"Good King Wenceslas"

I'm always grateful when I get tickets for the Mormon Tabernacle Christmas Concert. The guest artists this year were Nathan Gunn and Jane Seymour, that's right "Dr. Quinn." It was really wonderful, just spectacular! Nathan Gunn has a magnificent baritone voice and Jane Seymour narrated the concert so well with her lovely English accent! 

This is a long post but one of my favorite portions of the concert was when Jane Seymour told the story of King Wenceslas, about an ancient king who cared for the needs of a poor man on a dark and chill Christmas Eve. Seeing the man he asked his page, “Is he one of us?  None of us would be out there what with the freezing cold and not knowing what creatures might be lurking.” She said that when you look around and see how deeply people have been challenged this year, you wonder how you can make a difference for them. There is no better time than now to open your heart and give to others.

I know the first line of the carol, but have never heard the entire story. The song has a beautiful message that I totally missed.

Good King Wenceslas by John M. Neale   

Published 1853

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.

"Hither, page, and stand by me, if you know it, telling,
Yonder peasant, who is he? Where and what his dwelling?"
"Sire, he lives a good league hence, underneath the mountain,
Right against the forest fence, by Saint Agnes' fountain."

"Bring me food and bring me wine, bring me pine logs hither,
You and I will see him dine, when we bear them thither."
Page and monarch, forth they went, forth they went together,
Through the cold wind's wild lament and the bitter weather.

"Sire, the night is darker now, and the wind blows stronger,
Fails my heart, I know not how; I can go no longer."
"Mark my footsteps, my good page, tread now in them boldly,
You shall find the winter's rage freeze your blood less coldly."

In his master's steps he trod, where the snow lay dinted;
Heat was in the very sod which the saint had printed.
Therefore, Christian men, be sure, while God's gifts possessing,
You who now will bless the poor shall yourselves find blessing.

There really was a 10th century Wenceslas, a Christian who ruled for about seven years in Bohemia (which is now part of the Czech Republic). Wenceslas was brought up by his Christian grandmother, Ludmila. She taught him that faith has to be put into action or it is a sham. Because of her teaching and example, Wenceslas learned true concern for the poor and suffering. That is the spirit John Mason Neale captured when he wrote his carol. The prince goes out on a cold night to feed a poor man who is gathering winter fuel. When a page complains of the cold and difficulty, Wenceslas urges him to follow in his tracks--a mirror of the way we follow in Christ's footsteps.

"Mark my footsteps, my good page,
Tread thou in them boldly:
Thou shalt find the winter's rage
Freeze thy blood less coldly."

Wenceslas was just thirteen when his father died in 921. Ludmila acted as regent for the young man, but Wenceslas' mother, Drahomira, wanted the throne herself. She killed Ludmila and controlled the country.

Wenceslas did not wait to come of age, but seized the throne from his wicked mother. He banished her to a neighboring country. During his short reign, Wenceslas encouraged German missionaries to preach in Bohemia. He urged his people to convert to Christianity, even (we regret to say) punishing those who held out. At the same time, he reformed his country's judicial system and courted peace with neighboring nations, especially Germany. He was known for his charity to the poor.

Wenceslas had a younger brother, Boleslaw, who was made in the same mold as Drahomira. Some Bohemian nobles resented the fact that Wenceslas submitted to neighboring Germany. They urged Boleslaw to take action. Boleslaw plotted. When Wenceslas came to mass on this day, September 28, 929, his brother followed him to the church door. Recognizing that trouble was afoot, Wenceslaus said, "Brother, you were a good subject to me yesterday."

"And now I intend to be a better one!" shouted Boleslaw and struck his brother in the head with his sword.

Wenceslas had strength enough to fling his brother to the ground, whereupon one of Boleslaw's men stabbed Wenceslaus in the hand. Wenceslaus sought refuge in the church but two other assassins struck him down at the door. Bohemians look at Wenceslas as a martyr and their foremost saint. His picture long appeared on their coins and his crown was a symbol of Czech independence. Although Pope Benedict XIV did not want the Bohemian ruler included in the Roman Missal, he was. And an English hymn writer made an immortal carol about him.

Bibliography:

"Good King Wenceslas." Deep Cove Crier. http://www3.telus.net/st_simons/cr9212.htm

Mershman, Francis. "St. Wenceslaus." The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton, 1914.

"Neale, John Mason." Dictionary of National Biography. Edited by Leslie Stephen and Sidney Lee. London: Oxford University Press, 1921-1996.

Various internet articles such as http://www.royalty.nu/Europe/Wenceslas.html

 Eileen ~ Lorie ~ Susan

Tim and I enjoyed the concert with sweet friends... Tim and Rod were trying to find a parking place.

We also saw a dear friend, Jen Sitterud McCombie and her family!