Show e o a sleepy little town about 60 miles from Prague P rag r a g u e c s Czechoslovakia holds one of the strangest and eeriest relics in in the world world world-a a church whose interior is decorated with the bones of 10 people The church right is I visited by tourists from all over r FI the world but one visit usually d suffices for a lifetime Even the villagers who have h love ve lived with it I A most of their lives use it but once a year year during during the Easter season R J k kas as ai as a grim reminder that life is is transient and death js is certain y The rest of the time it is shown to visitors as a curiosity of the district by an old caretaker who carefully dusts the skulls every two months r ri- ri NIi BO t 0 fj 7 ti s r I C lJ 2 S' S L r Y J t Q e This eerie scene right startles and stops the tourist in his track On entering the church he sees first a row of gleaming human skulls lining the top of the altar i beneath the figure fig f i g u r e of Christ f Skulls stare store from the niches on the sides where they have been fitted into lamps Church instruments instruments instruments ments include a chalice made of bones V 3 K w V YA v A n j is C z E ESI SI 9 The chandelier right is an inspiration of horror and causes t more visitors to retreat than any any- anything anything anything thing else Strings of skulls form shadows on the ceiling And when the candles in this grotesque chandelier are lit the skulls give an on uncanny impression that they are participating in the ceremony One account reports this display f was conceived and arranged by a blind monk V S I Q Pan Von American hostess Marcel- Marcel Marcella MarcelIa la Ia left looks at this in intricate in- in intricate intricate shield belonging to t the h e ehouse ehouse house of Count Schwarzenberg whose family has taken care care of the church for generations How Howand i t tand and why the bones were put into the church varies with the story story- teller Built in 1280 when a travel travel- traveler er brought earth from Jerusalem for its altar the church and its yard became a very popular tery Everyone wanted to be buried bur bur- buried buried in its hallowed ground The T e bones came from the t h e bodies in the cemetery n h 9 Other skulls that are fashioned into candle holders and monstrance bear sword marks and some still con con- contain contain contain tain bits of teeth Miss left inspects some of the altar instruments The caretaker shows the visitor visitor tor this display with a noticeable lack of enthusiasm rd- rd 1 4 |