Chods

a Czech ethnographic group. The Chods consist of the peasant inhabitants of several villages that lie near the city of Domazlice, on the southwestern border of Czechoslovakia. In the past, the peasants served as border guards. The name “Chod” derives from the first word of the Czech phrase meaning to walk along, or patrol, the border.

Until the second half of the 17th century, the Chods had special privileges. They enjoyed personal freedom and had their own court in Domažlice. They could dispose of their property as they liked and had the right to practice a trade. The Chods were aroused to stubborn opposition by encroachments made on their rights by the feudal lords. The Chods’ discontent resulted in the uprising of 1692–93, one of whose leaders was Jan Sladký. The special conditions of the Chods’ way of life resulted in a unique cultural tradition, expressed in distinctive dwellings, clothing, and folklore.