How likely would it have been for a rural Bohemian to encounter someone with darker skin?

Question

Recently a new video game was released called Kingdom Come: Deliverance, claiming to be a somewhat authentic representation of life in medieval Bohemia. However at the same time the game has courted some controversy because it's notable lack of minority ethnic characters. Apart from a tribe of Cumans the game features no characters of ethnicities with darker skin colours such as Moors. The developers do claim that they worked with historians and that they could find no conclusive evidence to support the presence of people with darker skin in the area at the time. The game is set around the year 1403 and is set in a more rural area of Bohemia such as the city Skalitz.

My question now would be: how likely would it have been for someone living in that time to come in contact with a person of a minority ethnic background as described above if we can assume that the person stayed mostly in their locale and did not, for example, visit big cities or trade hubs?

A question dealing with a similar topic about minorities in Bohemia has been asked before but not been answered: What was the prevalence of ethnic minorities in 15th century Bohemia?

Answer 1

Historians appear to be correct that there is no conclusive evidence of this minority group settling in Bohemia.

That being said, it is possible that a Bohemian would have met a sub-Saharan native. There were several African Christian Kingdoms during this time frame and they made their way on several occasions to Europe through Pilgrimages.

You have pilgrimage sites in Bohemia dating to that time:

https://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mari%C3%A1nsk%C3%A1_T%C3%BDnice

The monks of Plasy built a court around the chapel where they worked.[1] People started to visit the site from far and wide and Pope Urban III granted the chapel special indulgence for the pilgrims in 1186, which was confirmed by Innocent IV in 1250.[1] It became the oldest pilgrimage site in Western Bohemia.[1]

or perhaps

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_the_Assumption_of_the_Virgin_Mary_(Most)

The deanery church in Most, which stood in the middle of the church yard near the road to Žatec, burned down in 1515, and only the eastern crypt and the inner peripheral brickwork of the western tower could be saved. (The foundation of this church is indicated in 1253 till 1257 and indirectly proven by a document of pope Bonifacio VIII from 1296. The construction was originally an early Gothic basilica of three naves.)

These sites aren't that close to Skalitz mind you. Unfortunately any records from these locations appear to have been lost/burnt along the way. There were African Pilgrims, particularly from Ethiopia, in Europe during these times and we have evidence that they made it to Pilgrimage sites in Northern Spain (and we can find records proving they made the pilgrimage to Spain)...

https://www.publicmedievalist.com/uncovering-african/

As a fascinating sidebar, however, we do know about a significant African presence in medieval Rome in the 15th century. Beginning in 1402, multiple Ethiopian embassies arrived throughout Europe (notably in Spain, France, and Italy). This contact was sustained—by the 1480s, the church of Santo Stefano degli Abissini was built/restored in Rome specifically for Ethiopians to use (one seventeenth century writer dates this donation as early as the 1160s!). This established a permanent, dedicated place of worship for visiting Ethiopians and the burgeoning Ethiopian community. We don’t know exactly how many came, nor do we know all of their names and stories. But the overall point that black Africans were present and accepted in medieval Europe—especially later medieval Europe—remains.

They were present in Rome for pilgrimages and Bohemia contains pilgrimage sites...I would be surprised to learn that they settled into communities, but it would be hard to completely negate their presence.

Answer 2

I would like to answer this question, but not fully, because i have already answer this question refer to the answer in uestion: What was the prevalence of ethnic minorities in 15th century Bohemia?

In those time (1403) Bohemia country was under reign Wenceslaw the fourth. But major problem was the catholic bureaucracy invective by preacher Jan Hus. And the first evangelic reformation has starded. ¨(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hussites)

Few apear of black people recorded only in Prague. For example a discovery of skeleton with negroids sighs was describe by historian Petr Charvát technicly as parth of mission of Saints Cyril and Methodius.(https://blisty.cz/art/73195-nikdy-se-nikdo-takovy-v-ceskych-dejinach-nevyskytoval.html)

In my opinion if any villigar accidentally saw black person, he would be consider as devil. But there are no black people in history of my country.

The biggest minorities was in those days Jews ( evidence for this is old jews prague gheto, http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/prague), and nomad gypsy (http://romove.radio.cz/cz/clanek/18785). Last but not least is Germen whose was ivited to colonized borderlands of Bohemia Charles the fourth(https://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sudet%C5%A1t%C3%AD_N%C4%9Bmci).

I hope this somehow can satisfied knowledge covetous historians.

Plus information: i actually havent read about the game when i was answering, but i know did. I see a big ironie in this problém, because Is not a problem after all. (http://www.ceskatelevize.cz/ct24/veda/2388598-vychazi-nejocekavanejsi-ceska-hra-kingdom-come-ukazuje-stredoveke-cechy-drsne-a, czech article about the game). A czech historians has agreed with creator, that in those days in that area, but Saíd that there are only few paintings with black people. Aš historians freaks u should be familiar with trustworthiness od that paintings!! And i am defender od right to explain your history as nation!!