The Royal Janitor

When Miriam beheld the people climbing the stairs to the Jordon Schnitzer Museum, she let go of Victoria’s hand, skipped across the grass, and bounded up the steps – four at a time! Her entrance was like Nureyev flying across the stage. She was an escapee from Botticelli’s Primavera. People gasped! They thought she was part of a show. She was the star ballerina and the Constantine Christian Nudist Camp where she was homeschooled. This was her first encounter with an institution of higher learning.

Espying a group of people before a painting down the hall, she was upon them in seven giant steps. Her long arms reached in, and pushed them aside. There was some complaints. But, when they turned to see a goddess with roses in her hair, and with eyes the color of the sea, they parted as she zeroed in.

Everyone’s mouths were now open, like hers was open. They were seeing this painting for the first time through Myriam’s eyes. She came closer. Her long neck was craned, as she made a figure eight with her head. Now she turned sideways, and starting in the lower left corner she moved her eye across the image, slowly, till she reached the up left corner. Bending down again, she moved even closer, and ran her right eye along the work. People were astonished with her. It was a magnificent ballet. Her long arms moved her hands just above the surface as if she was taking the painting in through some kind of osmosis.

“Oh my God! There is a Möbius circle in here – and PI! How did he do this? First he is the self, then he is the audience. He goes into a total intuitive state, does a loop over, then dips down into the subconscious. Now he is walking on the dark side of the moon. There is no hope for his return. His work is surrendered to a higher power who ingnites a spark of divine inspiration! Alas, he bursts forth in The finishing!………It is Finns!

Myriam turns to face her audience. Her blue-green eyes fill with a look of astonishment.

“He is……Co-Creator!”

Around twelve people – burst out in applause!

“How wonderful!”

“I never realized this before!”

“What beauty!”

“She is – so right!”

Like a panther, she left this work and stalked off looking for another. The people moved in a fill the void. They soaked up the energy Myriam left behind. Their eyes had been opened.

Victoria watched her amazing friend, her head was above the rest, as she gazed around from the top of the mountain she had just climbed.

“Come Starfish. We are late!”

Moving into a large room, they got their first look at Mr. von Bond. There was a long leather seat with six people sitting before their Master. Myraim crept up on the seat, pushed two people aside, then sat smack dab in the middle, up front, not but fifteen feet of the old wizard that reminded Myriam of the Russian Saint Nicholas. John was going to give her something valuable – for free! She dared not move lest she be disqualified, deprived of this blessing.

John, was completely unnerved. He had to blink several times, because it was like looking at a photograph, a still life, a breathing portrait, that did not move an inch! This beautiful creature had roses in her hair. She was so completely, so utterly, receptive. And, she was more than wide awake. There was an awaking going on inside her. John von Bond, felt like a work of art. He was, her masterpiece. She, had found him.

Painting “Division of the Roses”

The Vítkovci were among the oldest members of Czech nobility. The first information about them dates from the 12th century, mentioning Vítek of Prčice in 1134. In 1165 he was the senior waiter to King Vladislav I. In 1173 he was the Envoy of the same king to the court of Emperor Friedrich Barbarossa. In 1179 he fought in the battle of Loděnice between the “peasant duke” Soběslav II and another member of the Přemyslovci, Bedřich. Soběslav won the battle, but had to resign because of quarrels with the nobility, and subsequently Bedřich ruled the country. By this time, Witigo was probably a wealthy man and fought for him. In 1184 he became the Count of Prácheň and it is very likely that he used this as the reason to break through to the southern parts of the country that were owned exclusively by Czech dukes.

According to legend, Witigo had five sons. He divided his land between them and they founded new castles and estates such as Krumlov, Rožmberk, Jindřichův Hradec, Třeboň – Landštejn, Stráž nad Nežárkou and Sezimovo Ústí. This old legend is depicted in the picture in the Telč Castle and also its copies in Krumlov and Jindřichův Hradec. These show us how Witigo divided the coats of arms, each with a different coloured five-petalled rose, among his sons. The oldest, Jindřich, is given the golden rose on a blue background and is leaving for Jindřichův Hradec. Vítek z Klokot has a silver rose on a red background on his banner and goes to Třeboň. The ancestor of the Lords of Stráž departs with a blue rose on a golden background. Sezima, who was illegitimate, is also leaving for Ústí and carries a banner with a black rose on a golden background. Rožmberk and Krumlov are to be ruled by Vítek with a red rose on a white background.

The pictures, however, depict only a legend and are not very accurate. The castles painted there were actually founded much later in the 13th century, for example Stráž, around 1276. The other inaccuracy is that the Krumlov Witigonen was split in the next generation into two separate clans. They were already separated by Witigo\’s sons Vítek II referred to as the elder, who started the Krumlov Witigonen, and his younger brother, also called Vítek, who started the Rosenberg Witigonen. The third mistake is heraldic. The Krumlov Witigonen had a green rose in their coat of arms, not a red one, as the picture shows. The historical truth is, that Witigo had five sons :

Jindřich – the founder of Jindřichův Hradec Castle – a golden rose on a blue background
Vítek II Elder – first of the Krumlov Witigonen – a green rose on a silver background
Vítek III Younger – first of the Rosenbergs – a red rose on a silver background
Vítek IV first of the Lords of Třeboň and Landštejn – a silver rose on a red background
Sezima – a black rose on a golden background.

Sometimes are lords of Stráž and lords of Sezimovo Ústí being associated into just one family branch of lords of Stráž and Ústí with symbol of blue or black rose at golden field.

In addition to these rich Witigonen, there were also younger Witigonen in Middle Bohemia. The Lords of Úpice and others are examples of this, but they never reached the historical importance of their richer relatives.

This legend arising from this historical event, is painted on the picture “Division of the Roses”, which can be seen in the No. 1 Guided Tour of Český Krumlov Castle.