page_title: Wenceslaus I, Duke of Bohemia
section_title: Murder
hierarchical_section_title: Wenceslaus I, Duke of Bohemia / Biography / Murder
caption_attribution_description: Deutsch: Vita des hl. Wenzel. Ermordung Wenzels durch seinen Bruder Boleslaw. Wolfenbüttel, Herzog August Bibliothek, Guelf. 11,2 Augusteus 4, fol. 21r.
context_page_description: Wenceslaus I, Wenceslas I or Václav the Good was the duke of Bohemia from 921 until his assassination in 935. His younger brother, Boleslaus the Cruel, was complicit in the murder.
  His martyrdom and the popularity of several biographies gave rise to a reputation for heroic virtue that resulted in his elevation to sainthood. He was posthumously declared to be a king and came to be seen as the patron saint of the Czech state. He is the subject of the well-known "Good King Wenceslas", a carol for Saint Stephen's Day.
context_section_description: In September 935, a group of nobles allied with Wenceslas's younger brother Boleslav plotted to kill him. After Boleslav invited Wenceslas to the feast of Saints Cosmas and Damian in Stará Boleslav, three of Boleslav's companions, Tira, Česta, and Hněvsa, fell on the duke and stabbed him to death. As the duke fell, Boleslav ran him through with a lance.
  According to Cosmas of Prague, in his Chronica Boëmorum of the early 12th century, one of Boleslav's sons was born on the day of Wenceslas's death. Because of the ominous circumstance of his birth, the infant was named Strachkvas, which means "a dreadful feast".
  There is also a tradition that Wenceslas's loyal servant Podevin avenged his death by killing one of the chief conspirators, but was executed by Boleslav.
caption: Wenceslaus flees from his brother who is wielding a sword , but the priest closes the door of the church, Gumpold's Codex
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