Felsenbilder am Bürgstein in Böhmen
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We publish this contribution (without committing ourselves to the author’s interpretations) in order to draw attention to the problems that the Bürgstein presents. Ed.
Fig. 1
Within the sandstone region that stretches from the Elbe to the
JeštědMountain peak, 50°44′N, 14°59′E,
rises the range known as the Schwoikagebirge. Its highest elevations are
eruptions of volcanic masses, mostly basalt, which rises above the
sandstone in pillars, plates or even spherical forms. At the foot of the
Slabitschkenberg, beneath the valley known as the
Betgraben,
there rises from level open meadowland a huge block of sandstone,
which is about 35 m high and measures some 50–60 m square
at the base. The walls, which Nature has already made almost vertical,
have in places been cut quite perpendicular, evidently in the earliest times.
The prehistoric importance of this huge block of stone is undisputed.
In the Middle Ages a castle was built upon it, the greater part of the rooms,
however, being cut into the living rock.
Fig. 2
From the topmost surface of the rock, where it is thought the wooden manor house
used to stand, a circular opening about 100 cm in diameter leads downwards.
Some 1.20 m beneath the upper edge this shaft opens out downwards into
an average diameter of 3.30 m and continues at this width from
3 m to 6.50 m deep, down to the flat horizontal floor. This is the basic shape
of bottle-graves.
This peculiar rock chamber is known as the “Pitcher” (Krug). Several similar chambers sunk into the rock are already known in Bohemia. In the seventeenth century the castle was abandoned as a lord’s residence and given over to hermits, who lived a godfearing life there for decades. These men opened up the inside of the Pitcher for free entry, by breaking a door-like opening through the rock face from the side, so that since then the “dungeon” has been easily accessible.
{174} Already on first viewing the castle some three years ago, the author noticed a picture carved in relief on the surrounding wall of this “Pitcher”. Unfortunately it was not until this year that he undertook a detailed inspection of the picture. The results were surprising. The picture extends from some 50 cm to a height of 2.50 m above the floor and covers about two-thirds of the curve of the wall, which incidentally makes it 7 m long. It cannot be determined whether part of the picture was destroyed when the doorway was cut, but it is not unlikely.
Despite repeated attempts it was unfortunately not possible to get sections of the picture onto the photographic plate in such a way that all their details were immediately clearly recognizable, for photography in the cramped, more than half-dark space is fraught with great difficulties; some comments about the more important representations are therefore in order.
Figure 3 gives an overview of the greater part of the picture.
{175} Figure 4 shows a number of sun-disks, including at upper right a simple sun-wheel with a ray-centre but without rays (=division).
Above left and above middle respectively a smaller and a larger
eight-divided sun-wheel. Middle left a sixteen-divided wheel.
Near it another small eight-divided sun wheel, under which a snake
seems to be depicted, with the end of its tail, beneath the 16-part
sun disk, pointing first into then out of the rock. Its body lies
coiled up in the adjoining niche, the head above. To its right, in the same
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niche, sits a very small human figure, whose downward-hanging legs and feet
are well visible, the upper body less distinct. Below the middle to the right
a cross, which can by no means represent the Christian symbol. Only the
crossbeam and the upright down from the crossbeam are distinct. The upper
piece of the upright is missing. Instead, half a sun ring arches over the
head of the figure. Below each arm of the cross-god is a smaller cross,
likewise with a human figure fastened to it, but these can hardly be meant
for the thieves of Golgotha. At lower left there seem to be runes, and above
them the following signs:
;
under these a
= laf = rune, then
= k;
next
= odil,
beneath that two crossed laf-runes
as a bound rune
(flax and leek?),
near that a
= Ur-rune
and then an
,
along with various other signs which can by no means be regarded as letters of our alphabet.
To the right is a sun disk, whose division is still not understood.
A horizontal line divides the wheel into two unequal parts, a line meant to be
vertical subdivides the upper and larger part in the same way. The three
fields again show a peculiar division. The grotto with the small human figure
sitting in it, the three crosses, the three-part wheel cross just mentioned;
a face or circle drawn above and to the right of it, and next to the latter
an animal with a long neck, horned head and goat’s back (he-goat?),
along with various smaller figures, are surrounded by a circular line.
In the corner below and to the right is shown part of the plan of a walled castle or town.
Figure 5
is likewise dominated by a cross, on which a female figure seems to be fixed.
As with the crosses in Figure 4 the arms are stretched out horizontally,
so that Christian symbolism, which in its representations takes into account the
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weight of the body hanging from the fastened hands, is excluded from the start.
In the upper left corner of the cross there is again a four-part sun-circle
with a
cross lying on it, which according to Wirth would have been a symbol of the turn of the year.
Below left are found two odil-runes linked together
,
with the circular loop below, thus representing a heart with its point turned upwards.
Above and to the right of the cross are two
“Ur-” or “U-”curves,
according to Wirth the hieroglyph for the mother-cave.
Under that, below the hip-level of the female figure hanging from the cross,
a hatchet or hammer1 with the handle pointing downwards.
Above left, a large heart-shaped figure, still to be examined more closely,
with cross symbols. Several further signs are at present not interpretable, thus a
,
below, among other scratchings.
1A tool of the same kind can be found at the entrance to the cave near Velenice. A male figure, probably Thor, sits there on the back of the hammer; beneath is a ship of death.
Figure 6 shows below left the year god at the winter solstice, his head wrapped in the half sun-disk. He seems to be stepping out of the rock. Above and to the right of him a springs young lion – likewise out of the rock. Next to the latter stands, rather deeper, an eagle. It has its head turned thoughtfully towards a gigantic figure, which, in a long cloak reaching to its feet, takes up almost the whole height of the picture on the right and seems to be grasping at the eagle with one hand. Beneath the eagle can be seen the runic symbol. Beneath the flanks of the young lion there is a sun disk, and another near the upper arm of the year god. At the feet of the latter a snake crawls out of the rock and raises its tongue towards the above-named figure.
In Figure 7 the sun disks or heads (perhaps they symbolize both), which incidentally are scattered over the whole relief, predominate. Conspicuous is an obvious cavity roofed over by a curved hieroglyph in the shape of an ur-rune. Near and to the right of the ur-sign, a bull’s head. Above and to the right of the rune-row another snake lifts up its massive head with {178} gaping jaws; to the left of the “ur-curve” sign is likewise a second. Right next to the latter an eagle’s head stretches its open beak upwards, a little higher than the snake.
In Figure 8 are introduced probably the most significant astronomical or mythological representations. The most remarkable are the rows of human figures represented in three strips one above the other on the right. The lowest row contains nine persons, namely from right to left: a male figure, next to that a female and then again a male, who carries a staff in his left hand. All have their arms lowered. Then a commanding male figure in a long robe and cloak, his left arm lowered, his right arm raised above the level of his head. Then another female figure and two males, each with one arm lowered and the other raised. One of the latter wears a sword by his side. They seem to be stepping into a cave, at whose entrance rises a kind of Irminsul or lily. Before the entrance, to the observer's right, stands a small figure with upraised arms. The right forearm seems to be lengthened downwards. On the left of the entrance a female figure, gracefully nestling against the rock, holds up with half-raised arms a burning torch.
At the feet of the middle three persons of this group curls a huge snake, which clasps the feet of the middle female figure.
Above this group there is a second, drawn at scarcely half the size of the first. From left to right this row of figures shows above all a mighty eagle, which though in a sitting posture, with claws stretched far in front, still rises above human height. Then follows a male figure, holding his right hand shoulder-high, his left stretched upwards and touching the eagle’s head. Then two more eagles next to one another (stepping). Then follows a large male figure, next to this apparently a smaller one, and again {179} a larger one. Finally, stretching across both crack-like depressions, a horse with a rider, its hind feet still behind the second crack to the left, its head and forefeet already over the first crack to the right.
In the topmost group1 can be seen from right to left: The hieroglyph of the ascending year god. Next to the loop of this, immediately to the right a gateway, barred with a doubly-crossed beam. Then follows further to the left a sun disk with an upright year cross. Next on the left a mighty animal figure (Fenris wolf?) standing on its hind legs, its body reared upwards, apparently restrained by a boy. In the space between the animal’s head, its forelegs and the upper part of the young boy's body, can be seen a human face in the from of a sun disk. Above this triple group there is a wide, high gate, characterized by massive cross-beams and side pillars with panels. Near the gate on the left, a tall commanding figure, with head and face fairly well recognizable. Arms lowered, this figure seems to be expectantly following boy's struggle with the monster. Above the animal figure, an eagle flapping its wings or flying past. To the left of the apparently commanding form, another human figure, with the left leg bent, and dragging the right leg from the crack. The left arm is akimbo, the right arm lifted high. Behind the first larger crack can be seen two arms held aloft at right-angles, probably belonging to a figure that is unfortunately no longer recognizable. More distinct is the seventh human figure in this row, which, seeming to hurry past, leaps right across the chasm (second crack to the left) and likewise holds both arms high. Further left, between this last human figure and the railing behind the cross, stands a mighty eagle with half-opened wings, its overlong {180} head and beak turned backwards, seeming to watch the boy’s struggle with the wolf with the closest attention. Between it and the last human representation (the leaping figure), immediately below the strip of inscriptions, there rest on an upward-tapering pillar three or two birds, apparently geese, which are known to be symbols of the “All”.
1See also Figure 3, since in Figure 8 the upper group is less clear.
Above the upper group of human and animal figures there are two rows of rune-like symbols, some of which unfortunately are already weathered beyond recognition. Some seem to be still recognizable.
Above the rune rows four sun disks or heads and near these on the right again the ur-rune curve or (according to Wirth) the mother-cave. It is apparently surrounded by a fence (of the underworld?), from which the sun-bride (?) steps forth, as she stands in front of the fence.
To the left of the cave, into which the lower group seems to be stepping, is an eight-pointed star, whose interior again represents the sun disk.
Fig. 9
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This does not exhaust all the notable details of the relief, and in any case
only partial images of the whole wall-carvings are presented in this preliminary survey.
For reasons of space, the full description and interpretation can only follow in a
special publication. But this much will probably be evident from the above, that we have to do
with representations of primitive Aryan religious symbolism.
This is further established by runes which are present, outside this “pitcher”
or castle dungeon, on the castle rock. Above the upper entrance to the so-called knights’ stairway
there is the
rune,
and next to it on the left is the symbol
.
Fig. 10
Not far from that, and likewise on the rock face, is a sun wheel with an upright year cross,
standing on a lengthened vertical spoke. Near that another year cross with the symbol for
the beginning of the year at both ends of the crossbeam.
As an important condition for the probability that the carving is prehistoric, the author thought it necessary to establish whether the area round the castle rock was settled by people for whom the rock became a central point of their religion, and who could have created the rock carving thousands of years ago. To this end he carried out excavations in August, which yielded a surprising result. At the foot of the castle rock he came across a dwelling place that had been used for thousands of years. At the bottom, around a stone hearth, there lay masses of ashes and charcoal, fragments of neolithic pottery, flint implements, a bone dagger, and a lot of daub from hut walls. Above that followed potsherds from the Eneolithic (copper age). Above these – separated by an 8-cm layer of sand – fragments of Bronze Age earthenware, and above this stratum lay remains of the Hallstadt culture, and still higher of the La Tène culture, consisting of fragments of earthenware and an iron brooch. The youngest fragments dated from the migration period and early Burgwall period7th–8th cent. AD and lay in the topmost culture stratum. These finds provide support, which cannot be ignored, for the assumption of a prehistoric origin of the rock carving.1
1 Nevertheless it is not altogether impossible that the wall carving in question dates from a later time than that whose religious symbols it represents. As the first hermit, the mason and reputedly learned architect Konstantin came to the deserted fortress in 1690. The second, who lived there together with the first from 1710, was Brother Wenzel (Wenceslas), a painter who had made a name for himself as an artist and to whom is attributed the picture of St. Catharine on the altar of the town church of Bürgstein. The possibility cannot be excluded from the outset that this wall relief in the “Pitcher”, and also the runes and symbols on the outer rock face, are the work of these two.
