The Execution of Jan Hus

This image depicts the burning of Jan Hus at the stake for all to see.  Hus was sentenced to death after refusing to repent his beliefs in front of the court.  His followers viewed him as a martyr after he was executed, and went on to uphold his beliefs.  This particular source is interesting because it provides a first hand account of the execution.  This source also provided an eye witness testimony from one of Hus's followers.  This follower by the name of Peter from Mladonovic, explains in detail the accounts of Hus's execution. According to the testimony, Peter watched in horror as they lit the fire beneath Hus; as he was then consumed in the blaze, Peter recollects Hus praying aloud while his body was immersed in flame (Columbia.edu).  this eye witness account along with the picture can vividly explain the horrors of that day.  Sometimes, as historians, we get so caught up in reviewing why someone was killed and the effects of that person on society that we forget to look into the eyes of everyday people who actually witnessed it.  For Peter who was a friend of Hus's, this marked a terrifying event in his life.  Not just because of the powerful beliefs Hus presented, but also because he was a friend and fellow believer.  How would you feel to see a friend and idle being burned at the stake? this is a question I hope no one would ever have to answer, but it does provide a historical perspective from personal level of an eye witness' viewing.


Sources:

http://www.columbia.edu/~js322/misc/hus-eng.html