V. THE MEETING OF KŘÍŽKY
The Hussite Leaders Period
(Transition from the Religious period to the War period.)
AFTER the death of Hus, it became more and more dangerous to hold the meetings of the brethren who believed in communion of “both kinds,” i.e. both body and blood of Christ—the bread and the wine, to be participated in by all of the people as well as by the priests. When in 1419 they decided to aid Prague against the King’s forces, they were compelled to arm themselves. Thus, for the first time in their history, they were called together in military groups by the Plzeń preacher, Koranda. They gathered from all quarters and directions on St. Michael's Day in the broad valley of Křížky near Benešov, from which place they advanced in a mass towards Prague.
In the picture, Koranda stands on the roof of a hut, and with several chiefs he gazes into the distance. From every side the faithful are gathering. Some come on foot, others on horseback, or in carriages to the meeting place which is designated by flags. The new arrivals are occupied variously. Some are preparing for the night’s rest, others are kneeling around the priests and are accepting communion.
