Wenceslas (or Wenceslaus; Czech: Václav  listen?; German: Wenzel), styled Wenceslas I, Duke of Bohemia (b. 907, d. 935 or 929 – see death controversy below) was the son of Vratislav I, Duke of Bohemia. His father was raised in a Christian milieu through his father, Borivoj's, who was a conversion by Saint Cyril and Saint Methodius, the "apostles to the Slavs". His mother Drahomira, however, was the daughter of a pagan tribal chief who held on to the pagan belief system, as did many Czech nobles at the time, fearing that the arrival of Christian bishops would threaten their authority. Wenseslas himself is venerated as Saint Wenceslas (see below). To play the audio file do not click on the -image. ... Bohemia Bohemia (Czech: Čechy; German: Böhmen) is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western and middle thirds of the Czech Republic. ... Events Oleg leads Kievan Rus in a campaign against Constantinople Yelü Abaoji establishes Liao (Khitan) dynasty Births Deaths Categories: 907 ... Events Vaclav (Saint Wenceslas), Duke of the Bohemians, murdered by his brother, Boleslav I, who succeeds him Gyeonhwon, the king of Hubaekje, is overthrown by his eldest son Singeom. ... Events Emir Abd-ar-rahman III of Cordoba declares himself caliph. ... Vratislav I, Duke of Bohemia (915- February 13, 921), was the younger brother of Spytihnev I. Vratislav had two sons, Václav and Boleslav. ... Bořivoj I, Duke of Bohemia (852/853 - 888/889) The head of the Premyslid Czechs who dominated the environs of Prague, Borivoj in c. ... See Saint Cyril (disambiguation) for other persons with this name. ... Saint Methodius was a bishop of Great Moravia (Moravia) (born Thessaloniki, Greece, 826; he died in the (unknown) capital of Great Moravia, April 6, 885). ... Within a European Christian context, paganism is a catch-all term which has come to connote a broad set of not necessarily compatible religious beliefs and practices (see Cult (religion)) of a natural religion (as opposed to a revealed religion of a text), which are usually, but not necessarily, characterized...

Childhood

When Wenceslas was thirteen his father was killed in battle 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 Tetin Castle near Beroun. Drahomira, who was trying to garner support from the pagan nobility, was furious at her son's conversion and arranged to have Ludmila strangled at Tetin on September 15th 921. St. ... Beroun is a small town of about 20,000 inhabitants located in the Czech Republic, in the region of Central Bohemia. ... September 15 is the 258th day of the year (259th in leap years). ...

Drahomira then assumed the regency and, according to one source, ruled well - notably in fortifying the Czech border against foreign raiders and suppressing the rival Slavnik clan of Libice. Having regained control of her son, Drahomira set out to convert him to the old pagan religion. Wenceslas, however, continued to practice Christianity in secrecy.

Career

In 924 or 925 Wenceslas assumed government for himself and had Drahomira exiled. After gaining the throne at the age of eighteen, he promoted the spread of Christianity throughout Bohemia. This was accomplished not only by building churches and cathedrals, such as St Vitus Cathedral (named after a Saxon saint) at Hradcany Hill in Prague, but also by his acquiescence to the influence of the Holy Roman Empire. Wenceslas was immersed in the Catholic teachings of Ludmila, who he arranged to be canonised as the first Czech martyr. As such, the pagan nobility of Bohemia saw Wenceslas and his faith as not only a threat to their pagan tradition, but also to their very sovereignty. Events King Athelstan of England succeeds to the throne. ... Events Alfonso IV the Monk becomes king of Leon Ha-Mim proclaims himself a prophet among the Morocco Births John Kourkouas, later Emperor John I of the Eastern Roman Empire(approximate date). ... External links Cathedral page on Prague Castle Administration site Categories: Buildings and structures stubs | Prague | Roman Catholic cathedrals ... Prague (Praha in Czech) is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. ... This page is about the Germanic empire. ...

Early in 929 Wenceslas became a vassal of the German King Henry I the Fowler, although it remains unclear as to whether this was the result of a voluntary submission or forced upon Wenceslas by a German invasion. Some chroniclers place either the growing German influence, or hostility to Wenceslas' religious policies as the main reason for his death. Events Emir Abd-ar-rahman III of Cordoba declares himself caliph. ... A monarch is a type of ruler or head of state. ... Henry I, the Fowler (German, Heinrich der Vogler) (876 - July 2, 936), was duke of Saxony from 912 and king of the Germans from 919 until his death in 936. ...

Death and controversy

In September of 935 (or 929), a group of these nobles allied with Wenceslas' younger brother, Boleslas, in a plot to kill the prince. In addition to having been raised in the pagan tradition by Drahomira, Boleslas had the added incentive of being Wenceslas' successor to the throne. After inviting his brother to the feast of Saints Cosmas and Damian, he murdered him on his way to church and thus succeeded him as the Prince of Bohemia. (Note the title Prince, indicating independence from the Catholic Holy Roman Empire, as opposed to Duke, the title granted by the Empire to Wenceslas.) The actual murder was purported as being hacked to death at the door of the church in the town now called Stara Boleslav. September is the ninth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of four Gregorian months with the length of 30 days. ... Boleslav (or Boleslaus) I the Cruel (? - 972), was the Duke of Bohemia from 929 or 935 to July 15, 972. ... Bohemian priest, writer and historian Born c. ...

There are discrepancies in the records regarding the date of Wenceslas' death. It has been argued that Wenceslas' remains were transferred to St Vitus's Church in 932, ruling out the later date; however, the year 935 is now favoured by historians as a date of his murder.

Vratislav I, Duke of Bohemia (915- February 13, 921), was the younger brother of Spytihnev I. Vratislav had two sons, Václav and Boleslav. ... The Lands of the Bohemian Crown (Czech Země koruny české, Latin Corona regni Bohemiae) (e. ... Boleslav (or Boleslaus) I the Cruel (? - 972), was the Duke of Bohemia from 929 or 935 to July 15, 972. ...

Canonization and other memorials

After his death, Wenceslas was canonized as a saint due to his martyr's death, as well as several purported miracles that occurred after his death. Wenceslas is the patron saint of the Czech people and the Czech Republic. His feast day is September 28. Since the year 2000, this day is a public holiday in Czech Republic, celebrated as Czech Statehood Day. == I AM A BUNNY XD == ... Events Oleg leads Kievan Rus in a campaign against Constantinople Yelü Abaoji establishes Liao (Khitan) dynasty Births Deaths Categories: 907 ... Prague (Praha in Czech) is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. ... Bohemia Bohemia (Czech: Čechy; German: Böhmen) is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western and middle thirds of the Czech Republic. ... Events Vaclav (Saint Wenceslas), Duke of the Bohemians, murdered by his brother, Boleslav I, who succeeds him Gyeonhwon, the king of Hubaekje, is overthrown by his eldest son Singeom. ... Events Emir Abd-ar-rahman III of Cordoba declares himself caliph. ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... Eastern Orthodoxy (also called Greek Orthodoxy and Russian Orthodoxy) is a Christian tradition which represents the majority of Eastern Christianity. ... This article discusses the process of declaring saints. ... Eastern Orthodox shrine Buddhist shrine just outside Wat Phnom. ... External links Cathedral page on Prague Castle Administration site Categories: Buildings and structures stubs | Prague | Roman Catholic cathedrals ... September 28 is the 271st day of the year (272nd in leap years). ... In several forms of Christianity, a patron saint has special affinity for a trade or group. ... Czechs (Czech: Češi) are a western Slavic people of Central Europe, living predominantly in the Czech Republic. ... September 28 is the 271st day of the year (272nd in leap years). ... 2000 is a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

In his honor, a statue of Wenceslas clad in armour on horseback stands in Prague's Václavské náměstí (Wenceslas Square). Wenceslas Square is also the name of a theatrical play by Larry Shue; the play is set to Prague. ...

Various "King in the mountain" legends have been told about Wenceslas. He is best known outside the Czech Republic as the subject of the Christmas carol "Good King Wenceslas". A king in the mountain, also known as a sleeping hero, is a repeated motif that appears in a number of folktales. ... This page is about carols in general; for the short story by Charles Dickens, see A Christmas Carol. ... Good King Wenceslas is a popular Christmas carol, in which the king is blessed for giving alms to a poor peasant on St. ...