Závišova píseň – the foremost Old Bohemian courtly love poem

Abstract

Závišova píseň, one of the 14th century masterpieces with love theme, was composed on triadic principle. The principle, which is based on number three, goes through and co-creates all fundamental components of the work – the whole architectonics, stanzas, the choice of simile and rhymes. The author might have been inspired by Gothic architecture because in his work we can trace the so called triskelis, which is the principal element of church architecture. The poem architectonic and its realation to Gothic style makes Závišova píseň the leading work in Old-Bohemian poetry.