The Epiphany Martyrdom of King Wenceslas, 935

beloved and instantly recognizable figure in Christmastime carols and lore—Good King Wenceslas, such as we now know him—was in fact a Duke of Bohemia during his lifetime, and was granted both sainthood and kingship after his martyrdom, in recognition of his singular legacy of Christian probity and benevolence.

The classic Christmas carol “Good King Wenceslas” elaborately printed on a cookie tin in 1913,
on display at the Victoria & Albert Museum, London, England

He lived in what is now modern day Czech Republic during the 10th century. Dubbed the “dark ages” by recent historians, it was a time of extreme testing for Christendom at large and one that made Wenceslas’ role as duke rigorous with the ever-encroaching threats of paganism from within and Islam from the east. To the west of his kingdom the Catholic Church was rending itself apart with petty jealousies, while the legacy of the grand old Roman Empire had continued in the East in the form of the Byzantine Empire. In far off England, King Alfred would stand alone in his island nation, defending the rights and practices of Christianity against the surge of Viking invaders.

A young Wenceslas with his father, Vratislaus I, Duke of Bohemia, seated (c. 888-921)
and mother Drahomíra (c. 877 or 890-934 or 936), standing

Such were the times, and in the midst of them a young boy was made Duke of Bohemia by reason of most of his senior family members having murdered each other to extinction. His Christian grandmother served as regent for a time, taking care to disciple him in the gospels until she too was murdered by Wenceslas’ own mother, who took control of the kingdom and enacted measures against the Christians of the realm. When Wenceslas came of age to rule in his own right at eighteen, the Christian nobles of his country overthrew his mother and—by sending her into exile—put him in control of the government of Bohemia.

Christianity had come to Bohemia only a century before his reign, and while it would prove a brief one, in it Wenceslas exemplified such leadership and tangible generosity as to rank him alongside the most illustrious princes of his time. Despite many assassination attempts and coups, Wenceslas succeeded in his goals of reforming the penal system, personally distributing provisions for the impoverished, making peace with the surrounding nations and introducing German liturgies and priests into his pulpits, the old Slavic vulgate having previously fallen into disuse. Controversially, he sought the protection of the Christian king of Germany and put his own kingdom of Bohemia under its dominion.

As might be expected, this reforming zeal antagonized many of his pagan subjects and outraged his exiled mother who saw opportunity for herself in the public dissension and instigated his brother to overthrow him. On Epiphany morning, while on his way to worship, Wenceslas was waylaid by this brother—later nicknamed “Boleslav the Cruel”—at the church door and there was struck down. Three nobles—Tira, Česta, and Hněvsa—stabbed Wenceslas, before his own brother ran him through with a lance. He died reportedly saying, “Brother, may God forgive you.”

The murder of Wenceslas by his brother “Boleslav the Cruel” and his companions—the nobles Tira, Česta, and Hněvsa—at the church door

Boleslav then took power over Bohemia, but immediately the notoriety of his brother’s virtue grew throughout the nation and then to all of Christendom, with the common people claiming him to be a martyr of the faith. In his premature death before the age of thirty, Wenceslas was able to accomplish what had seemed an impossible task in life. In the words of Dr. George Grant: “his death brought about the complete conversion of Bohemia and the codification of his deeds of mercy as a standard for Christian civic justice and mercy.”

Memorial statue of Wenceslas on Wenceslas Square, Prague, Czech Republic

He is immortalized in the eponymous Christmas carol, written in the mid 1800’s by Christian historian, translator and hymn writer, John Mason Neale. Neale first highlighted Wenceslas in a small history he had written for children on defenders of the faith, then later he either wrote or dramatized an existing Czech hymn about the hero, introducing it into common usage by churches across the west. Reportedly it was even sung by both sides during the Christmas Truce of 1914 during World War One—a prayer lifted up the world over for leaders who establish justice and exercise mercy.

Therefore, Christian men, be sure
Wealth or rank possessing,
Ye who now will bless the poor
Shall yourselves find blessing.

NOTE: due to the antiquity of these events, dates and calendars have since shifted, and it is important to note that the feast of Saint Wenceslas is now held on the September 28 (to mark his martyrdom) in the Czech Republic and elsewhere.

Image Credits: 1 1913 Cookie Tin (wikipedia.org) 2 Statue of Alfred the Great in Winchester, England (wikipedia.org) 3 Wenceslas with his parents (wikipedia.org) 4 Ludmila (wikipedia.org) 5 The Baptism of Duke Bořivoj (wikipedia.org) 6 Murder of Wenceslas (wikipedia.org) 7 Wenceslaus statue (wikipedia.org) 8 Wenceslas Square (wikipedia.org) 9 Tempus adest floridum (wikipedia.org) 10 John Mason Neale (wikipedia.org)