K otázce smrti Jana Lucemburského
On the question of John of Luxembourgh's death

Summary/Abstract: In the year 1337 started the conflict between French King Philip VI of Valois and English King Edward III, which is in historiography called „The Hundred Years War“. First important collision was the Battle at Crécy. In this battle French chivalry was defeated and Czech King John the Blind of Luxembourgh, ally of King Philip, died under the arrows of English longbowmen. At least as present historiography presents. But in the year 1980 Czech anthropologist Emanuel Vlèek explored the remains of King John’s body and discovered King’s vital injuries, which he subsequently described in several studies. His conclusions are that King John and his suite have clashed with English campaigners in battle and they were killed by Englishmen. Except this anthropological research we can use the testimonies of different contemporary chronicles, mainly Chronicle of Jean Le Bel and Chronicle of Jean Froissart, whose authors do not doubt the fact of King John’s death in a man to man collision with English campaigners. So by a combination of the anthropological research as a primary historical source with the supplement of the written sources we can try to answer how King John died at Crécy. I believe he fell in a fight against English campaigners. Vlèek has revealed two vital injuries on his body, one in his back where the king was speared, second in his eye, which was ran through beaver of helmet by a dagger called „misericordia“. Further the King’s body reveals hints of other injuries caused by the fight, which, however, were not immediately fatal. I also refuse Vlèek’s thesis about King John’s robbery at the battlefield, which was one of his attempts how to explain king’s injuries. I believe it is only an unjustified speculation, found in the contemporary sources.

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