GOOD KING WENCESLAS

 

According to the legend the first of the Premysl was a plowman who married a Bohemian princess named Libussa during the 8th century and it was their descendants who in time united the warring tribes of Bohemia into one duchy.

Duke Borivoy I married a Slav princess named Ludmila and they both became Christians, and they tried their hardest to convert all of Bohemia to

Christianity, but were unable to do so.

Upon the death of Borivoy his sons, Ratislav and Spythinev succeeded him it was Ratislav who was the father of Wenceslas.

Wenceslas was born around 907 in a castle near Prague and when he was only thirteen years old his father died Wenceslas succeeded him as duke.

Because of his age he was too young to rule so his mother, Drahomira, became the regent she was vehemently opposed to Christianity and used her newfound power to persecute Christians.

She also refused to let Wenceslas see his grandmother Ludmila because she was afraid that they would plot to overthrow her, but it wasn’t long before Drahomira had her murdered.

After Ludmila’s death she was revered by Christians as a saint.

At the age of 18 Wenceslas overthrew his mother's regency and he began to rule for himself.

He was a stern but fair monarch, he stopped the persecution of Christians and he managed to tame the rebellious nobility.

He was known across bohemia for his kindness to the poor and he was especially charitable to children.

However, Many of the Bohemian nobles resented Wenceslas's attempts to spread Christianity and when he swore allegiance to the king of Germany, Henry I they were greatly displeased.

But in the end his greatest enemy proved to be his own brother, Boleslav, who joined the nobles to plot his brother's assassination.

Boleslav invited Wenceslas to a religious festival and then attacked and killed him on his way to mass.

"Good King" Wenceslas died on September 20, 929. He was still in his early twenties and had ruled Bohemia for only five years.

Today he is remembered as the patron saint of the Czech Republic.