President Peter Pellegrini during the inspection of the units of the Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic at Hviezdoslavovo Square in Bratislava on June 15, 2024. (source: TASR)
German historian Ernst Kantorowicz, in his groundbreaking work “The King’s Two Bodies” (1957), demonstrated how the body of the sovereign emanated two types of influence. One is physical and relates to the biological character of human anthropology – according to his colleagues, Slovak President Peter Pellegrini is a friendly and entertaining companion, a person devoted to work.
These assessments reflect observations associated with his pre-presidential, political period. They also suggest the expectation that many of his public and private attributes will continue into his second, political body as president.
Political institution in the human body
The political body of the sovereign finds its origin in the religious understanding of feudal rulers. German Egyptologist Jan Assmann emphasised the solar origin of Egyptian dynasties. Significant European families traced their exceptional status to mythological figures. The Luxembourg dynasty in the Middle Ages founded its lineage on the legend that their ancestor was the fairy Melusine, while the Menelik dynasty in Ethiopia traced its origins to King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba.
