See also
| Husband: | Wenceslaus I (907-935) | |
| Wife: | Cunigunde of HOHENSTAUFEN (1200-1248) | |
| Name: | Wenceslaus I | |
| Sex: | Male | |
| Father: | - | |
| Mother: | - | |
| Birth | 0907 | Prague, Bohemia |
| Occupation | Duke of Bohemia | |
| Title | frm 0921 to 28 Sep 0935 (age 13-28) | Duke of Bohemia |
| Death | 28 Sep 0935 (age 27-28) | Stara Boleslav, Bohemia |
| Name: | Cunigunde of HOHENSTAUFEN | |
| Sex: | Female | |
| Father: | Phillip II + (1176-1208) | |
| Mother: | Irene Angelina + (1184-1208) | |
| Birth | 1200 | |
| Death | 1248 (age 47-48) | |
Wenceslaus I (c. 907 – September 28, 935), or Wenceslas I, was duke (kníže) of Bohemia from 921 until his death. Wenceslas is the subject of the Christmas carol "Good King Wenceslas".
He is the patron of the Czech Republic . He was the son of Vratislav I, Duke of Bohemia from the Premyslid dynasty. His father was raised in a Christian milieu through his own father, Borivoj I of Bohemia, who was converted by Saint Cyril and Saint Methodius, the "apostles to the Slavs". His mother Drahomíra was the daughter of a pagan tribal chief of Havolans and was baptised at the time of her marriage. Wenceslaus' murder in September of 935 was the result of a plot involving his younger brother Boleslav I of Bohemia. He is venerated as Saint Wenceslaus and is the main patron saint of the Czech state.
921, when Wenceslaus was thirteen, his father died and he was brought up by his grandmother, Saint Ludmila, who raised him as a Christian. A dispute between the fervently Christian regent and her daughter-in-law drove Ludmila to seek sanctuary at Tetín Castle near Beroun. Drahomíra, who was trying to garner support from the nobility, was furious about losing influence on her son and arranged to have Ludmila strangled at Tetín on September 15, 921.
According to some legends, having regained control of her son, Drahomíra set out to convert him to the old pagan religion. According to other legends she was herself a Christian. Very little is known about her rule.
[edit] ReignAfter the fall of Great Moravia, the rulers of the Bohemian duchy had to deal both with continuous raids by the Magyars and the German forces under King Henry the Fowler, who had started several eastern campaigns into the adjacent lands of the Polabian Slavs, homeland of Wenceslaus' mother. To withstand German overlordship Wenceslaus' father Vratislaus had forged an alliance with the Bavarian duke Arnulf the Bad, then a fierce opponent of King Henry; however, it became worthless, when Arnulf and Henry reconciled at Regensburg in 921.
In 924 or 925 Wenceslaus assumed government for himself and had Drahomíra exiled. After gaining the throne at the age of eighteen, he defeated a rebellious duke of Kourim named Radslav. He also founded a rotunda consecrated to St Vitus at Prague Castle in Prague, which exists as present-day St Vitus Cathedral.
Early in 929 the joint forces of Duke Arnulf of Bavaria and King Henry I the Fowler reached Prague in a sudden attack, which forced Wenceslaus to pledge allegiance to the latter.[clarification needed] One of the possible reasons for Henry's attack was the formation of the anti-Saxon alliance between Bohemia, the Polabian Slavs and the Magyars. While Duke Wenceslaus was able to hold his ground, his defeat resulted in resuming the payment of a traditional tribute which had been first imposed by the East Frankish king Arnulf of Carinthia in 895. Until the end of his regency, Bohemia remained under German suzerainty.
Wenceslaus' assassination: the duke flees from his brother (with sword) to a church, but the priest closes the door,
Gumpold von Mantua, 10th century[edit] DeathIn September of 935 (in older sources 929) a group of nobles allied with Wenceslaus's younger brother, Boleslav the Cruel, plotted to kill the prince. After Boleslav invited Wenceslaus to the feast of Saints Cosmas and Damian in Stará Boleslav, three of Boleslav's companions – Tira, Csta and Hnevsa – murdered Wenceslaus on his way to church. Boleslav thus succeeded him as the Duke (kníže) of Bohemia.
According to Cosmas's Chronicle, one of Boleslav's sons was born on the day of Wenceslaus's death, and because of the ominous circumstance of his birth the infant was named Strachkvas, which means "a dreadful feast".
An equestrian statue of Saint Wenceslaus and other patrons of Bohemia (St. Adalbert, St. Ludmila, St. Prokop and St. Agnes of Bohemia) is located on Wenceslaus Square in Prague. His helmet and armour are on display inside Prague Castle[1]
There are discrepancies in the records regarding the date of St Wenceslaus's death. It has been argued that Wenceslaus's remains were transferred to St Vitus's Church in 932, ruling out the later date; however, the year 935 is now favored by historians as the date of his murder.[2]
There is a tradition which states that Saint Wenceslaus's loyal servant, Podevin, avenged his death by killing one of the chief conspirators. Podevin was executed by Boleslav.
[edit] Legacy
Statue of Saint Wenceslas on the same-named square in Prague[edit] Canonisation and other memorialsAfter his death, Wenceslaus was canonised as a saint due to his martyr's death, as well as several purported miracles that occurred after his death. Wenceslaus is the patron saint of the Czech people and the Czech Republic. His feast day is September 28.
Since 2000, this day is a public holiday in the Czech Republic, celebrated as Czech Statehood Day.
[edit] Wenceslaus in legendThere are many legends about King Wenceslaus. An old one claims a huge army of knights sleep inside Blaník, a mountain in the Czech Republic. The knights will awake and under the command of St. Wenceslaus and bring aid to the Czech people when they face ultimate danger (see also King in the mountain legends).
There is a similar great legend in Prague which says that when the Motherland is in danger or in its darkest times and close to ruin, the equestrian statue of King Wenceslaus in Wenceslaus Square will come to life, raise the army sleeping in Blaník, and upon crossing the Charles Bridge his horse will stumble and trip over a stone, revealing the legendary sword of Bruncvík. With this sword, King Wenceslaus will slay all the enemies of the Czechs, bringing peace and prosperity to the land.
Good King Wenceslaus
Christmas carol Good King Wenceslas
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Problems listening to this file? See media help.
He is the subject of the popular Boxing Day and Christmas Carol "Good King Wenceslas".
There is a 1994 television film entitled Good King Wenceslas which is a highly fictional account of his early life. The film stars Jonathan Brandis in the title role, supported by Leo McKern, Stefanie Powers, and Joan Fontaine as Ludmila.[3]
Wenceslaus is a major character in Ogden Nash's comic epic poem "The Christmas that Almost Wasn't", (no relation to the 1966 film) in which a boy awakens Wenceslaus and his knights to save a kingdom from usurpers who have outlawed Christmas.