Wenceslaus I, Duke of Bohemia
Wenceslaus I (Czech: Václav [ˈvaːtslaf]; c. 907 – September 28, 935), Wenceslas I, or Vaclav the Good was the duke (kníže) of Bohemia from 921 until his assassination in 935, in a plot by his brother, Boleslav the Cruel.
His martyrdom, and the popularity of several biographies, quickly gave rise to a reputation for heroic goodness, resulting in his being elevated to sainthood, posthumously declared king, and seen as the patron saint of the Czech state. He is the subject of "Good King Wenceslas", a Saint Stephen's Day carol.
Biography
Wenceslas was son of Vratislaus I, Duke of Bohemia from the Přemyslid dynasty. His grandfather, Borivoj I of Bohemia, who was converted by Saints Cyril and Methodius. His mother Drahomíra was the daughter of a pagan tribal chief of Havolans and was baptized at the time of her marriage. His paternal grandmother, Ludmila of Bohemia, oversaw his education, and at early age Wenceslas was sent to the college at Budweis.
In 921, when Wenceslas was thirteen, his father died and his grandmother became regent. Jealous of the influence which Ludmila wielded over Wenceslaus, Drahomíra arranged to have her killed. Ludmila was at Tetín Castle near Beroun when assassins murdered her on September 15, 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 Tetin, but her remains were later removed, probably by St. Wenceslaus, to the church of St. George in Prague, which had been built by his father.
