Flaška z Pardubic, Smil
Flaška z Pardubic, Smil
Born mid-14th century; died 1403. One of the first Czech writers known by name. Nobleman.
Flaška received a bachelor’s degree from Charles University in Prague. He opposed German colonization in Bohemia and supported the interests of the feudal elite. In the allegorical satire The New Council of the Animals (1378; 2nd ed., 1394–95), Flaska depicted the conflicts between the king and the aristocracy. Using the form and characters of the animal epos, he proposed that the king should share his power with the major feudal lords and the clergy. The New Council of the Animals inspired many subsequent didactic and satirical works in Czech literature.