Wenceslaus I, Duke of Bohemia

Saint Wenceslaus I, Duke of Bohemia
Statue of Saint Wenceslaus in Olomouc, Czech Republic
Martyr
Born	c. 907 Prague, Bohemia
Died	September 28, 935 Stará Boleslav, Bohemia
Venerated in	Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodox Church
Major shrine	St Vitus Cathedral, Prague
Feast	September 28
Attributes	Crown, dagger, eagle on a banner
Patronage	Bohemia, Czech Republic, Prague

Statue of Saint Wenceslaus at Holy Trinity Column in Olomouc.

Wenceslaus I (Czech: Václav; [ˈvaːtslaf]; 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 was the son of Vratislav I, Duke of Bohemia from the Přemyslid 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 was venerated as Saint Wenceslaus and is the main patron saint of the Czech state.

Childhood

In 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.

Reign

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 Kouřim 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 Arnulf of Bavaria and Henry I the Fowler reached Prague in a sudden attack, which forced Wenceslaus to pledge allegiance to the latter. This resulted in resuming the payment of a traditional tribute which was first imposed in 806. One of the possible reasons for the attack was the formation of the anti-Saxon alliance between Bohemia, Polabian Slavs and Magyars.

Death

In September of 935 (in older sources 929) a group of nobles allied with Wenceslaus's younger brother, Boleslav (Boleslav I of Bohemia), in a plot 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, Čsta and Hněvsa – 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.

Canonisation and other memorials

After 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.

Wenceslaus in legend

There 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.

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.^[4]

References

• Catholic Encyclopedia: St. Wenceslaus
• Patron Saints Index: St. Wenceslaus
• Catholic Online: St. Wenceslaus
• Wenceslas: Life & Story of the Carol

Footnotes