Saturday, August 27, 2011

House Insignia of the Day Revealed - At The Blue Fox (U Modré Lišky)

At The Blue Fox (U Modré Lišky)
Na Kampě 1
The Blue Fox of Kampa Island would seem to be the peaceful exception among the otherwise cunning and bloodthirsty beasts of legend - in place of a pilfered fowl, it carries in its mouth a branch or a rose, and is watched over by baby Jesus.  Yet whether the blue fox is running, we cannot say.  And where has it emerged from?  According to legend, most likely from the deep forest that in ancient times covered the entire island of Kampa.  Here there once stood a massive oak tree, consecrated by the ancient Slavs to the god Perun.  Several legends also tell of a gigantic idol to Perun that stood on the island, cast into the river with the coming of Christianity.  And the old house marked by the blue fox is said to have once been the gamekeeper's lodge at the edge of this deep forest.  From history, though, we can only say with certainty that the blue fox has guarded it since its rebuilding in 1664, the date carved into the stone entrance portal.