On Czech Gods Part II – Neplach

We mentioned before that the Czech sources for most of the Czech Gods are rather behind the times coming mostly (outside of the controversial Mater Verborum glosses) only starting in the 16th century.  We also mentioned that that was not entirely correct and that we had some ideas for earlier sources.  The time has come:

Here is Abbott Neplach of Opatovice, associated with the court of Charles IV.  He was apparently “born in Hoříněves to a poor family, then was sent to the Benedictine monastery in Opatovice in 1328.  In 1334 he took the vows of the Benedictine Order, and in 1340 he studied in Bologna.  He became abbot of the Opatovice monastery in 1348.” [quoting after Brill].  He wrote a history of the world with a particular reference to that most important part of it, i.e., Bohemia (Summula chronicae tam Romanae quam Bohemicae).  It seems that this was at the request of Charles IV and followed an earlier crappier attempt by another writer.  Neplach’s effort was also rather lousy and eventually it was left to Pulkava to please the sponsor.  However, Neplach does say under the year 894 the following (carryover paragraph):

neplach1neplach2

A.d. DCCCXCIV incipiunt acta ac gesta ducum et regum Boemie, quorum quidam pagani fuerunt et idcirco, quo tempore vel quibus annis domini regnaverint, non est curandum.  Habebat enim quoddam ydolum, quod pro deo ipsorum colebant, nomen autem ydoli vocabatur Zelu.  Sed obmissis materiis de illis virginibus, de quibus fit mencio in principio cronice Boemice, de sola Lybossa phitonissa brevissime dicendum est.

To translate:

“There began the deeds and acts of the dukes and kings of Bohemia,  some of whom were pagans and, therefore, at what time or in what years they ruled is of no importance. And they had an idol whom they worshipped as a god and the name of this idol was Zelu.  But now let us focus on the matter of those maidens of whom mention was made at the beginning of this chronicle and briefly mention Lybossa [Libuse] the witch…”

Now, the interesting thing is that the German (and, apparently, only the German) translation of the Dalimil Chronicle contains a similar reference (perhaps based on this text above):

zeluneplach

Now, Zelu seems to be the same as Zelon sive Dobropan, (interpretatio romana Mercury) from Stredovsky.  In fact, perhaps Stredovsky based his Zelon on the above reference of Neplach’s…

Curiously, a similar Godname appears either in Laskowski or in the De diis Samagitarum caeterorumque Sarmatarum et falsorum Christianorumi where, in discussing Baltic Gods, the author, if I recall correctly, mentions Zelus.

Update: Other Neplach entries included by Meyer are the following (from the new compilation by Juan Álvarez-Pedrosa Núñez, with him as well as Julia Mendoza Tuñón and Sandra Romano Martín translating):

Sub Anno 1336

“In the year of our Lord 1336, Phillip, son of the king of Majorca, accompanied by twelve noblemen from the kingdom entered the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin on the eve of the Nativity of Christ; and in Bohemia, close to Kadan, along with a solider in the town of Blov, a pastor named Myslata died. And he, rising from this tomb each night, would wander all of the nearby towns, terrorizing and slitting the throats of the people, and he would speak.When pieced with a stick, he said: ‘Much damage you have done me, since you have given me a cane to defend myself from the dogs;’ and when he was exhumed to burn him, he swelled like an ox and gave a hair-raising roar. When they put him in the fire, soemone took a stck and drive it through him, and he bled without stopping, as if he were a tanakrd. In addition, when they disinterred him and put him in a cart, his legs shrunk as if he were alive, and when he was burned, all of his evil was dispelled, and before being burnt, all those whose names he spoke at night would die within eight days.”

A.d. MCCCXXXVI Philippus, filius regis Maiorikarum, cum XII nobilibus regni ordinem fratrum Minorum in uigilia Natiuitatis Christi ingreditur et in Boemia circa Cadanum ad milliare unum in villa dicta Blow quidam pastor nomine Myslata moritur. Hic omni nocte surgens circuibat omnes villas in circuitu homines terrendo et iugulando et loquebatur. Et cum fuisset cum palo transfixus dicebat: Multum nocuerunt michi, nam dederunt michi baculum, ut me a canibus defendam; et cum cremandus effoderetur, tumebat sicut bos et terribiliter rugiebat. Et cum poneretur in ignem, quidam arripiens fustem fixit in eum et continuo erupit cruor sicut de vase. Insuper cum fuisset effossus et in currum positus, collegit pedes ad se sicut vivus, et cum fuisset crematus totum malum conquievit, et antequam cremaretur, quemcumque e nomine in nocte vocabat, infra octo dies moriebatur.

Sub anno 1344

“Year of the Lord 1344. In Levin a woman died and she was buried. Bu then she would come out of her tomb and murder many and then she would attack anyone. And when she was pierced, the blood flowed as if she were a live animal, and she had devoured more than half of her own shroud, which, when taken out of her, was covered in blood. When they went to bur her, they could not get any type of wood to light except for the wood from the roof of the church, according to the testimony of some old women. Although they had pierced her, she continued to rise up; but, when they were able to burn her, all of the evil she had was dispelled.”

“A.d. MCCCXLIV Quedam mulier in Lewin mortua fuit et sepulta. Post sepulturam autem surgebat et multos iugulabat et post quemlibet saltabat. Et cum fuisset transfixa, fluebat sanguis sicud de animali vivo et devoraverat slogerium proprium plus quam medium, et cum extraheretur, totum fuit in sanguine. Et cum deberet cremari, non poterant ligna aliqualiter accendi nisi de tegulis ecclesie ad informacionem aliquarum vetularum. Postguam autem fuisset transfix adhuc semper surgebat; sed cum fuisset cremata, tunc totum malum conquievit.”

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December 23, 2014

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