Good King Wenceslaus looked out, on the feast of Stephen, which is today. 10 things you might not know about the Good King and the Carol he inspired:
- He was never a king in his lifetime. He only ever reached the rank of Duke. He was posthumously given the title of king by Holy Roman Emperor Otto I.
- So who was he, really? He was actually Wenceslaus I, Duke of Bohemia. He was also known as Vaclac the Good, or Svatý Václav in Czech. He was born around 907 and died on 28 September 935.
- His father was Vratislaus I, Duke of Bohemia, who was the son of Bořivoj I of Bohemia, who'd been converted to Christianity by Cyril and Methodius. His mother was Drahomira, the daughter of a pagan chief. She had been baptised before marrying the Duke, but nevertheless, her mother-in-law Ludmilla was concerned about the pagan influence she was having on the grandchildren.
- Vratislaus died when Wenceslaus was 13. It was Ludmilla who was appointed regent, and Drahomira wasn't happy about that. It's entirely possible she had a hand in Ludmilla's assassination – she was found strangled by her veil. Drahomira became regent after that, but as soon as Wenceslaus came of age, he banished her.
- Wenceslaus had a younger brother, Boleslaus the Cruel. Needless to say, he wanted the throne himself, although the people preferred Wenceslaus. Boleslaus was mightily ticked off when his brother formed an alliance with King Henry I, the powerful Christian King of Germany. Pagan nobles, who disliked the way their Duke was promoting Christianity, started plotting against him, choosing Boleslaus as their leader.
- On 28 September 935 Wenceslaus was assassinated on his way to Mass by three nobles, Tira, Česta, and Hněvsa, who stabbed him before his brother finished him off by running him through with a lance. Legend has it that in spite of the stab wounds, Wenceslaus's body didn't bleed.
- Wenceslaus had been a popular ruler, known for his charitable works. There were miracles associated with his tomb and it wasn't long before he was declared a martyr and a saint. Today, he is the patron saint of the Czech Republic, and his feast day, 28 September, is a public holiday there. There is a square named after him in Prague, in which there is a statue of him, mounted on a horse. His remains are in St Vitus’ Cathedral in Prague and his helmet and armour are on display inside Prague Castle. There is a legend that if ever the Czech Republic is in danger, the statue will come to life and rouse the army of knights asleep under Blaník, a mountain in the Czech Republic. While crossing the Charles Bridge his horse will stumble and trip over a stone, revealing the legendary sword of Bruncvík, which Wenceslaus will use to slay the enemies and bring peace. This legend was the inspiration for a poem by Ogden Nash called The Christmas that Almost Wasn't, in which a young boy awakens Wenceslaus and his knights to save them from a regime which has banned Christmas.
- The tune of the carol Good King Wenceslaus dates back to the 13th century and was originally written to celebrate Easter. The tune is called Tempus adest floridum, which translates as "Eastertime has come". The lyrics were written in 1853 by John Mason Neale.
- His lyrics tell the story of a king going to give alms to the poor as was the tradition on Boxing Day. It is so cold that the page who is with him is about to collapse and succumb to the frost, but the king encourages him to tread in his footsteps to make the going easier through the deep snow.
- This popular carol has been covered many times. The Beatles included it on their Christmas record in 1963. It's also often used in seasonal TV shows. In A Muppet Family Christmas, Gonzo sings it. In the film Love Actually, Hugh Grant's Prime Minister character sings it while knocking on doors looking for his love interest, to explain his presence to anyone who isn't her. In the Big Bang Theory episode The Santa Simulation, Sheldon sings it while playing Dungeons and Dragons with Leonard, Howard and Stuart, to save his character from danger. Although the first verse is enough to complete the task, Sheldon insists on singing the entire song. Doctor Who has referenced it twice. Once in 1975 when the Doctor tells Sarah Jane Smith and Harry to "Follow me and tread in my footsteps" in order to cross a minefield on the Dalek home world. They look at each other and Sarah Jane comments, "Good King Wenceslaus". In 2007 an alien tour guide on board an alien spaceship replica of the Titanic mistakenly believes that Good King Wenceslaus is currently the King of England.
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