Devils, Missionaries, Bandits and Refugees - Geomythology of the Chřiby Mountains (SE Czechia)

The Chřiby Mountains are a low-altitude, isolated mountain range in the Czech part of the Carpathians. Although the regional relief is not particularly conspicuous, many myths, legends and folk stories are associated with various minor geodiversity elements such as crags, springs, more distinctive terrain elevations, and valleys. They represent three types: (1) myths that directly explain the origin of a landform or a phenomenon; (2) stories that use a geodiversity element as a backstage of a supposedly historical event, and certain properties of the site are included as an important component of such a story; (3) other types of stories such as fake news, incorrect scientific interpretations, or popular tales. Altogether, 55 different sites with geomythological aspects were identified from an overview of regional literature. Sandstone crags, as the most striking landforms in the flysch landscape, feature in more than half of all stories, but only some of them are linked with the presence or activity of supernatural forces (devils, dwarves). Most stories recorded in the Chřiby area relate to various supposedly historical events, involving rulers of the Great Moravia kingdom in the 9–10^th century, early Christian missionaries, religious refugees during the counterreformation period, and bandits. These old stories, passed from one generation to another, inspired the search for material traces of those events during the period of national revival in Czechia in the 19^th century, leading to many erroneous interpretations of natural features as anthropogenic structures. The distinctiveness of the Chřiby area within the flysch Carpathians is manifested through many stories related to the period of Great Moravia, which have significantly contributed to the local identity. The mythical aura still surrounds the area and makes it a popular tourist destination, which is both an opportunity and challenge for geoscientific interpretation.