Inside the Beast

One day every year the legendary Pražký Hrad is opened up to the public and visitors are given free access to roam about the innards of the fortress...in a selective, supervised, and specific way, of course. The day this year was yesterday, April 24th, and I was lucky enough to be able to sneak in. What looked to be quite the daunting line, in effect turning quite a few potential wanderers away, actually moved very quickly and we were passing through entryway metal detectors within 15 minutes. This may still seem largely unimpressive to some readers and still like quite the wait, but for those of you who have ever been to Prague and tried to cross the Charles Bridge during midday when the weather is nice, you know why a mere quarter of an hour is an impressive feat! The point is during at least 4/5 of the year the tourists in Prague's Old Town, Charles Bridge, and castle make the fruit flies present on a week-old banana sitting on a porch in southern Mississippi look lazy.

Long story short, we were able to swat our way into the castle to take a peek at the secrets held within. We were able to see many areas that are not normally open to the public, including the Rothmayer Hall (another famous Czech architect), the Spanish Hall, the Throne Room, the Hapsburg Drawing Room, and the Rudolph galleries and rooms on the southern wing of the New Palace. I must say that I am glad to have done it and to be able to say that I have been inside the castle. The vast majority of the 'tour' proved the rooms to be very stark and less maintained than one might expect. However, other areas/sections of the castle are more permanently open to the public (at a price) and as a result these might be the areas that are more heavily renovated, furnished, and kept up. Not to take TOO much away from the sections seen...it was undoubtedly a house fit for a king!

Queuing up like peasants...

Security, security, security

Entrance chamber

Rothmayer Hall 

Entering the Spanish Hall

A view of Prague from the south gardens

Spanks and Springtime

What would you do for a hard-boiled egg? If you were a patient Czech or Slovakian you might wait until Easter and then spank your wife with a woven willow switch until she gave you one...or your neighbor's wife...or any female in the vicinity. If you were really hungry or passionate about the upholding of traditions you might do all three!

The reaction of foreigners to this Easter tradition often ranges from being mildly taken aback to being left absolutely incredulous and aghast. The idea of "beating" women (contact should be on the rear and the legs) for Easter often seems like a slightly inappropriate form of celebration in the eyes of those used to the heavily religious overtones of the holiday that exist in most countries. Ale, to je život, český život. 

The tradition is thought to come from ancient pagan traditions and is a symbolic fertility ritual. Nowadays, the whipping is commonly explained as being meant to keep the woman from aging an to help her preserve her youth. Woven willow switches, called pomlázkas, are used and were often used in ancient times to fend off evil. Present-day traditions vary slightly depending on where you are, but it is often common for the 'spanking' to happen in the morning (a nice way to wake up on a Monday morning). This is followed by an afternoon period of redemption, as the women are able to douse the men with water. 

I will not go into more detail, but here is a great interview from Radio Prague that gives a much more comprehensive account of all of the Easter traditions and their origins. 

However, some of the other traditions include blown eggs (similar to the ones Poland is so famous for), Easter markets (which look amazingly similar to the Christmas ones, just with a different tree and decorations), and an assortment of traditional sweets and breads. 

Speaking of Easter, spring is finally awakening here in the Czech Republic and it is absolutely gorgeous! Warmer weather and more sunshine. The scenery merits a post of its own, but I have decided to include a few photos that I have taken so far. Enjoy! 

The always beautiful Náměstí Míru

The infamous pomlázka...found at the school
after an Easter party

One of the big shopping centers
had an Easter exhibit with
various eggs, each sporting a
different theme

Humpty-Dumpty-esque

Masquer-egging  

What better time to graze your horses than a warm spring day? What better
place than your local high-rise apartment complex?

Many Czechs have gardens and take much pride in them. This is an especially
impressive one I saw in a neighborhood where I teach