Alois Jirásek was a Czech writer, author of historical novels and plays. Jirásek was a high school history teacher in Litomyšl and later in Prague until his retirement in 1909. He wrote a series of historical novels imbued with faith in his nation and in progress toward freedom and justice. He was close to many important Czech personalities like Mikoláš Aleš, Josef Václav Sládek, Karel Václav Rais or Zdeněk Nejedlý. He attended an art club in Union Cafe with them. He worked as an editor in Zvon magazine and was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1918, 1919, 1921 and 1930.

Ancient Bohemian legends is a book by Alois Jirásek written in 1894. It describes events from Czech history based on folk literature and some historical facts. The model was based on Chronicle of Hájek, Cosmas Chronicle of Bohemia and Chronicle of Dalimil, other old Czech chronicles and many other sources were also used. It includes legends such as Maidens' War, Libuše and Přemysl, Krok's Daughters, Bohemian Arrival and Golem of Prague. The book has three parts: Ancient Bohemian Legends, Legends of the Christian era and From ancient prophecies.