IT SHOULD BEGIN, AS IN A LEGEND: "ONCE UPON A TIME"... BUT IT CAN ALSO BEGIN BY SAYING THAT IT HAPPENED IN 1429, DURING THE HUSSITE WARS. BOHEMIA AND SILESIA WERE SWEPT UP IN A GREAT RELIGIOUS AND SOCIAL MOVEMENT THAT BEGAN WITH THE BURNING AT THE STAKE, IN 1415, OF THE GREAT CZECH REFORMER JAN HUS.
The Hussite movement, divided into two great factions—the Taborites and the Utraquists—swept across large areas of Bohemia and also reached Silesia. In 1429, the Hussites travelled through Kłodzko, Ząbkowice Śl., Świdnica, Strzegom and Jawor, reached Bolesławiec and began besieging the town. The town was not prepared for defence. The Hussites had a decisive advantage.
In this situation, the town councillors decided to begin negotiations over a ransom in exchange for ending the siege. During the meeting in the town hall, the Hussite commander noticed a beautiful girl standing beside the town mayor. She was the mayor's daughter. The Hussite commander set a condition: he would waive the ransom and end the siege if he received the daughter. The decision was difficult. In the end, the daughter herself agreed to the Hussites' condition.
When the mayor and councillors bade the girl a heavy-hearted farewell, she left for the Hussite camp located below the town. No one suspected what ruse the beautiful girl was preparing. In the commander's tent, she said that she possessed a great secret that would interest him. What secret was it? the Hussite asked curiously. I have a recipe for a miraculous ointment that is resistant to every blow from sword and steel.
Having said this, she smeared the mysterious ointment on her neck and ordered the commander to strike her with his sword, assuring him that the sword would bounce off her neck as if it were rock. The naive commander struck her neck with the sword's blade, and the unfortunate girl's head rolled across the tent.
Terrified and despairing that he had killed the beautiful girl, the commander ordered the camp to be dismantled and, after burning only the parish church, left Bolesławiec with his army. In this way, the girl saved her virginity, but by losing her life, she also saved the town.
We do not even know her name, but is that important in a legend?