Chris Kenny
St Wenceslaus
Construction with found twig
£365.00 (framed)
14cm x 19cm
September 28th
Wenceslaus's family were split between Christian and pagan beliefs. His grandmother Ludmilla was Christian but his mother Drahomira and brother Boleslaus were pagan and dangerous. With the death of Wenceslaus's father, Drahomira took power and began a campaign of persecution against the Christians and arranged her mother-in-law's strangulation.
Wenceslaus practised his Christianity in secret until he came of age and assumed a position of authority. Then he recalled priests to the land, built churches, even made his own Eucharistic wine and bread. He attempted to end a bloody war by challenging the enemy commander to a deciding wrestling match.
He attempted to make peace with his mother and brother but, while attending a reconciliation feast, his brother murdered him, hacking him to pieces. Wenceslaus was just twenty-two years old.
Although he was only a duke he is celebrated every Christmas as a king in the carol, Good King Wenceslaus which has C19th English lyrics and a C13th melody. In 1984, Manheim Steamroller, an American new age group, recorded a synth arrangement of the carol.
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