Pavel Hrejsemnou: Introducing My New Historical Novel, “Sword and Parchment”
Hello, dear readers! I am Pavel Hrejsemnou, and I am excited to introduce my newest historical novel, “Sword and Parchment” (Meč a pergamen). This book is a tribute to lovers of Czech history and all who believe that history is not just a collection of names and dates, but a living story of blood, faith, and courage.
“Sword and Parchment” plunges deep into the turbulent world of 15th-century Bohemia, focusing on the dramatic prelude to the Hussite Wars, starting around 1411. The narrative is anchored by the perspective of Vavřinec z Březové, a master of liberal arts and a royal scribe, who finds his world of scholarly reason shattered by the rising tide of religious passion.
Vavřinec begins as a man who serves the power of the King, Václav IV., and values academic knowledge over spiritual conviction. However, he soon becomes a first-hand witness to the fateful conflict between Master Jan Hus, the preacher of truth who “spoke as if fire were in his throat” , and the powerful but increasingly corrupt Church.
The central theme is the transformation of the word (Pergamen) into a weapon (Meč). Vavřinec, the chronicler, learns that the “pen and the sword can be sisters”. This transformation is dramatically influenced by his encounters with the legendary Jan Žižka z Trocnova , who is initially a quiet guard at the royal court. Žižka, the soldier, emerges as the embodiment of the coming age. He believes that “The word, Master, is like the edge of a sword. When you raise it, you must be ready to strike”.
The novel explores the profound moment when Prague “stops trembling and starts to burn”. It is a chronicle of fire and faith —a testament to the fact that even in times of madness, one can find God, not in pomp, but in a single moment of truth. It tells the story of how Žižka, the “blind leader of the people”, came to see farther than all the kings.
I invite you to step back into the 15th century and witness the birth of a nation’s resolve. Discover how a single word written on parchment could ignite the fire of a thousand swords.