There is probably no more mystical and chilling symbol of the Middle Ages in Prague than the astronomical clock. This amazing creation keeps the terrible history of its creator - the watchmaker Hanush. Once this talented master suggested to the city authorities the creation of a special clock that could not only decorate the city hall, but also turn Prague into a unique and most beautiful city in Europe. The mayor and the company briefly consulted and gave the go-ahead. An inspired watchmaker, and part-time professor of mathematics and astronomy at the university, immediately set to work. And day and night, he drew his monumental brainchild, and when he realized that the professor should not spend his energy on boring drawing work, he hired an assistant, a young man Yakub Cech.
On the day of the presentation of the watch in 1492, a stunned crowd gazed at the rare beauty of the clockwork, while Hanush, proud and happy, tried to explain to the townsfolk (albeit without much success) the meaning of this strange "time machine". One thing did not raise doubts among the ignorant townspeople: the exclusivity of Prague and its inevitable recognition as the most glorious city in Europe.
Features of the Prague clock
Three main elements were taken as the basis of the clock: an astronomical disk indicating the time of day, the position of the Sun, Moon and other cosmic details; animated figures including the twelve apostles; circular calendar with medallions representing the 12 months of the year.
The astronomical disk is made in the shape of an astrolabe - the main instrument of medieval astronomy and navigation. It depicts the Earth, the sky and the elements surrounding them: the ring of the Zodiac, the rotating disk, the Sun and the Moon.
The dark blue circle in the center represents the view of the Earth from space, and the blue one represents the sky above the horizon. During the day, the sun is in the blue part of the dial, and at night it turns into a dark blue zone. The left, east, side of the clock symbolizes sunrise and sunrise, west - sunset and twilight. Roman numbers on a blue background indicate the time of day. It also shows the difference in time between sunrise and sunset, which varies depending on the season.
The inner black circle represents the signs of the zodiac and the location of the sun in each of them. All signs are arranged counterclockwise in order, and the North Pole is taken as a reference point - a common occurrence for astronomical clocks of that period. A small gold star indicates the moment when the Sun crosses the celestial equator, and Roman numerals are used to measure sidereal time. There are golden numbers on the outer edge of the watch. They show the time of day of Bohemia (ancient Bohemia), in which the countdown of a new day began at one in the morning.
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The mechanical sun moves in an ellipse around the ring of the zodiac. Moreover, it is connected with an arrow, at the end of which there is a golden hand. Together, they show the time in different ways: the position of the golden hand above the Roman numerals indicates the local time in Prague; the position of the sun on the curved golden lines shows uneven hours; the golden hand on the outer ring indicates the hours after sunrise, according to Bohemian time. The distance between the sun and the center of the dial indicates the time between sunset and sunrise.
A circular calendar indicates the months of the year with 12 medallions and flanked by figures of a philosopher, angel, astronomer and historian.
The four figures on either side of the clock embody four allegories: Vanity is represented by a man with a mirror, Greed by a Jewish merchant with a bag, Death by a skeleton killing time, Lust by a Turkish prince playing a mandolin.
Every hour from 9 am to 9 pm, the figures move. The vain one looks in the mirror, the greedy one moves the bag, the skeleton shakes the scythe and pulls the rope, the lustful nods its head in anticipation of new prey. At the same time, the procession of the twelve apostles is taking place. They move slowly, taking turns looking out the open windows. The procession is led by the figure of the Apostle San Pedro. When the window sashes close, the rooster loudly cries and flaps its wings, after which the chimes beat …
Tragic ending
Time passed, the passions around the clock subsided, and Master Hanush became bored. His restless soul demanded creative relaxation, and very soon he again began to sit in the workshop for new drawings. No one really knew about the master's idea, but evil tongues said that Hanush was inspired by the idea of creating even more spectacular watches for customers from abroad, and for a very substantial fee. Overwhelmed with jealousy, the Prague authorities became worried and decided to "render harmless" the imprudent watchmaker. The mere thought that something surpassing the little miracle of Prague might appear in another country made their state blood and mind boil. The decision - cruel and dramatic - was taken immediately. Taking advantage of the darkness of the night, three people entered Hanush's workshop, where he was still working by candlelight and a lighted fireplace. A master taken by surprisemercilessly dragged to the fire and burned out his eyes with a red-hot iron …
Time passed, but the blind watchmaker remained in the dark who could have committed such cruelty. Khanush's health deteriorated day after day, and his books, drawings and drawings were covered with dust … Meanwhile, the townspeople, as usual, came to admire him for hours on the building of the mayor's office.
Once someone from Hanush's entourage nevertheless found out the truth and was not slow to inform him about it. Stung by such villainy and ingratitude, the master made a sad decision and asked his assistant Yakub to take him to the clock tower. Once there, he gathered his last strength and put his right hand into the clockwork with the sole purpose of destroying it. At that very moment, Death pulled the rope, the gears made an ominous sound, and everything stopped, including the life of Hanush, who fell dead next to his brainchild. Since then, local residents have said that a curse will fall on anyone who tries to fix a watch: he will go crazy or will soon die. The legend is a legend, but more than 100 years passed before the most complex mechanism of Hanusha's watches was restored.
Frightening superstitions
In Prague, they say that stopping the clock is a bad omen for the country. It may be just a coincidence, but in 2002, when the clock suddenly stopped, the Vltava overflowed and flooded the city, causing serious damage to city buildings and the metro. In 2007, due to high humidity in the watch, malfunctions occurred again, and the locals, in horror, threw all their efforts into fixing the clock mechanism. Of course, these are just superstitions and legends, but in such a magical city like Prague, everything is possible …