Korytná (Czech Republic)

Uherske Hradiste okres, Zlin region

Last modified: 2008-08-30 by jarig bakker
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• Korytná municipality flag

• Czech Republic
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• Uherské Hradiště okres
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Korytná municipality flag

Petr Exner sent me this flag after a request to identify the object between the swords. It happens to be a prince cap.
Blas Delgado Ortiz, 18 Jul 2001

The red thing in Korytná (District Uherské Hradiště) flag is really a Princely hat (really without pearls, orb and without ermine). Only the yellow part should remained letter "T" upside down - I mean there should be one short and thin yellow strip more (the hat has four golden arches - one visible). This is usual way how princely hat of St. Wenceslas is depicted.
Aleš Křížan, 27 Aug 2001

I searched for the picture in my archive. So, I attached a scan of original pictures, which was sent to Subcommittee for heraldry and vexillology of the Parliament of the Czech Republic (negotiated 31.5.2000). These pictures are from Czech herald M. Pavlů. In Pavlů´s text is written: " ... there was used the St. Wenceslas symbolic (duke´s hat over crossed swords), ...".
This symbol was used because there is a St. Wenceslas church in Korytna.

St. Wenceslas is the patron of the Czech state. Born 907. In 921, after the death of his father, he was called by the "parliament" of the Czechs to the princely throne. Because he was young, in fact he took reign only in 924. In 935 he was murdered by his brother Boleslav. After his death the Czechs proclaimed Venceslas as the Duke of Czech land.
Petr Exner, 12 Sep 2001

I believe "Princely hut" is actually a (heraldically) mistaken translation of "Fürstenhut" i.e. the crown of a sovereign prince. On the other hand, a sovereign prince's crown does (usually) have pearls and orb, and *either* jewels (old style) or ermine (modern style), see for instance the coats-of-arms of the princes of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and Schwarzburg-Sondershausen.
Santiago Dotor, 10 Sep 2001

This autumn I have visited Rome and  I bought there a book "Heraldica  de la chiesa cattolica" by Archbishop B.B. Heim.
I found there an interesting article on mitre with picture of its development. One of the older versions remind me the so called "Princely crown" of St. Wenceslas (e.g. on Korytná flag - without ermine...). And the text  next to this picture said, that Pope Nicolas II gave during his short pontificate  a special "privilegium" to the duke Spytihněv II. of Bohemia (1055-1061). The Duke  (and his successors) could wear a mitre during festival ocassions (instead royal crown he wanted). It was more then 100
years after Wenceslas death, but it is possible, that later Czech iconography had reflected this privilege and this could be also the reason for this strange hat on the Patron Saint´s head.
See also another example of this older mitre - In the Coat of Arms of Polish archbishop Józef Glemb, keeper of St. Wojciech relic. St. Wojciech, Patron Saint of Poland is in fact Czech St. Vojtěch (Adalbert), second Bishop of Prague, who lived in the era of Duke Boleslav II The Pious, son of Wenceslas´s brother and assassin Boleslav I. The Cruel.. Vojtěch was no Duke
although his hut is similar to Wenceslas´s one . And Santiago Dotor is right about my "language errors" and wrong about German terminology he mentioned. There is nothing like "crown of sovereign prince older type". German heraldry (and so does ours) knows "Fürstenhut"/Knížecí KLOBOUK" with ermine and "Fürstenkrone"/"Knížecí KORUNA" with gems and golden leaves etc. That is why I´m using such a "inappropriate" terms.
I hate English for making no simple difference between "Prince" and "Prince" (Fürst/Kníže resp.Prinz/princ) :-) .
Aleš Križan, 19 Nov 2001

Korytná coat of arms