The sixty-year life of Princess Ludmila (c. 860–921) took place in an epoch-making period. At the time of her birth, the princely power in Bohemia was still slowly developing. Ludmila’s husband Bořivoj hailed from a family that based on its own – and later also recorded – family memory had a privileged position in Bohemia. Nevertheless, historical sources reveal none of the mythical Přemyslids. Sporadic records in the imperial files bring records about Bohemian princes, yet they either do not state or use different unknown names. Bořivoj is thus the first prince to be reliably identified. However, it seems that in addition to this family, other families or individuals lived in Bohemia and had tendencies to rule over people and territories in various areas and times. Therefore, princes only slowly achieved power over the entire assumingly free tribal society.
The ambiguous beginnings of the Czech state are further underlined by the fact that sources about Ludmila’s life diverge concerning the place of her origin. She could come from a powerful Bohemian family (Mělník and its close vicinity) or based on a different source from today’s Lusatia, perhaps near Bautzen. The Serbs who lived there had frequent allied contacts with the Bohemians. Even Mělník would fit in the Přemyslid story – it soon became one of the crucial points of their rule.
Ludmila married Bořivoj probably around 875. At that time, Moravian princes continuously strengthened their supreme dominance of the Bohemian basin. The most powerful of them – Svatopluk – probably chose Bořivoj as his deputy for the rule in Bohemia. But the Bohemian prince had to be christened to become a true ally. Ludmila accompanied her husband to this event, or more likely soon followed him, thus contributing to the Christianisation of Bohemia.
Ludmila had a complicated life. She became a widow about fifteen years into the marriage – the legend writers mention the couple had six children. At the time Svatopluk’s power reached its climax, the princess had to secure her family’s position. Soon after Svatopluk’s death, the sources mentioned that Ludmila’s eldest son Spytihněv assumed power in Bohemia and separated it from Moravia (in exchange for its subordination to the Kingdom of the East Franks). Based on this information it can be hypothesised that a more favourable period started for Ludmila. Nevertheless, the sources do not provide more detailed information.
The period when the Duchy of Bohemia lacked an adult male ruler came after the death of Ludmila’s youngest son Vratislav (the names of the other children remain unknown). But at that time, two women were the candidates of regency over the underage successors – Ludmila and her daughter-in-law Drahomíra. Their conflict, which resulted in Ludmila’s murder, is one of the first known plots of Bohemian history. Although Ludmila was the defeated one, she went down in history as a true heroine. She was instrumental in the duchy’s Christianisation – both in general and specifically in the person of her grandson Wenceslas. Her story only began with her death.
Images
- Saint Ludmila holding a veil, the symbol of her martyrdom
Breviary of Benedict of Waldstein, c. 1410, Bohemia
NKP VI G 6, fol. 508r | cut-out - The Baptism of Bořivoj
Velislav Bible, mid-14th century, Bohemia
NKP XXIII C 124, fol. 180r | cut-out - The View of Tetín
Institute of Archaeology of the CAS, © Martin Gojda - The Strangling of Saint Ludmila
Liber depictus, mid-14th century, Bohemia
Wien ÖNB Cod. 370, fol. 47v | adjusted
