that inspired Franz Kafka and Gustav Meyrink to create mystical works. Every house, every door, every garden in the old city has its own history. Many of them have become the property of all humanity, and not just lovers of Czech folklore. The story of Doctor Faustus and the legend of Rabbi Loew, the creator of an artificial creature - the Golem, became world famous.

Mystical elements are organically woven into the history of Prague, adding a special flavor. Even the very foundation of the city is shrouded in a very peculiar legend. The prince's daughter Libusha, who lived in the 9th century, possessed an extremely useful skill for rulers - clairvoyance. One day, standing on a hill above the Vlatva River, she felt another surge of “power” and immediately uttered a prophecy that a city would soon be founded, the glory of which would reach the heavens. The foundation site was supposed to be the threshold of a house, which at that moment was being made by some man.

The prince's servants went in search of this place and soon found a simple plowman named Přemysl, who was just making a prag (“threshold” in Czech). Taking him as her husband, the princess founded not only the dynasty of the Přemyslid princes, but also the city of Prague. Who knows whether that prophecy was a revelation or simply the desire of a noble lady to commit an eccentric act by marrying a low-class man, but thanks to this mystical-romantic story, the beautiful city of Prague appeared in the vastness of Bohemia.

But the city became the real capital of mysticism during the time of the Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II. This very unusual monarch devoted his life not to wars, nor to the discovery of new lands, as was fashionable in his era, but to the search for philosopher's stone, capable of turning any metal into gold. Since 1583, when Rudolf moved to new capital, from all over Europe to Prague Castle Scientists, alchemists, astrologers, metaphysicians, healers and simply charlatans began to flock in the hope of ingratiating themselves with the emperor.

Rudolf invited some of them personally, sponsoring not only their move to the capital, but also their accommodation. Such scientists as Tycho Brahe and Johannes Kepler, famous astrologers Edward Kelly and John Dee worked under his patronage. According to legend, Golden Street was precisely the place where scientists, astrologers and alchemists of all stripes worked miracles at night. It’s no wonder that every house was a real alchemical workshop, shrouded in secrets.

However, not only Zlata Street is famous creepy stories about the alchemical experiments of medieval scientists. There is a house on one of the corners of Charles Square. Locals We are sure that the notorious doctor and warlock Johann Faust lived there for some time - the prototype of many literary and musical works. In general, many mysterious personalities lived in this house; it seemed to attract everything strange. There is still a terrible cold in the attic of the damned house, and its gloomy garden is considered the last refuge of Faust’s soul, which never found peace. Studying magical formulas in ancient books, Faust found the opportunity to summon the devil. Having concluded an agreement with him, Faust sold his soul and received in exchange the fulfillment of any desires. When the time came to repay the debt, the warlock begged the devil to wait, but he was inexorable. He grabbed Faust and flew out of the house with him right through the roof, knocking out a hole in the tiles. No matter how the subsequent inhabitants of the house repaired this hole, the next day it opened up again. Today at damn house there is a hospital. But traces of the presence of Faust and the devil still remain in the upper part of the house: a non-disappearing and irreducible stain marks the place from where the devil flew out with the unfortunate soul of the doctor.

Let's return to Emperor Rudolf. After the mass expulsion of all Jews from Spain and Portugal at the end of the 15th century, they found refuge in the possessions of Rudolf, since he was in to a greater extent I was not interested in astrology or alchemy, not Western European science, and the ancient Jewish mystical teaching is Kabbalah. In the blocks Jewish ghetto In Prague in the 16th century there lived an outstanding expert on Kabbalah - the learned Rabbi Yehuda ben Bnzalel, known as Rabbi Loew. For thirty years he was the head of the Jewish community and rabbi of the Old New Synagogue, the oldest synagogue in Europe. Rumor attributed to him exceptional wisdom and possession of secret knowledge of the formula from the mystical book Zohar (“Radiance”). Containing just over a thousand words, this book contains the secrets of God's name, creation, and the meaning of life. Thanks to knowledge of the formula, Lev was able to create a Golem from clay - Living being, carrying out the orders of its creator. A peculiar medieval robot bore the word “truth” on its forehead, bringing it to life. Every Friday, Rabbi Loew “deactivated” the Golem so that it would not accumulate excessive energy and cool down. One day he forgot to do this and the Golem, rebelling, almost destroyed the synagogue and the entire ghetto. Lev had to erase the first letter on the Golem’s forehead, turning it into the word “death.” In an instant, the Golem turned into a pile of clay. The rabbi collected it and placed it in the attic of the Old New Synagogue. He walled up the entrance to the attic. Today the Synagogue is open to the public and it is said that the shadow of the Golem can still be seen looming in the attic at night.

A mystical aura envelops Prague even today. If you dare to go to Visegrad at midnight, you have a chance to see a lot of creepy and mysterious things. Here there are witnesses to meetings with the dead who appear during midnight masses. The sentries of one of the artillery depots located next to the old cemetery abandoned their post more than once, hiding from the black afterlife carriage, driven by a headless coachman and drawn by headless black horses. A black ghostly dog ​​with a bloody eyes And fiery tongue. If you are lucky enough to survive the encounter with the dog, and you notice the place where he was spinning like a wheel, you have a chance to find the entrance to the cellars of the Visegrad Mountain, where countless treasures are stored.

In one of the city cemeteries there is a grave with the image of the girl Anichka. They say that during the birth of a child, a mistake occurred in the family of a poor musician, and the soul of a restless angel was infused into the newborn girl. So an angel appeared on earth, illuminating beautiful soul all around. Anichka’s life was not easy, she felt in her heart that she had to help everyone - and honest people, and criminals. Many often abused her kindness. Finally, God had mercy and took the angel back to heaven - Anichka was playing by the window and, reaching for a toy, fell out of it.

Text: Hanna Rolinska

An unknown person at that time came to the councilors of the Old Town (Old Town) with a large number of drawings and sketches. No one knew how he got to Prague, but he was undoubtedly a Czech, because he spoke like a master, his name was Hanush, and he introduced himself as an expert on various clock mechanisms, which he had studied for many years in Europe. Without lengthy introductions, he proposed decorating the Old Town Hall with chimes such as no one had ever seen in the world.

The advisers at first expressed disbelief, but Master Ganush laid out the drawings and explained to them the structure of the proposed clock mechanism for so long that he finally convinced them. The advisers entered into an agreement with him, and he began to work.

The news about its mechanism quickly spread throughout Prague, and on the day the chimes were launched, a lot of people gathered in the square in front of the town hall. And there was something to see: at the appointed hour, the sound of a bell rang out, two windows opened above the chimes, and the twelve apostles with their shepherd walked in front of the astonished spectators, death tugged at the bell, the old man turned his head, as if he didn’t want to leave this world yet, the avaricious swayed bag, and the Turk frowned from above at the curious. The large dial shone with golden circles and lines, and people looked in sacred amazement at these amazing signs, lines, numbers, at the round dial and images of the twelve celestial signs and many other things.

Master Ganush explained and showed what the signs and dials are for: he explained the movement of the Moon, the Earth, the Sun, where the last quarter is and where the first is, what a round calendar with 365 teeth shows, with twelve ordinary months and golden numbers. For a long time everyone stood and watched, and when the hour approached, Prague residents and people from the villages came running to the chimes. Prague watchmakers were especially amazed.

However, the skeleton on the chimes did not only foretell difficult times; there were also cases when it gave hope. Above the chimes there are two windows, behind which there was once a prison cell. Once there was a knight who was in conflict with Prague; the Prague residents captured him, sentenced him to beheading, and put him in a cell where he awaited the arrival of the executioner. The knight had already lost his last hope and looked dejectedly out of the window at the square. As soon as the clock began to strike, Death moved his scythe and opened his mouth, the miser shook his bag, and the rooster crowed.
And it happened that a sparrow flew into the open mouth of the skeleton, the jaws closed, and the sparrow was imprisoned for a whole hour, until the chimes began to strike the hour again. As soon as the skeleton opened its mouth after 60 minutes, the sparrow flew out and disappeared behind the pipes on the roofs. The imprisoned knight watched all this, and when he saw the sparrow free again, he had hope, which was soon fulfilled: on the same day the old dispute was resolved, and the people of Prague showed mercy to their prisoner.