The Oldřich Oak (), also known as the Prince Oldřich Oak, is a pedunculate oak (''
Quercus robur
''Quercus robur'', the pedunculate oak, is a species of flowering plant in the beech and oak family, Fagaceae. It is a large tree, native plant, native to most of Europe and western Asia, and is widely cultivated in other temperate regions. It ...
'') tree
in
Peruc in the
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...
that is estimated to be about 1,000 years old. The tree has a height of and a
trunk
Trunk may refer to:
Biology
* Trunk (anatomy), synonym for torso
* Trunk (botany), a tree's central superstructure, and the stem of woody plants
* Trunk of corpus callosum, in neuroanatomy
* Elephant trunk, the proboscis of an elephant
Comput ...
circumference
In geometry, the circumference () is the perimeter of a circle or ellipse. The circumference is the arc length of the circle, as if it were opened up and straightened out to a line segment. More generally, the perimeter is the curve length arou ...
of .
Legend
The tree derives its name from a
legend
A legend is a genre of folklore that consists of a narrative featuring human actions, believed or perceived to have taken place in human history. Narratives in this genre may demonstrate human values, and possess certain qualities that give the ...
, set in the 11th century, involving
Oldřich, Duke of Bohemia and Božena, the mother of his only son. According to the legend, Oldřich set out on a hunt and travelled to Peruc. There, he spied a beautiful
peasant
A peasant is a pre-industrial agricultural laborer or a farmer with limited land-ownership, especially one living in the Middle Ages under feudalism and paying rent, tax, fees, or services to a landlord. In Europe, three classes of peasan ...
girl, Božena, by a well (known today as Božena's spring)
and was immediately entranced by her. Oldřich abandoned his hunt and took Božena back to
Prague
Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...
, and she eventually gave birth to his son
Bretislaus. In the legend, Oldřich's first meeting with Božena took place in sight of the Oldřich Oak.
The Oldřich Oak is mentioned in the
Chronicle of Dalimil
The ''Chronicle of Dalimil'' () is the first chronicle written in the Old Czech language.
It was composed in verse by an unknown author at the beginning of the 14th century. The Chronicle compiles information from older Czech chronicles writt ...
.
See also
*
List of oldest trees
This is a list of the oldest-known trees, as reported in reliable sources. Definitions of what constitutes an individual tree vary. In addition, tree ages are derived from a variety of sources, including documented "tree-ring" ( dendrochronologic ...
References
External links
Image galleryat Pooh.cz
Another image Gallery
Individual oak trees
Louny District
Tourist attractions in the Ústí nad Labem Region
Individual trees in the Czech Republic
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