| Wenceslaus I | |
|---|---|
 Wenceslaus adored by his niece-in-lawEmma (from the 10th-century Gumpold's Codex) | |
| Duke of Bohemia | |
| Reign | 13 February 921 − 28 September 935 or 929 |
| Predecessor | Vratislaus I |
| Successor | Boleslaus I |
| Born | c. 907[1][2][a] Stochov,[b]Bohemia |
| Died | 28 September 935 (agedc. 28) or 28 September 929 (agedc. 22) Stará Boleslav, Bohemia |
| Burial | Basilica of St. Wenceslaus in Stará Boleslav,St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague[4] |
| House | Přemyslid |
| Father | Vratislaus I |
| Mother | Drahomíra |
| Religion | Chalcedonian Christianity |
Wenceslaus I (Czech:Václav[ˈvaːtslaf]ⓘ;c. 907 – 28 September 935),Wenceslas I orVáclav the Good[5] was the Prince (kníže) ofBohemia from 921 until his death, probably in 935. According to the legend, he was assassinated by his younger brother,Boleslaus the Cruel.
His martyrdom and the popularity of several biographies gave rise to a reputation for heroic virtue that resulted in his sainthood. He was posthumously declared to be a king and patron saint of theCzech state. He is the subject of the well-known "Good King Wenceslas", a carol forSaint Stephen's Day.
Wenceslaus was the son ofVratislaus I, Duke of Bohemia from thePřemyslid dynasty. His grandfather,Bořivoj I of Bohemia, and grandmother, Ludmila, had been converted byCyril and Methodius toByzantine Christianity in a still unifiedChristendom, before theGreat Schism. His mother,Drahomíra, was the daughter of a chief of theHavelli, but was baptized at the time of her marriage. His paternal grandmother,Ludmila of Bohemia, saw to it that he was educated in theOld Church Slavonicliturgical language and, at an early age, Wenceslaus was sent to the college atBudeč.[6]
In 921, when Wenceslaus was about 13, his father died and his grandmother became regent. Jealous of the influence Ludmila wielded over Wenceslaus, Drahomíra arranged to have her killed. Ludmila was atTetín Castle nearBeroun when assassins murdered her on 15 September 921. She is said to have been strangled by them with her veil. She was at first buried in the church of St. Michael at Tetín, but her remains were later removed, probably by Wenceslaus,[7] to thechurch of St. George in Prague, which had been built by his father.[8]
Drahomíra then assumed the role of regent and immediately initiated measures against Christians.[6] When Wenceslaus was 18, those Christian nobles who remained rebelled against Drahomira. The uprising was successful, and Drahomira was sent into exile to Budeč.
With the nobles' support, Wenceslaus took control of the government.[8] He reined in the dependent dukes who had become restive under the regency and used Christianity to strengthen his state.[9]
After the fall ofGreat Moravia, rulers of the Bohemian Duchy had to deal both with continuous raids by theMagyars and the forces of theSaxon andEast Frankish kingHenry the Fowler, who had started several eastern campaigns into the adjacent lands of thePolabian Slavs, Wenceslaus's mother's homeland.[10] To withstand Saxon overlordship, Wenceslaus's father Vratislaus had forged an alliance with theBavarian dukeArnulf, a fierce opponent of King Henry at that time. The alliance became worthless when Arnulf and Henry reconciled atRegensburg in 921.
Early in 929, the joint forces of Duke Arnulf of Bavaria and King Henry I the Fowler reachedPrague in a sudden attack that forced Wenceslaus to resume payment of a tribute first imposed by theEast Frankish kingArnulf of Carinthia in 895.[11] Henry had been forced to pay a huge tribute to the Magyars in 926 and needed the Bohemian tribute, which Wenceslaus probably refused to pay after Arnulf and Henry reconciled.[11] Another possible reason for the attack was the formation of the anti-Saxon alliance between Bohemia, the Polabian Slavs, and the Magyars.
Wenceslaus introduced German priests into his realm and favoured the Latin rite instead of the old Slavic, which had gone into disuse in many places for want of priests.[6] He also founded a rotunda consecrated toSt. Vitus atPrague Castle inPrague that was the basis of present-daySt. Vitus Cathedral.
.jpg)
In September 935, a group of nobles allied with Wenceslaus's younger brother Boleslav plotted to kill him. After Boleslav invited Wenceslaus to a celebration of the feast ofSaints Cosmas and Damian inStará Boleslav, three of Boleslav's companions (Tira, Česta, and Hněvsa) fell on the duke and stabbed him to death.[12] As the duke fell, Boleslav ran him through with a lance.[8]
According toCosmas of Prague'sChronica Boëmorum of the early 12th century, one of Boleslav's sons was born on the day of Wenceslaus's death. Because of the ominous circumstance of his birth, the infant was namedStrachkvas, which means "a dreadful feast".[12]
There is also a tradition that Wenceslaus's loyal servantPodevin avenged his death by killing one of the chief conspirators, an act for which Boleslav executed him.[13]
Wenceslaus's assassination has been characterized as an important turning point in early Bohemian history, as the rule of Boleslav I saw him renounce the Franks, centralize power in Bohemia, and expand the territory of the polity.[14]
Wenceslaus I, Duke of Bohemia, venerated as Saint Wenceslaus or Wenceslas | |
|---|---|
 Statue of Saint Wenceslaus inSt. Vitus Cathedral, Prague | |
| Martyr | |
| Born | c. 907 Prague,Bohemia |
| Died | 28 September 935 Stará Boleslav, Bohemia |
| Venerated in | Catholic Church andEastern Orthodox Church |
| Majorshrine | St. Vitus Cathedral, Prague |
| Feast | 28 September |
| Attributes | Crown, dagger, burning eagle on a banner |
| Patronage | Prague,Bohemia,Czech Republic |
Wenceslaus was considered amartyr andsaint immediately after his death, when a cult of Wenceslaus arose inBohemia.[15] Within a few decades, four biographies of him were in circulation.[16][17] Thesehagiographies had a powerful influence on theHigh Middle Ages concept of therex justus (righteous king), amonarch whose power stems mainly from his great piety as well as his princely vigor.[18]
Referring approvingly to these hagiographies, the chroniclerCosmas of Prague wrote circa 1119:[19]
But his deeds I think you know better than I could tell you; for, as is read in hisPassion, no one doubts that, rising every night from his noble bed, with bare feet and only one chamberlain, he went around to God’s churches and gave alms generously to widows, orphans, those in prison and afflicted by every difficulty, so much so that he was considered, not a prince, but the father of all the wretched.
Several centuries later,Pope Pius II asserted this legend as fact.[20]
Although Wenceslaus was only a duke during his lifetime, Holy Roman EmperorOtto I posthumously "conferred on him the regal dignity and title", which is why he is referred to as "king" in legend and song.[6]
Thehymn "Svatý Václave" (Saint Wenceslaus) or "Saint Wenceslas Chorale" is one of the oldest known Czech songs. Traceable to the 12th century, it is still among the most popular religious songs in the Bohemian lands. In 1918, at the founding of the modern Czechoslovak state, the song was discussed as a possible national anthem. During theNazi occupation, it was often played along with the Czech anthem.[citation needed]
Wenceslaus's feast day is celebrated onSeptember 28.[21][22] On this day, celebrations and a pilgrimage are held in the city ofStará Boleslav, whereas thetranslation of his relics, which took place in 938, is commemorated on4 March.[23] Since 2000, the September 28 feast day has been apublic holiday in the Czech Republic, celebrated as Czech Statehood Day.
Legends of Wenceslaus began to appear around the second half of the 10th century, several decades after his death, and spread both in Bohemia and abroad, including Italy, Germany, and even Russia. Such legends include the first Old Slavic legend from the 10th century, the Latin legend Crescente fide, Gumpold's legend, and Christian's legend.[24]
According to legend, one Count Radislas rose in rebellion and marched against Wenceslaus. The latter sent a deputation with offers of peace, but Radislas viewed this as cowardice. The two armies were drawn up opposite each other in battle array when Wenceslaus, to avoid shedding innocent blood, challenged Radislas to single combat. As Radislas advanced toward the king, he saw by Wenceslaus's side two angels, who cried: "Stand off!" Thunderstruck, Radislas repented his rebellion, threw himself from his horse at Wenceslaus's feet, and asked for pardon. Wenceslaus raised him and kindly received him again into favour.
A second enduringlegend claims an army of knights sleeps underBlaník, a mountain in theCzech Republic. They will awake and, under Wenceslaus's command, bring aid to the Czech people in their ultimate danger. There is a similar legend inPrague 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 theCharles Bridge his horse will stumble and trip over a stone, revealing the legendary sword of Bruncvík. With this sword, Wenceslaus will slay all the enemies of the Czechs, bringing peace and prosperity to the land.[25]
Wenceslaus is the subject of the popularSaint Stephen's Day (celebrated on December 26 in the West) carol "Good King Wenceslas". It was published byJohn Mason Neale in 1853, and may be a translation of a poem by Czech poet Václav Alois Svoboda[citation needed]. A supposed American spelling of the duke's name, "Wenceslaus", is occasionally encountered in later textual variants of the carol, although it was not used by Neale, and in the U.S. the name usually is spelled Wenceslas, as in thecarol.[26] Wenceslaus is not to be confused with KingWenceslaus I of Bohemia (Wenceslaus I Premyslid), who lived more than three centuries later.
At the beginning of theHussite Wars Wenceslaus's name was often invoked, and it was only later that he was overshadowed by Hussite warriorJan Žižka. Later, even when the Hussites and Protestants gained the upper hand in Bohemia and the cult of Wenceslaus faded, he remained a venerated figure throughout Bohemia, withJan Hus himself often referencing Wenceslaus in his sermons.[27] During his reign,Charles IV often used Wenceslaus's image as a saint and martyr in his enterprises at home and abroad, and when the systematic Germanization of Bohemia began, Wenceslaus came to be considered a representation of the Czech national consciousness.[28]
Anequestrian statue of Saint Wenceslaus and other patrons of Bohemia (St. Adalbert, St. Ludmila, St. Prokop, and St. Agnes of Bohemia) are onWenceslaus Square inPrague. The statue is a popular meeting place. Demonstrations against the Communist regime were held there.[29]
His helmet and armour are on display inside Prague Castle.[30]
The 1930 silent filmSt. Wenceslas was at the time the most expensive Czech film ever made.
Ogden Nash wrote a comic epic poem, "The Christmas that Almost Wasn't" (1957), in which a boy awakens Wenceslaus and his knights to save the kingdom of Lullapat from usurpers who have outlawed Christmas, with elements from the legend of Wenceslas.[31]
The 1994 television filmGood King Wenceslas is a fictionalized account of his early life. The film starsJonathan Brandis, supported byLeo McKern,Stefanie Powers, andJoan Fontaine as Ludmila.[32]
| Preceded by | Duke of Bohemia 921–935 | Succeeded by |
| Přemyslid |  | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Non-dynastic |
| ||
| Luxembourg |
| ||
| Habsburg |
| ||
| Non-dynastic |
| ||
| Jagiellonian |
| ||
| Habsburg |
| ||
| Habsburg-Lorraine |
| ||
| |||
