The White Lady of the Rožmberks
In the castles of a great Bohemian family, a lady in white was said to appear: wearing white gloves for good news, black gloves before a death.
What was reported
Perchta of Rožmberk was a 15th-century noblewoman from one of Bohemia's most powerful families. She was married to a man who treated her badly, and her letters to her family complaining of her unhappy marriage survive. After her death, legend made her the White Lady of the Rožmberk castles, Český Krumlov above all.
She was said to appear in a white dress, watching over the family. If she wore white gloves, good news was coming; if black, someone in the family would soon die. The legend spread, and she was said to appear in other noble houses, as far as Berlin.
Explanations offered
Perchta was real, and her letters are among the oldest surviving private letters in Czech. The ghost is legend. The White Lady became one of the best-known figures in Czech folklore and is part of the tours at Český Krumlov.
- When
- Told since the 15th century
- Where
- Český Krumlov, South Bohemia, Czech Republic
- Witnesses
- Czech legend
- Status
- Legend
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
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