Tourists stroll along Prague’s Celetna street, heading to or from the beautiful Old Town Square. Those who look up and marvel at the art on the buildings facades will wonder what the symbol of a black sun means.

This article explores its mythology and its connection, or otherwise, to Prague’s mystical alchemical trail.

The House and Its Provenance

The House of the Black Sun stands at 8, Celetná Street in Prague’s Old Town. This significant street is the start of one of the city’s oldest and most historical routes. Builders constructed the house in the Gothic architectural style¹ during the thirteenth century², but the first documented reference to it appears in 1360³. The owner, Mr Plaier⁴, expanded the original during the 14th century⁵. There’s no real news about successive changes, if any, but it’s only in the 16th century that people started to call it the “House at the sun”⁶ or the “House of the Golden Sun”⁷. Historical sources don’t clarify whether the name “Golden Sun”​ means the image was golden, and then blackened later, or if it was an ironic name of sorts. We know a scribe by the name of Petr Drdák lived there at the time, and within 70 years, under Emperor Rudolf’s reign, it was called “House of the Black Sun”⁸.

There were renovations over the next 400 years, but there is nothing of note in available sources. The building kept its decorative Baroque symbol of the Black Sun; still visible today.​

The Black Sun in World Mythology

The symbol appears across many European and world mythologies with varying interpretations. The most significant European tradition comes from Norse and Germanic traditions. In Norse mythology, the darkening of the sun represented apocalyptic catastrophe⁹. This is the final battle of Ragnarok, when Fenrir and the Midgard serpent escape their bonds and consume the sun, plunging the world into darkness and chaos¹⁰. This connection between a darkened sun and the end of an age reflects the Germanic peoples’ deep fascination with solar symbolism as markers of cosmic order and transformation.​

The sun also held profound significance across Proto-Indo-European mythologies^{11 12}:

• In Germanic mythology this is “Sol”
• In Vedic or Hindu tradition this is “Surya”
• In Greek mythology this is “Helios” or “Apollo”.
• In Baltic mythology, this is the goddess Saule riding a sun chariot through the sky on copper wheels pulled by tireless horses.

These cultures understood the sun as far more than a celestial body—they perceived it as the embodiment of divine power, cosmic order, and the eternal cycle of life and death. The symbol appears throughout ancient European cultures¹³:

• Bronze Age artisans depicted solar symbols on decorative objects
• Neolithic farmers incorporated sun crosses into stone monuments to honour the solstices
• Proto-Indo-European herders carved sun symbols into rock artworks across Eurasia.

Unlike these representations of the visible sun bringing light and life¹⁴, the Black Sun represented something far more mysterious.​

The Black Sun in Alchemy

Prague became the centre of European alchemy during the reign of Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II who ruled from 1576 to 1612. Rudolf obsessively pursued the creation of the Philosopher’s Stone and the Elixir of Life, believing these legendary substances could turn base metals into gold and grant eternal immortality. He established large laboratories within Prague Castle itself and invited renowned alchemists from across Europe to his court earning himself the nickname “the Mad Emperor” and “the Crazy Alchemist”.

The Black Sun holds tremendous importance within alchemical philosophy. Here the Black Sun—known as “sol niger” in Latin^{15 16}—refers to the first stage of the great alchemical work¹⁷. Alchemists start their search though the process of nigredo, or “blackening”^{18 19}. They would cook their raw material into a uniform black mass²⁰. This was a necessary starting point for alchemists. Their materials needed to putrefy or decompose^{21 22} before transforming into something nobler. Various processes can be used for this; you could reduce something to ash by heating, drying or crushing using furnaces or mortars. Alchemists continue with dissolution by using cauldrons or kettles to immerse this black powder into water or acid.

The Black Sun symbolises this entire destructive yet purifying phase. Carl Jung’s psychological studies interpret this phase as the confrontation with one’s inner shadow and the “dark night of the soul”. This is necessary, Jung argues, for personal transformation and rebirth^{23 24}.​

The Black Sun and the Alchemical Trail of Celetná Street

Celetná street forms a crucial part of the Royal Route, the ceremonial path that King Charles IV designed for royal coronations. The route begins at the Powder Tower and proceeds along Celetná Street toward Old Town Square, before continuing on to Prague Castle.

The Powder Tower is not far from the Black Sun.

Trained observers will note that the route contains a series of alchemical symbols. And if you pay attention to them, you’ll note they correspond to the four stages of the alchemical process. It is a visual guide through the city of the alchemist’s spiritual journey​.

The position of the House of the Black Sun is puzzling in this regard. Anyone starting their walk from the Powder Tower encounters the House of White Peacock first, i.e., before the House of the Black Sun.

The House of the White Peacock is another building worth keeping an eye open for.

• The White Peacock, and whiteness, is a symbol of the second step in alchemy.
• The Black sun, and blackness, is a symbol of the first step in alchemy.

Either the White Peacock is out of sequence, or the Black Sun is – but which one?

I posit that this is intentional. There is a deeper meaning we can attribute to this apparant mis-sequence of symbols.

Any alchemist worth his salt knows the presence of results does not mean the process is over. You have to be patient to be sure the first step concluded properly because if it hasn’t you will end up with false results. And if it hasn’t, then you may need to take a step back and re-do something.

The same analogy works in Jungian psychology. Because you’ve gone through the “Dark night of the soul” and are ready for transformation, it doesn’t mean that you can transform. Sometimes you need to refine your plans when you realise what you thought was enough to move forward, isn’t.

I posit that (re)encountering the nigredo process is a subtle point; are you sure you’re ready? Are you sure you know what you’re doing?

Conclusion

The Black Sun in Celetná street represents one of Prague’s enigmatic alchemical symbols. ​The meaning extends far beyond superficial darkness. It is a reminder that doubting oneself, and making sure you’re not forgetting anything on your path to find the Philosopher’s Stone is a wise move.

References

1. Mahoney, K. (2016) The Black Sun Shines Darkly over a Doorway in Prague [online]. Available from: https://magicbohemia.com/the-black-sun-shines-darkly-in-prague/ (Accessed 8 January 2026).[↩]
2. Mahoney, K. (2016) The Black Sun Shines Darkly over a Doorway in Prague [online]. Available from: https://magicbohemia.com/the-black-sun-shines-darkly-in-prague/ (Accessed 8 January 2026).[↩]
3. Mahoney, K. (2016) The Black Sun Shines Darkly over a Doorway in Prague [online]. Available from: https://magicbohemia.com/the-black-sun-shines-darkly-in-prague/ (Accessed 8 January 2026).[↩]
4. Mahoney, K. (2016) The Black Sun Shines Darkly over a Doorway in Prague [online]. Available from: https://magicbohemia.com/the-black-sun-shines-darkly-in-prague/ (Accessed 8 January 2026).[↩]
5. Mahoney, K. (2016) The Black Sun Shines Darkly over a Doorway in Prague [online]. Available from: https://magicbohemia.com/the-black-sun-shines-darkly-in-prague/ (Accessed 8 January 2026).[↩]
6. Mahoney, K. (2016) The Black Sun Shines Darkly over a Doorway in Prague [online]. Available from: https://magicbohemia.com/the-black-sun-shines-darkly-in-prague/ (Accessed 8 January 2026).[↩]
7. Mahoney, K. (2016) The Black Sun Shines Darkly over a Doorway in Prague [online]. Available from: https://magicbohemia.com/the-black-sun-shines-darkly-in-prague/ (Accessed 8 January 2026).[↩]
8. Mahoney, K. (2016) The Black Sun Shines Darkly over a Doorway in Prague [online]. Available from: https://magicbohemia.com/the-black-sun-shines-darkly-in-prague/ (Accessed 8 January 2026).[↩]
9. Hybrid Collapse (2020) Hybrid Collapse [online]. Available from: https://www.hybridcollapse.com/glossary/black-sun (Accessed 8 January 2026).[↩]
10. Hybrid Collapse (2020) Hybrid Collapse [online]. Available from: https://www.hybridcollapse.com/glossary/black-sun (Accessed 8 January 2026).[↩]
11. Patrick (2024) Blog & Lookbook – Pagan Symbolism: the Sun Cross [online]. Available from: https://www.celticwebmerchant.com/en/blogs/info/pagan-symbolism-the-sun-cross/ (Accessed 8 January 2026).[↩]
12. Rodriguez, E. (2018) Saule | Baltic Deity [online]. Available from: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Saule (Accessed 8 January 2026).[↩]
13. Patrick (2024) Blog & Lookbook – Pagan Symbolism: the Sun Cross [online]. Available from: https://www.celticwebmerchant.com/en/blogs/info/pagan-symbolism-the-sun-cross/ (Accessed 8 January 2026).[↩]
14. Rodriguez, E. (2018) Saule | Baltic Deity [online]. Available from: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Saule (Accessed 8 January 2026).[↩]
15. Hybrid Collapse (2020) Hybrid Collapse [online]. Available from: https://www.hybridcollapse.com/glossary/black-sun (Accessed 8 January 2026).[↩]
16. Mahoney, K. (2016) The Black Sun Shines Darkly over a Doorway in Prague [online]. Available from: https://magicbohemia.com/the-black-sun-shines-darkly-in-prague/ (Accessed 8 January 2026).[↩]
17. Urādos, B. (2023) The Four Stages of the Magnum Opus [online]. Available from: https://thewitchsanddruidsden.com/the-four-stages-of-the-magnum-opus/ (Accessed 8 January 2026).[↩]
18. Urādos, B. (2023) The Four Stages of the Magnum Opus [online]. Available from: https://thewitchsanddruidsden.com/the-four-stages-of-the-magnum-opus/ (Accessed 8 January 2026).[↩]
19. Mahoney, K. (2016) The Black Sun Shines Darkly over a Doorway in Prague [online]. Available from: https://magicbohemia.com/the-black-sun-shines-darkly-in-prague/ (Accessed 8 January 2026).[↩]
20. Mahoney, K. (2016) The Black Sun Shines Darkly over a Doorway in Prague [online]. Available from: https://magicbohemia.com/the-black-sun-shines-darkly-in-prague/ (Accessed 8 January 2026).[↩]
21. Urādos, B. (2023) The Four Stages of the Magnum Opus [online]. Available from: https://thewitchsanddruidsden.com/the-four-stages-of-the-magnum-opus/ (Accessed 8 January 2026).[↩]
22. Hybrid Collapse (2020) Hybrid Collapse [online]. Available from: https://www.hybridcollapse.com/glossary/black-sun (Accessed 8 January 2026).[↩]
23. Jeffrey, S. (2025) Jung and Alchemy: 4 Critical Stages of the Magnum Opus [online]. Available from: https://scottjeffrey.com/jung-and-alchemy-magnum-opus/ (Accessed 8 January 2026).[↩]
24. Hybrid Collapse (2020) Hybrid Collapse [online]. Available from: https://www.hybridcollapse.com/glossary/black-sun (Accessed 8 January 2026).[↩]

Remember: links were correct at time of publication.