ASTRONOMIC MOTIVATION FOR SOME EARLY MEDIAEVAL CULT-PLACES IN PRAGUE (Uhe Praha varakeskaegse kultuskoha astronoomilised alused)

The authors present a structure of cult points in Prague which was used during the Early Middle Ages and till the 12th century partially destroyed as well as partly substituted during some churches. The structure was composed on the basis of astronomical and ritual principles. The former present a sun calendar, where the St. George's feast day (23th April, one month after the spring equinox) denotes the beginning of the year. The latter principles led the authors to determine the use of a ritual angle, ritual measuring units and their multiples. The entire structure is thus also a well planned ideogram. It's ideological core is the age-old belief in three fundamental forces of nature (heaven-sun-fire, earth, water), which humans help to maintain in balance by carrying out a series of ceremonial deeds. Constructing the landscape ideograms is one of them. The right time of ritual deed is of extreme importance. To match the time the elementary knowledge of astronomy was needed.