Moravia

Sources from old books

1635. Historia mundi: or Mercator's atlas. London. by Gerhard Mercator.

THE MARQVISHIP OF MORAVIA. (Book Moravia) MORAVIA, commonly called Marnhern, doth confine on Polonia Westward. It is so called from the River Moravia which runneth thorow this Country.* 1.1 The Ancients did call it Marcomannia, because it did border Germany on that part, where Danubiu• glideth towards Pannonia. For in the Germane language Marck signifies a limmit or bound, and those which dwelt there were called Marcomanni, the Inhabitants of the Frontiers or Marches: as Dubravius thinketh. But Arrianus saith thus: The last (saith he) of these Nations, are the Quadians & Marcomannians, after them the Iazyges, or Sarmatians, then the Getes, and lastly, a great part of the Sarmatians. And it appeareth manifestly that this Moravia was the Seate of the Marcomannians, because neere the River Hana, the Husbandmen as they were ploughing did often finde certaine coynes of the ancient Romane Emperours, as of M. Antoninus, who as Histories doe witnesse did conquer and subdue this Nation. There was also mony taken from the enemy as a booty, with this Inscription: De Marcomannis. There are some doe conjecture by the Etymologie of the word, that the Marcomannians did possesse that Province of Germany, which is commonly called Die Marck, or the Marquiship of Brandenburg, beyond Albis toward the Ocean, for the Inhabitants thereof are called Die Marcker, that is, Marcomannians, as it were Marcmenner: some say the Marcomannians were so named from Horses, as we call Mareschalcus a Praefect of the Horse, and Marstaller a Master of the Horse: for Marrha and Merrhen doe signifie in the Germane language a Horse and a Mare: whence they translate Merrhenlandt, the Country of Mares. But the former reason is more probable. Moravia as it is now, is bounded on three parts of it with Mountaines, Woods, Forrests, or Rivers; on the East from Hu•garia, on the West from Bohemia, on the North from Silesia. For on the South towards Austria it is plaine ground, and in some places it is parted from it by the River Thaysa, and in other places by a small River. The ayre of this Country is gentle and warme, and so more subject to corruption.* 1.2 And as this Country is populous, so it yeeldeth great store of Corne and Wine,* 1.3 and all things necessary for mans use. It hath also great store of Saffron. The inward part of the Country is Champion ground, the Fields are of a fat and fruitfull soyle, and therefore good for tillage, there are Hills crowned with Vineyards, and in regard it hath a better soyle for Vines than Bohemia, therefore it excelleth it for goodnesse and plenty of Wine. It is all tilled, so that there is no part left for feeding of Flocks and Cattell, unlesse it bee in the Woods and Desarts. The Mountaines Sudetae neere the Citty Igla are thought to bee full of Mines. Moreover, it is wonderfull, that there is Frankincense and Myrrh in Moravia, which doth not distill out of a sweating Tree, as in other parts, but is digged out of the ground, especially in one place called Gradisco, in which there is both male and female Frankincense. But of late Venceslaus a Nobleman, as he was laying the foundation of the head of a Fish-pond in his owne grounds at Sterenberg, found the whole body of a man, which was nothing but Myrrhe. This Country was heretofore adorned with the title of a Kingdome, and it had formerly Kings, who governed all Bohemia, and Poleland, and it was a very large and potent Kingdome. About the yeere of Christ 700. Zuantocopius did possesse Moravia, Bohemia, Silesia, and Poleland, and the Dukes thereof were subject unto him. But hee being proud of his large Territories, did deny to pay the Emperour that tribute, which hee had sometime paid to Lodovick King of Germany. So that the King made warres upon him, but hee drew up great forces to defend himselfe. The Hungarians were as it were a bolt or barre, which the King of Moravia had placed, to shut up the passage that way. The Emperour who purposed not to depart from Moravia without victory, perceiving where they were ayded, opened a passage to Hungaria, and let in the Turkes amongst them, who did grievously afflict this Province. And so the Emperour using the Turkes Forces, did suppresse the King of Moravia, and having made a great slaughter, and taken many prisoners, he put him to flight. Who by this meanes escaping, betooke himselfe to a thicke Wood, and having cast away his royall Robes and apparell, hee went to a Hermit, with whom hee liv'd a solitary Hermits life untill his death, and then hee discovered who hee was, and so slept in Christ. After that the Princes of Bohemia, Poleland, and Silesia, had every one Dukes of their owne, yet they payd some tribute to the Emperour. At the same time, when Michael was Emperour of Greece, there came Cirillus Doctor and Apostle of all Sclavonia, together with Merodius, who layd the foundation of the Christian faith in Moravia; and erected an Episcopall Church in the Towne Vielagrad. So that being called and summoned by the Pope to answer why they read Masse in the Sclavonian tongue, they answered, because it is writtten. Omnes Spiritus laudet Dominum. Let every spirit praise the Lord. But afterward Moravia was governed by Dukes, and Marquisses, and it is now devided, so that the better part of it, and almost all of it is subject to the Kings of Bohemia: the other part is subject to Barons and Lords. The chiefe head-Citty of this Marquiship is Brunna, which the Germanes call Brin, and the Bohemians Brino, and some doe call it Olmuzium, and Olomontium, it is a Bishops Seate, and heretofore it was called Volograd. It hath also many other faire walled Citties, as Zwoyma, Radisch, Iglavia, Nova Civitas, Niclosburg, Mons Nicolai, Weiskirchen, Cremser, Boserlitz, heretofore a Marquiship, and many others, which may be found in the Table or Card. The chiefe Rivers in Moravia are Morava, or Ma•ava•a, Ptol•my calls it C•abrus▪ it is commonly called die Marche, which floweth by the chiefe Citty Olomuz•um, and so running into •a•rovia, it falleth at last into Di•ubius. It is thought that this River named the Country, but it is more likely that the Country named the River. The other chiefe Rivers are Iheya, or Deins, which Dubravius calls Tha•sa, and some Thysia. It floweth by Zuoyna, which is memorable in regard that the Emperour Sigismund dyed here, and it doth border Mo•avania and Austria. The River Igla, whence the Citty Iglavia is so called, doth devide the Maravanians from the Bohemians, and doth enter also into Marava•ia. But the River Odera, which riseth not farre from Olomuzium, doth keepe his owne name untill hee falleth into the Ocean: Some suppose that Ptolomy doth call it Viadrum. They called Odera by a word borrowed from Fowlers, who set down daring Glasses to catch and allure Birds to their Nets, which they call Odri, and the Fowlers doe now set downe such Glasses in Moravia by the Fountaine of Odera. Neither can wee passe by Hama, although it bee a small streame, yet it watereth those Fields, which are the fruitfullest in all Moravia, so that the Husbandmen in regard of their great plenty of Corne which they yeeld, doe call them the light or eye of Moravia. And also Gold and Silver coynes of M. An•••us, and Commodus, and some other of the Emperours, are very often found in these parts, which are manifest tokens of the warres which the Romanes had against the Marcomannians in Moravia. There is also the River Nigra, •ommonly called Suarta and Suittaw, which doth glide by the Citty Brunna, and is next in esteeme to Olomuzium. These Rivers have great store of divers kindes of Fish. This Country is not so Mountainous as Bohemia, neither is altogether plaine. Ptolemy placeth here the Wood Orcynium, and the Wood Gabreta. The Inhabitants are very rude, and doe use a mixt kinde of speech. But they speake just the Bohemian language, for the Germane speech is onely used in Citties, and that among the Nobles and chiefe men. In other matters Dubravius saith that they are like the Bohemians in their rites and manners. In the Villages of this Country there doe dwell divers Anabaptists, who professe that there ought to be a community of all things. Mercator placeth these Counties in Mo•avia, Huckenwaldt, Schonberg; and these Signiories or Lordships, Lomnicz, Dubrantiz, Gemniez, Walstain, Pietnix, Neuhauss, Telesch, Bozkowitz, Trebits•h, Dernowitz, and Ragetz.