The spiritual legacy of King Sigismund, somewhat forgotten in the course of European history, captivated Emperor Charles IV. He managed to obtain Sigismund’s valuable remains, which he had stored in St Vitus Cathedral. Charles IV also arranged for the Burgundian king to be included among the Czech patrons and named his second son after him. Sigismund still holds a firm place in the life of Prague today. The largest bell in the Czech Republic, cast for St Vitus Cathedral, bears his name, and its deep voice rings out over Prague every Sunday. Prague residents believe that the cracking of the heart of the Sigismund Bell heralds some great misfortune. The last time this happened was in 2002, and two months later Prague was inundated by catastrophic floods. Sigismund was born around 475 as the son of Gundobald, King of Burgundy. From the 5th century onwards, Burgundy professed Arianism, a Christian doctrine later condemned by the Church as heretical. Sigismund renounced Arianism and converted to Christianity, which he actively promoted. He received a gift from the Pope consisting of the relics of the Roman commander St Maurice and his companions from the Theban Legion, for whom he founded a monastery dedicated to St Maurice in 515. This abbey in the Swiss canton of Valais is probably the oldest existing monastery in Western Europe today. Sigismund married the daughter of Theodoric, King of the Ostrogoths, and had a son named Sigerich. After his father’s death in 516, he took over the reign of Burgundy and chose Geneva as his seat. When he was widowed, he married a second time, to a maid named Prokopia. Prokopia had once secretly tried on the deceased queen’s dress and was caught by Sigerich, who scolded her. The prideful Prokopia was offended and resolved to destroy Sigerich. She persuaded the king that his son wanted to get rid of him and take the Burgundian throne for himself. The impetuous Sigismund believed her, hired two assassins, and had Sigerich strangled. The murder is said to have taken place in 522. Svatý Zikmund na Karlově mostě, zprava | Zdroj: www.wikipedia.com Sigismund only came to his senses from his cruelty when he saw his son dead. He threw himself onto the lifeless body and wept bitterly. He then imposed harsh and strict penance on himself and retired to the monastery of St Maurice. He prayed, fasted and begged God to punish him for his terrible deed and allow him to die a martyr’s death. The following year, the Franks invaded Burgundy. They defeated Sigismund’s army and occupied part of his empire. The king managed to escape and, disguised as a monk, hid in an abandoned hermitage. However, he was tracked down by the treacherous Burgundians, who handed him over to Chlodomir, King of the Franks. He had Sigismund taken to a prison in Orleans, where the king’s wife Prokopia and their sons were already being held. Sigismund’s younger brother eventually rebelled against the Franks and managed to drive them out of Burgundy. However, Chlodomir refused to accept defeat. He planned another attack, but first he mercilessly finished off the prisoners. On 1 May 524, he had King Sigismund, his wife and both sons killed and their bodies thrown into a well in a place called Colombe. Thus, Sigismund’s guilt for his son’s death was redeemed by his own shameful and martyr-like death. The remains of the Burgundian royal family lay in the well until 535. At that time, the abbot of the St Maurice Monastery had them collected and reverently laid them to rest in the monastery church. At that time, this act was equivalent to canonisation. According to various accounts, Sigismund’s tomb immediately became the site of a series of miraculous healings. Relikviář svatého Zikmunda v katedrále v Płocku | Zdroj: www.wikipedia.com The cult of Saint Sigismund spread throughout France and what is now Switzerland during the 9th to 11th centuries. Some of Sigismund’s remains were brought to Prague in 1354 by King Charles IV. Ten years later, Charles IV acquired the rest of Sigismund’s relics from the St Maurice Monastery. The remains were laid to rest in St Vitus Cathedral in Prague. Immediately after their transfer, miracles began to occur, with thirty allegedly happening even before 1366, the year in which the feast of St Sigismund as a patron saint of the Czech lands began to be celebrated. When Charles IV had another son in 1368, he was named Sigismund. However, after the death of Charles IV, reverence for the saint in Bohemia began to wane. King Sigismund of Luxembourg had most of his patron saint’s relics taken to Hungary, leaving only a casket with his remains in Prague Cathedral. In addition to the statue commemorating the Holy King of Burgundy, Charles Bridge also features decorations on the façade of the Old Town Bridge Tower, whose celestial sphere is dominated by the figures of Saints Adalbert and Sigismund. In 1549, the largest and heaviest Czech bell cast for St Vitus Cathedral was named after St Sigismund. To this day, it is rung by hand, like all the bells in the cathedral, which hang in the same tower and ring regularly every Sunday. The breaking of the heart of the Zikmund Bell is seen as a sign of misfortune, which has always foretold national catastrophe or misfortune in Czech history. Introductory photo | Saint Sigismund on Charles Bridge | Source: www.pexels.com | Author: Shahbaz Zaman