Karantania

The Ducal Coronation

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Duke's Chair

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The ancient ritual of installing Karantanian dukes carried out in Slovenian language on the Prince's Stone (Slov. Kne?ji kamen, German Fürstenstein), an Ancient Celtic column, near Krnski grad, (now Karnburg) by a free farmer selected by his peers who questioned the new duke about his integrity. Subsequently, the new Duke had to swear an oath while sitting on the Duke's Chair (Slov. Vojvodski stol, German Herzogsstuhl), where he also received the homage of the estates. The Chair was located at the Gosposvetsko Field (Slov. Gosposvetsko polje), which is today known in German as the Zollfeld north of Klagenfurt (Slov. Celovec) in Carinthia, Austria. This ceremony was conducted the last time in 1414, when the Habsburg Ernest the Iron was enthroned as Duke of Carinthia. Some say that the ritual inspired Thomas Jefferson in writing the United States Declaration of Independence in 1776 as he read about it in the Jean Bodin's Six livres de la Republique.

Related Topics:
Duke - Celtic - Krnski grad - Karnburg - Farmer - Oath - Estates - Zollfeld - Klagenfurt - Carinthia - Austria - 1414 - Habsburg - Ernest the Iron - Carinthia - Thomas Jefferson - United States Declaration of Independence - 1776 - Jean Bodin

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