Bohemi

Más información sobre el libro

Processes of identification have primarily focused on the “barbarians” of late antique and early medieval post-Roman Europe. This work shifts attention to the polity of medieval inhabitants in the Czech lands, assessing whether methodologies developed by a Viennese scholarly group apply to high medieval central Europe. It introduces the origins and operations of the Přemyslid principality, emphasizing the significance of external images in shaping identity. The book analyzes medieval narratives within the Holy Roman Empire that depict the area and its rulers, the Bohemi, exploring the dynamics and trends in these representations. This imagined identity is contextualized within each source and compared to chronicles from the Přemyslid principality, facilitating an understanding of the communication between these texts and their audiences. The subsequent chapter examines the interaction between the Přemyslid principality and the Holy Roman Empire through the cult of St. Wenceslas, a pivotal figure who became the patron saint of Bohemia. His veneration, documented in seven legends by 1150, provides insight into the communication channels linking the Czech lands to Europe. The analysis identifies regions with stronger connections to Bohemia, serving as bridges to the Empire. Finally, the author investigates the impact of historiographical narratives on Bohemian elites, evaluating three narratives and their significance for self-id