Christmas carol character “Good King Wenceslas” was modeled after a very good man named Wenceslaus, who was the Duke of Bohemia and lived from 907-35.
Historian Elizabeth Davis
of London, England, said Wenceslaus was the elder and “good son” born to a
Christian king and a mother who came from a pagan tribal family. Wenceslas’ younger
brother, Boleslaus, was labeled the “cruel son.”
Wenceslaus was revered by
the people of Bohemia (now part of the Czech Republic), according to the
chronicles recorded by Cosmas of Prague. He wrote of Wenceslaus’ legendary
deeds:
“Rising every night from his noble bed, with bare feet and only one chamberlain, he went around to God’s churches and gave alms generously to widows, orphans, those in prison and those afflicted by every difficulty, so much so that he was considered, not a prince, but the father of all the wretched.”
The next part of the story does not go well for Wenceslaus, who became a popular Christian ruler at age 18, succeeding his father. Wenceslaus was slain at age 28 by brother Boleslaus.
“Wenceslaus was regarded as a martyr and saint almost immediately after his death, but he wasn’t promoted from Duke of Bohemia to King of Bohemia until Holy Roman Emperor Otto I, who ruled from 961-73, gave him the title posthumously,” Davis wrote.
“There’s a brilliant
legend attached to a statue of St. Wenceslaus in Prague,” she said. “If the
Czech Republic is in danger, the statue of King Wenceslaus will come to life,
raise a sleeping army and reveal a legendary sword to bring peace to the land.”
In 1853, the Rev. John
Mason Neale of London, an Anglo-Catholic priest, scholar and hymnwriter,
memorialized the spirituality and generosity of King Wenceslaus in his “Good
King Wenceslas” Christmas carol.
Rev. Neale pictured Wenceslas watching a poor man collecting wood on a cold winter’s night on Dec. 26 (Saint Stephen’s Day).
Good King Wenceslas
looked out, on the Feast of Stephen,
When the snow lay round
about, deep and crisp and even;
Brightly shone the moon
that night, tho’ the frost was cruel,
When a poor man came in
sight, gath’ring winter fuel.
“Wenceslas directs his
page to gather meat, drink and firewood that they will personally carry to the
poor man’s home. The servant almost gives up, but Wenceslas calls on him to
walk directly behind him. And miraculously, the servant can feel the saint’s
warmth as he walks in his footprints.”
“The carol concludes with a call to all Christians to bless the poor, and in that find a blessing for themselves,” Dr. Wilson said.
Rev. Neale’s carol became
the anthem of “Boxing Day” on Dec. 26. It trumpets the British tradition of
charitable giving on the second day of Christmastide.
Rev. Neale experienced poor health his entire life and died in 1866 at age 48. The Most Rev. Richard Trench, Archbishop of Dublin, called John Neale “the most profoundly learned hymnologist of our church.”
Rev. Neale could read, write and think in 21 languages and was especially conversant in Latin and Greek, making him “one of the most erudite scholars, one of the best linguists, one of the most profound theologians and the foremost liturgist of his time.”
His coffin there was
inscribed by his own direction: “J. M. Neale. Poor and unworthy priest resting
under the sign of the cross.”
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