Legends
About New Pilsen Coat of Arms
Legends have their right to differ in content from historical facts. Sometimes, even historians use the core of legends as a guide to the true analogy of historical events.
Two chroniclers, Tanner and Hruska, state that the white greyhound brach of Radous with golden collar was the oldest part of the town coat of arms. According to W. Widimsky, the brach was given to Pilsen officially by Premysl Otakar II. It happened in 1272 at the occassion of Pilsen promotion to the status of royal town.
The camel in the coat of arms is mentioned by Hilarius of Litomerice. He writes: While Pilsen was besieged by the Sirotci in 1433, Pilsen citizens captured a camel in the enemy’s camp during a raid. They brought the animal into the town with a great pleasure. The Sirotci offered a lot of money and an imprisoned notable Pilsener in exchange for the camel. The burghers refused and later gave the camel as a gift to the Norimbergers who had supported the town in various ways during the besiege.
The keys are officially recorded as a gift from the pope Paul II. Among numerous an explication by various renowned historians, there also figure a simple statement by a common school janitor Beringer. It dates from 1868:
It was at the time of the besiege of Pilsen by the Taborites and the Sirotci. During the fights, mayor’s daughter often appeared on the battlements. She was very beautiful and of a well-built figure. Her appearance and courage supported the town defenders with great bravery. When the enemy finally took off and left, she was also said to have her share in the success. To commemorate the event, the pope gave the Pilseners the figure of an angel, the porter of the shield. It is so because the figure of a wonderful girl on the battlements was said to be an apparition of an angel sent from the heaven to help defend the town. She was thus spreading fear in the enemy camp.
The Golden Book of Pilsen Legends by Vladimir Havlic was published by the publishing house Vesely in 1995. The book was written at the base of Schiebl’s collection Pilsen in Tale, Legend, Tradition, and Wit. The book by Vladimir Havlic was published with the financial support of Ceska sporitelna, a.s., Pilsen dept., at the occasion of the celebrations of the 700th anniversary of foundation of Pilsen.