Story #3
Who was Bivoy? What is his story in Czech tales? Keep reading to learn more.
Princess Libuse fell in love with a garden in Vysehrad. She enjoyed the variety of flowers, trees, and shrubs. She also enjoyed walking through unusually flowering paths that often formed a maze with several mysterious corners. Sometimes, she went there with her entourage, but mostly, she loved to be there on her own; she would slowly walk and think about royal affairs or dream and let her daydreams circle her mind.
The misterious hunter
One day, Kazi found her sister in the gardens with deep thoughts. A breathtaking sunset contributed to the youngest princesses’ ideas as the reddish sphere slowly sank into the bluish mist rising from the surrounding forests. All this beauty was interrupted by shouting and chaos. The noise originally coming from the gate came closer and grew stronger. Suddenly, over the medley of voices, somebody blew a horn. The sisters wondered what was going on, looked at each other while scanning the area, and then they saw him!
A tall man walking slowly, carrying a heavy load on his shoulders. He had no spear, only a sword swinging from his waist. His face was flushed with the effort of carrying his load, and his dark wavy hair was poking out beneath his cap. Both of the sisters stared at him. What was the man bringing with him? They watched a huge live boar on his back. He took hold of the animal behind its gigantic ears and tossed it onto his back with its stomach upright.
Bivoy
The young hunter in muddy clothes was carrying the boar seemingly and effortlessly. The crowd around him was full of admiration, cheering him on. Looking at him, then at the beast, and back again at him in disbelief. The boar was jerking around violently, kicking its hooves, clamping its massive jaws, which held shiny fangs, and rolling its eyes ominously.
The commotion suddenly stopped when people noticed the princess and her sister. The hunter stopped with his load under the stairs leading to the door of the great hall. Libuse and Kazi stood on the stairs. The hunter greeted both the noble women and introduced himself as a Bivoy, son of Sudivoy, saying:
” I bring you a pest, wild board from Kavci Mountain (Kavci Hora). If it pleases you, my lady, may it die before your eyes.”
Libuse agreed, and the men standing around drew their swords and prepared their spears. But Bivoy shouted over the commotion:
“I will kill him by my own hands. I caught him, so I will kill him too. He stands in a circle, and he cannot break it if he attempts to run away. But first, place a spear at my feet.”
The men put a weapon before Bivoy and spread out in a large circle. Bivoy looked around at all the people, and his gaze rested on a princess’s sister. Kazi felt her heart beating as she looked at him, and his warm gaze made her feel like she was under a spell. However, fear made her hold her breath as she watched Bivoy drag the board over his head, flinging it in front of him so hard that the earth shook. Bivoy then quickly bent down, picked up a heavy spear with a shiny tip, and prepared to attack the animal.
Stunned boar woke up, the bristles on its back stood up, and its eyes gleamed ominously. The boar jumped swiftly onto all fours and, in blind fury, prepared to fight. Looking neither to the right nor to the left, it cried and charged towards Bivoy, ready to use his sharp teeth. Everyone held their breath as the angry boar attacked with all its strength. The young hunter knew exactly what to do with the furious animal. He aimed the spear, and with a steady movement, he pierced the board’s throat. The boar let out a huge groan, stumbled, slowly dropped onto its front legs, and fell to the ground with a last dying twitch. Panting for breath, Bivoy pulled the spear out of the dead body and stepped on it victoriously with his right foot.
“He will no longer harm or destroy your crops. No one need be afraid of him or be attacked by him.”
Bivoy shouted as he turned towards the princesses. The keeper of the castle walked in front of the Princess and her sister and declared emotionally:
” We are grateful, Bivoy, a heavy weight has been lifted from our minds. This was a six-year-old boar, dangerous and terrible. Everyone in our area was terrified for many years. This animal caused a lot of damage. Destroyed our crops, flattened fields of grain, attacked animals, killed our hunting dogs, and even charged at our horses. The worst thing was that he killed several men who had been trying to fight it. Everyone feared this monster, and even men started to hide from him. Until Bivoy…”
The grateful crowd did not even allow him to finish his speech, so they started to chant and shout their thanks to Bivoy. Libuse and Kazi descended the steps and bent over the massive animal’s body. Libuse looked at the young hunter in appreciation, asking him how he had managed to catch it. Kazi, with sparkling eyes, listened to Bivoy’s answer:
How did Bivoy overrule the beast
“I was annoyed by how much damage this boar had done. No one even wanted to pass through the valley around Kavci Mountain. This beast lived there and used every chance to attack or kill. I tracked down the place where he was sleeping. I decided to hide and wait for the beast to return with a full stomach from the fields.”
“But as I approached the valley, the beast attacked me from behind the bushes. He charged at me so hard that I did not have time to use my spear to defend myself. There was no place to hide. He tried to hurt me with its fangs, but before it could bow its head, I grabbed his ears, held it, and did not let go. The beast grunted and roared furiously, fighting for its life, but I threw it onto my back and hurried here. “
The crowd cheered again with gratitude, and then Libuse said gently to Bivoy:
“I thank you, brave hunter, for myself and everyone. You have relieved our country and saved us from further damage. Now, come, Bivoy, rest and regain your strength.”
The feast
The castle keeper took Bivoy to the large castle hall. All the men who had been with him when he arrived with his unusual growling load to Vysehrad also accompanied him. They organized a magnificent banquet at Vysehrad In Bivoy’s honor. The men sat around long wooden tables in the banquet hall and put their hero at the head of the table. All men celebrated the conquering of the boar. Bivoy was pleased with their interest, but his eyes wandered back to a heavy door after Libuse and Kazi left. The memory of the lovely Kazi kept returning to him, and he wondered how he could arrange to meet her.
The afternoon turned into an evening on Vysehrad. The hinges of the heavy door creaked open again, and a group of young women, led by Libuse and Kazi, joined them. One of the girls had a package on a leather pillow. When Libuse told her to unwrap it, a beautifully decorated man’s belt was sparkling in the light. Libuse gave the belt to Bivoy as a reward for freeing them from the evil boar. It was a belt from Krok’s treasure, and Libuse added that her sister Kazi had chosen the reward.
“In this belt is a twig of a very powerful herb and a snake’s tooth,” Kazi explained. “If you wear it, it will help you not lose your way in deep forests and stand up to forest elves and all other beings with supernatural abilities.”
Bivoy thanked both young women with affection and bowed respectfully. Everyone paid tribute to Bivoy, rejoicing in this appreciation of his strength and heroism. After Kazi and Libuse left, the festive merriment and feasting continued until late into the night. The castle keeper then led Bivoy into a quiet chamber, where the young hunter fell into a deep sleep.
Bivoy and Kazi
Bivoy got ready to leave and return to his village in the morning. He was the ruler of his village. The castle custodian told him the princess had ready his horse for the long journey. Surprisingly, there were two horses in the courtyard waiting impatiently. The second one was waiting for Kazi, who was also returning home in the morning. Bivoy, dressed in his new belt, bowed respectfully, thanked Libuse, and gladly joined her sister’s entourage. As he walked through the gates, he looked up and noticed that the head of the boar had been placed on a stake as the dangerous boar remainder of Bivoy’s heroic act.
Libuse stared at the departing couple until they disappeared behind the bend. Bivoy accompanied Kazi to the crossroads, where their paths diverged. He did not want to give up her lovely company, so he went round and escorted her to her castle towering over the Rover Mze.
Before the autumn passed, Bivoy moved out of his village and stayed with Kazi forever in her castle. He became her husband, and they had a long and happy life together.
More Czech History Tales
Easy day trips in the Czech Republic & Prague
Are you planning a trip to the Czech Republic? Are you a bit overwhelmed about what place to visit and see? I know there is so much to see, and not just in Prague! The whole country is full of beautiful Gems. Here are a couple of my blog posts to help you plan some day trips.
- Romantic day trip to Prague – On this Day Trip, I follow the previous post but move to the Old Town Square and areas around.
- The perfect day trip – Prague – A step-by-step plan, where you can see as much as possible on the side of the river where Prague Castle is. A beautiful day full of nice walks and views.
- Lovely day trip – Kutna Hora – Kutna Hora is a favorite place for tourists to visit. You should put it on your bucket list.
- The Petrin Lookout Tower – Prague – Have you been to Paris? Can you believe Prague has a little sister of Eifel’s Tower?
- Celiac? Traveling to the Czech Republic? Here are helpful tips on letting people know you are Gluten-Free and where to eat and shop.
- Dancing house – Ginger & Fred – If you like unusual places or not boring square or rectangular buildings, you should carve a time to see them while visiting Prague.
and there you have it…. Enjoy the city and the whole country!!!!
Until next time…!
DOBROU CHUT!
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