What connects an alchemist Edward Kelley and the Augustinian church? The figure of the first female poet in Czechia! Elisabeth Jane Weston (1581-1612), also called Westonia or Vestonie, was a stepdaughter of this famous alchemist who worked – among others – on the court of the Emperor Rudolf II and she was connected with Prague for most of her life.
Westonia was born in England, but in her early childhood she came to the Czech kingdom with her parents. Here is where her father died and her mother remarried, taking E. Kelley (also known as Edward Talbot) as her second huseband. Westonia spoke English, German, Czech, Italian, but only Latin turned out to be a real doorway to her fame, which she mastered perfectly. She wrote mature, poignant poems in Latin, and was quickly renowned as “female Ovid,” “bird of paradise,” or “tenth muse.” This achievement appears even greater when we remind ourselves that back then in her era the circles of high culture were dominated by men. Her strong character, determination, talent and sense of poetry allowed her to break through in the literary circles of Europe of the beginning of 17th century and gain fame. She is recorded as the first female poet of the Czech lands. In her time she was much more famous than her stepfather, known alchemist and adventurer, whose colorful character is often commented to this day. Her oeuvre was created over the course of one decade. Westonia published two volumes of poems (“Poemata” and “Parthenica”) in which she referred to Greek mythology, current events and deep personal experiences.
In 2012, on the 400th anniversary of her death, a translation competition was organized in Prague. This event allowed to remind about this extraordinary character and familiarize the wider audience with her work.
Westonia died at the age of 31 in Prague and was buried in the church of St. Thomas in the Lesser Quarter. Her tombstone – a plaque embedded in the monastery wall, already faded to a large extent – can be seen during the church’s opening hours. It is a pity that such an inspirational and unusual figure that could serve as a model for emancipating women, today is only known mainly to a small group of Latinists…
St. Thomas church, 8 Josefská Str., Prague, open every day from 12.15 and on Sundays from 09.00
