Travel Tales Excerpt – Courage in the Ossuary of Kutná Hora
Contrary to reputation, the chapel and ossuary were not made of human bones. Human bones had been used to decorate the interior along the walls and arches. Skulls with bones in their dead mouths were arranged into steeples, and overhead, hung a chandelier created with jaw-less human skulls, femurs, and pelvic bones. Along the stone arches, jawless skulls and femurs were hung like garlands. In small alcoves, human bones were carefully arranged by type and neatly stacked behind locked gates. Eight-foot shields with bones arranged in a coat of arms pattern adorned the walls and these alcoves. The floor was made with grey and dull red stones in a hexagonal pattern.
The place was dark. It had been wired for electricity, but the lights were off. Using their flashlights, they scanned the area. The shadows made the place creepy, and as they moved their light beams, the shadows stretched and changed, giving the illusion of animation. No living person appeared to be inside.
Gabriela walked around and searched for a light switch. Alex had walked inside and in a different direction to confirm that the place was indeed empty. It was November, but the cloudy day had provided no solar heat, and being a few feet underground, the interior felt colder than the outside.
“Don’t,” Alex cautioned in a whisper as Gabriela had stopped at what appeared to be a light switch and was about to activate the lights.
“Why not?” she asked in a normal voice. Her hand was still going for the light switch.
“Technically, we are not supposed to be here. The lights will announce our presence.” He whispered quickly, but it was too late as Gabriela flicked the switch. It gave a cold click, and the sound echoed, but the place remained dark. “
– End Excerpt
Kutna Hora in the Czech Republic was my last full tour day of what had been a thoroughly enjoyable river cruise. While the town’s claim to fame is its bone ossuary, as described in the book, it found its wealth in silver mining and other endeavors. It was an old town, and its residents’ view of death was enlightening.
The tour was also our last ABC tour (Another Bloody Cathedral, to quote our ship’s tour director), and St Barbara’s was the perfect previous cathedral tour. It is big and has a fabulous interior that was especially fun to experience because it was not crowded. We left the cathedral and walked past through the Galerie Soch, of which I have included some photographs.
Of course, the tour’s main goal was the town’s bone ossuary. I could only take a few pictures inside, which were not very good. The ossuary has many attendant watchers who approach you the moment your camera or mobile phone is visible. Out of respect and because I had no desire to sit in a police jail, I behaved. I did take a few pictures of some informational plaques that show some of the bone ornamentation. It is very emotional to see it all. Bunting ribbons and banners are made from human bones hanging from the ceiling and along arches. There are small towers and pedestals made of human skulls. There were several coats of arms made with human skeletal remains.
During the second week of November, the ossuary was frightfully cold, and there were no chairs upon which one could sit. I had heard that the ossuary was a tourist attraction in the post-communist Czech Republic. In the communist days, it was a local cultural place of interest that served a religious purpose. Having been to many medieval towns and small abandoned villages in Europe and South America, there is always some local custom of showing bravery at a young age. That was my inspiration source for the eleventh story in my anthology. I enjoyed writing the first ten stories but wanted one more because eleven is better than ten.