Bohemia:

Bohemia is one of the 3 states of the Czech Republic today.  The other two are Silesia and Moravia.



House with the Golden Angel
U Zlateho Andela
Celetna Street 29 – Prague 1

Legend has it that the house just steps from the Powder Tower in Celetna Street of Prague, was built in the 17^th century on grounds that formerly housed the Knights of Templar.  Supposedly a labyrinth of cellars was connected as far as the Tyn Church on Old Town Square.  Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart spent many evenings here, perhaps writing some of his famous pieces of music inspired by the magic of the house.  When it became a prominent hotel “At the Golden Angel” in the 1850ties, the Danish Queen and the king of Saxony chose it as their place of residence.

It is a hotel again and a restaurant, prominently carrying the symbol of a golden angel.

How did it get it’s name and house sign?

The original house was made into a tavern by a young couple and travelers came from all directions looking for a place to stay and quench their thirst for drink and food.  The couple had one daughter, Magdalenka, whose birth was marked with unusual events.  Her mother almost did not survive Magdalenkas difficult birth, as many women did not in those days.  Giving birth usually at home with only a midwife asisting.    The midwife already went to get the priest to give last rights to the mother,  however, when they returned, expecting to find the mother in the grasp of death itself, they encountered Magdalenkas her holding a precious baby and smiling ear to ear.  She told everyone that an angel came and helped her through the difficult delivery.  Magdalenka had large, piercing indigo eyes, golden locks of hair, smiled much earlier than other children her age and already in early childhood was interested in music.

She grew up to be a beautiful girl who liked to sing and dance.  When she did, she mesmerized all who came with her unusual voice and movements.  When she danced, it was as if the world had stopped and people could not take their eyes off of her.  They felt a pleasant warmth in their hearts, smiles came to their faces, all bad thoughts just floated away as they watched the intricate flow of her dance and listened to her voice.  They came away happy and content.

One evening a bandit came into the tavern.  Strengthened by strong honey mead and having  heard that she could sing and dance, he grabbed her wrist and ordered her to perform for him.  Magdalenka wrestled herself free and started running down the cellar.  She ran and ran stopping at a dead end in the labyrinth of cellars just under the former Knights of Templar house.  The bandit caught up to her and reached for her, wanting to push himself on her.

All of a sudden, the dark cellar became filled with light, a golden angel came from above and commanded the bandit to release Magdalenka.  His power was so overwhelming, the bandit let her go and got on his knees.  The angel ordered  him to leave at once and never come back.  He ran out of the cellar and was never seen again.

Magdalenka came back from the cellar, holding an angel feather in her hand.  She told her story to her parents and her mother remembered her strange birth, and realized that it had to be the same angel that had already once saved her life.  In the angels honor, they named their tavern "U Zlateho Andela - at the Golden Angel" and placed a house sign of an angel above the door. The sign is there to this day.



More legends to come as they are discovered :-)