Ludmila of Bohemia

Saint Ludmila (c. 860 - September 15, 921) is a saint and martyr venerated by the Orthodox and the Roman Catholics. She was born in Mělník as daughter of a Slavic prince Slavibor. Saint Ludmila was the grandmother of Saint Wenceslaus, who is widely referred to as Good King Wenceslaus. 
==Marriage==
Ludmila was married to Bořivoj I of Bohemia, who was the first Christian Duke of Bohemia. The couple was converted to Christianity around 871, probably through the efforts of Saints Cyril and Methodius. Their efforts to convert Bohemia to Christianity were initially not well received, and they were driven from their country for a time by the pagans. Eventually the couple returned, and ruled for several years before retiring to Tetín, near Beroun.
The couple was succeeded by their son Spytihněv, who ruled for two years before he died. Spytihněv was succeeded by his brother Vratislav. When Vratislav died in 921, his eight-year-old son Wenceslas became the next ruler of Bohemia. It was mainly Ludmila who raised her grandson.
==Ludmila and Drahomíra==
Wenceslaus' mother Drahomíra became jealous of Ludmila's influence over Wenceslaus. She had two noblemen murder Ludmila at Tetín, and part of Ludmila's story says that she was strangled with her veil. Initially Saint Ludmila was buried at St. Michael's at Tetín. Sometime before the year 1100 her remains were removed to the church of St. George at Prague, Czech Republic.
Saint Ludmila is venerated as a patroness of Bohemia. Her feast day is celebrated on September 16. She is considered to be a patron saint of Bohemia, converts, Czech Republic, duchesses, problems with in-laws, and widows. She was canonized shortly after her death.
==See also==
*St. George's Basilica, Prague
*House of Přemysl
*Bohemia
==References==
* Pekar, J., Die Wenzels- und Ludmilla-Legenden und die Echtheit Christians (Prag, 1906).
* Christianus Monachus, "Vita et Passio sancti Venceslai et sanctae Ludmilae avae eius," in Magnae Moraviae Fontes Historici (Brno, 1967), 186-199.
* Ingham, N. W., "The Lost Church Slavonic Life of Saint Ludmila," in Studia Slavica Mediaevalia et Himanistica. Riccardo Piccio dicata. T. 1-2 (Roma, 1986), 349-360.
Category:860 births
Category:921 deaths
Category:Christian martyrs of the Medieval era
Category:Czech saints
Category:Female saints
Category:Czech Roman Catholic saints
Category:Czech murder victims
Category:Duchesses of Bohemia
Category:10th-century Christian saints
Category:Burials in the Czech Republic
Category:10th-century Christian martyrs
cs:Svatá Ludmila
de:Ludmilla von Böhmen
es:Ludmila de Bohemia
fr:Ludmila de Bohême
hu:Szent Ludmilla
nl:Ludmilla van Bohemen
pl:Ludmiła Czeska
ru:Людмила Чешская
sk:Svätá Ludmila
th:ลุมิลาแห่งโบฮีเมีย