Left: The route of the Devil's Furrow between Chotouň and Sázava as recorded in 1903 by Miškovský and Kuffner. The black line marks the location of the discovered linear earthworks.
Right: The Devil's Wake on Hanuš Kuffner's map (9 June 1903)
Right: The Devil's Wake on Hanuš Kuffner's map (9 June 1903)
According to an old Czech legend, the Devil's Furrow (Czech: Čertova brázda) was a distinct line in the landscape, allegedly connecting the place of St. Procopius's activity in Sázava Monastery with his birthplace, 21 km away in Chotouň. The furrow is no longer visible in the terrain, and the interpretation of the various relics found along its supposed route was a matter of debate.[1][2]
Based on recent research, it appears that the foundation of the legend lies in a 5.5 km long (completely straight) linear earthwork (rampart with two ditches) that controlled a significant east-west transportation corridor in the early Middle Ages or earlier.[3]
- ^ Čertova brázda, stará severojižní stezka mezi Labem a Sázavou. Ústav archeologické památkové péče středních Čech. pp. 349–362.
- ^ Krajinou čertovy brázdy. MH. 2008. ISBN 978-80-86720-39-5.
- ^ Nový, Petr; Štuka, Čestmír (2021). "Raně středověký (?) liniový útvar v trase "Čertovy brázdy"". Archeologie ve středních Čechách. 25. doi:10.13140/RG.2.2.25038.59202. Retrieved 2023-05-02.