Vlasta's Magic Draught

When Vlasta had gathered many maidens from far and wide, she led them one day to the hill opposite Libín, and there in a short time they built themselves a castle, very high and strong. Vlasta gave it the name Děvín, for maidens were then called devy. From that castle they rode out on horseback and did the men great harm, and whomever they could lay hands on they killed; before the castle, on a broad open space, they used to practise riding and shooting with the bow. And once, after a feast, Vlasta gave all the maidens a magic draught: every one who drank of it afterwards bore malice even against her own father and brother and set herself against the whole male sex until death. From that day they slew men more than ever. Ruth himself remarks that the tale of the maidens' war existed here as early as the eleventh century and that there may be a historical kernel in it — some fighting between the inhabitants of the right and left banks — embellished after the manner of the Greek tales of the Amazons; and that people may have invented it when they saw the remains of a mighty castle, in order to explain its destruction. The old name Děvín, which comes from the personal name Děva, gave them the occasion for it.