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About the emblem of Slaný

It was in 1336 when the Royal town of Slaný obtained its emblem from ther king Jiří from Poděbrady. It really was a tasteful and respectable emblem and the inhabitants of Slaný were very proud of it. A slantwise tilted shield of golden colour beared a silver two-tail-lion with a small crown on its head. Over the shield there was a closed helmet with a veil covered with golden stars and with a vast eagle wing decorated with lime tree blossoms and leaves.

During the reign of Charles IV. the inhabitants of Slaný built a nice town hall in the square and they placed the emblem of Slaný over its entrance. There was a market in the square in front of the town hall which was visited by many traders from other towns. They often had discussons with local people over glass of fine beer from Slaný brewery in Ungelt.

´You have a nice emblem´, said a trader from Litoměřice, ´but we have a better one. We also have a lion in the emblem as you have but you can see only a half of it since we have town walls with battlements and gate with a golden grid before it.´

´We also have the town walls and, moreover, two towers´, said the inhabitants of Rakovník, ´and instead of closed helmet we have it open.´ At once somebody started to tease the inhabitants of Slaný: ´You are mare-men! The knights wear the closed helmet in combat when they ride a mare!.´

The townsmen were offended by those words and they even had a fight there. However in the course of time they started to think that their emblem was too simple and that more complicated emblems are all the fashion. But most of all they were sorry about the ´mare-men´ helmet.

At that time Charles IV. died and a young king Wenceslas IV. came to the throne. He was a keen hunter and often hunted in the forrests around Smečno. After a good hunt he visited the nearest town to stay over night there and he was known to fulfill willingly wishes to those who came to him to ask for something. The citizens of Slaný waited for this opportunity as well. They wanted to ask the king for supplementing the emblem and chiefly for changing the helmet... Finally the day came...

It was a nice day in August when a messenger came and announced the arrival of the king for the next day.

The citizens did their best to make the town as beatiful as possible so that it would make the best impression on the king. They swept up, cleaned up, decorated houses with flowers and ribands.

The town hall had the best decoration. Wooden scaffold covered with conifer branchlets was built around the entrance and the emblem was placed to the face. Counsellors gathered in an important meeting: ´Who will tell the king the wish?´

The Primate of that time was Mr. Vaněk Hotmar. So they decided that it would be him and two elder counsellors who would go to meet the king and in a suitable moment ask for supplementing the emblem.

The worst misery arose for a local teacher practising reception ceremony with his pupils. The boys were very disobedient. One of the biggest scallywags was Mr. Hotmar´s son Valentin. The teacher complained about him very often but his father was convinced of his great talent and did not respect techer´s complaints. He even decided to show off his clever son to the king.

The next day the Primate with counsellors made the king welcome in front of the town gate. The king- in good temper- jumped down the horse and started to talk to them. After that Wenceslas went together with his procession to the square. He viewed the town with interest and from time to time he stopped to talk to citizens. Mr. Vaněk took advantage of that opportunity and told him their wish. The king promised willingly to supplement the emblem. But when he heard him to belaud his son he only wagged his head indulgently.

The teacher with his pupils were already waiting in the square. Suddenly the king frowned. He saw that the teacher had problems to keep the boys calm. Especially one of them behaved so badly that the teacher grasped him at his collar. The boys sang for the king, he thanked them and talked to the teacher:

´Well, dear teacher, are you satisfied with your pupils? Do they study well?´

´No, gracious king, I am not satisfied. They are bright and they could study well but they are very naughty´, complained the teacher.

´Which of them is the best?´ Wenceslas went on asking.

The teacher turned red at that time. Mr. Vaněk was standing next to the king and was winking with his eyes at the teacher. He couldn´t make the Primate angry!

´This one - here. ´and still grasping Valentin he pushed him towards the king.

´What is your name?´asked the king and stroked his head.

´Valentin Hotmar´.

´What, this is your son, Mr. Hotmar!´ Wenceslas turned to Primate with ironic grimase.

At that moment Valentin wrenched himself free out of teacher´s hand and disappeared. Everyone was embarrassed but the king pretended not to notice that and went on. He ate bread with salt according to an ancient habit in front of the town hall.

When he was eating bread he recollected Mr. Hotmar´s request and he decided to reward the town for its nice welcome right now. He looked up thinking about supplementing the emblem but he got scared. He saw Valentin who had slipped his shoes and had climbed up the scaffolding decorated with conifer branchlets. He was sitting at the gable brink and trying to tear away the closed helmet. He had heard from his father that it would be replaced by an open one. Everyone petrified...

However the king smiled and turned towards the town council:

´I have heard about your wish to improve the emblem and since I have also decided to reward the best pupil I will give you Valentin into your emblem. Scrivener, write a document about it and draw the emblem like you see it now, with Valentin trying to take the helmet out of the shield!´

Nobody dared contradict the king. And so the ´mare-man´helmet remained in the emblem forever supplemented with Valentin.

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