Gold half-ounce medal Legends of the Czech castles - Forest mother under Kasperk castle proof
Gold half-ounce medal Legends of the Czech castles - Forest mother under Kasperk castle proof
Legends of the Czech castles
The series of the Czech Mint entitled Tales of Czech Castles is full of myths, mysteries and fairy tales. The third pure gold commemorative medal commemorates the legend of the Forest Mother under Kašperk castle.
Kašperk Castle was built in the Šumava foothills - on a hill hidden in dense forests. Few people inhabit the solitude, so all sorts of phantoms thrive here. A black horse with a fiery halter gallops through the foothills. The tower is home to drinking skeletons. The souls of fallen soldiers wander the corridors. The good-hearted goblins live in cellars. A monstrous creeper prowls the walls. And the woods are guarded by a mighty woman - wrinkled, hundreds and thousands of years old. Some people call her Swiza and say she's evil. The strange creature, who is dressed in wolf skin and wears deer antlers on her head, will petrify anyone who doesn't show her respect. She foresees wars and diseases, lures lonely travellers into the swamps, and each year chooses her victim from among pretty boys or girls. Other people know her as the Forest Mother and swear she is fair. Her body is covered in lichen, moss and birch bark. She's not evil - she just protects the trees and the animals. To those who are decent and respect the forest, she will gladly show herself and help. But she punishes anyone who has a black conscience and harms nature. He does not see the forest mother, but he hears her voice, which lures him into the dark corners of the forest, from where the unfortunate man will never come out again...
The obverse side of the commemorative medal, which is the work of academic sculptor Majka Wichnerová, commemorates the tale of two siblings who stepped on a stray root and got lost in the night forest. The kindly Forest Mother came to their rescue and led them safely home. The reverse side is dominated by Kašperk Castle in the foothills of the Šumava Mountains.
The collector's series presents a total of six castle stories.