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
Though the frost was cruel
When a poor man came in sight
Gath'ring winter fuel
We have all sung these words at Christmas time, or at least we have heard them. But who is King Wenceslas and why is he renowned?
King Wenceslas lived during the 10th Century, and was killed because of the jealousy of his brother. He ruled for seven years in Bohemia, which is now in the Czech Republic. He was raised by his grandmother, who was a devout Christian.
Wenceslas had a greedy mom, who wanted to rule the country. When Wenceslas was thirteen, his father died, so his grandmother, Ludmila, acted as regent for the county, but was murdered by Wenceslas mother who took over the kingdom.
Even though Wenceslas was not old enough to become king, he banished his mom to another country, and at the same time, encouraged missionaries to preach the Gospel in Germany. He did many good things for people and reformed the rules of the country. In spite of this, he did things that weren't good for the cause of Christ, much like Constantine and Columbus did. Wenceslas ordered people to become Christians and punished them if they didn't respond.
Wenceslas had a heart for poor people, which was taught to him by his grandmother, Ludmila. He had become known for his charity toward the poor, hence the words in the carol,
"Mark my footsteps, my good page,
Tread thou in them boldly:
Thou shalt find the winter's rage
Freeze thy blood less coldly."
He was killed by his brother and a couple of assassins on September 28, 929, while entering the church building.
Read the full story here: Christian Timeline King Wenceslas
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| Good King Wenceslas was written by John Mason Neale |
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