The Luitpoldings were an East Frankish dynasty that ruled the German stem duchy of Bavaria in the ninth century. They are named after their descent from Margrave Luitpold (or Liutpold ) of Bavaria, who reasserted Bavarian autonomy in the early 10th century. His son Arnulf the Bad first assumed the title of Duke of Bavaria .
41-561: The Luitpoldings would remain dukes until 947, when the king ceded the Bavarian duchy to his own brother Henry I instead. The Luitpoldings disappear from history after the 10th century, however, a descendant branch, the House of Babenberg , would become Margraves and Dukes of Austria until their extinction in 1246. After the last Agilolfing , Tassilo III , was deposed as ruler of Bavaria in 788, Charlemagne and his successors placed Bavaria under
82-794: A Welf , a daughter of Conrad I the Elder . Finally, he is hypothesized to have been descended from the Frankish Popponids [ de ] (and in turn from the Robertians ) and related to the Elder Babenberger . Such a relation would explain the linkage between the Elder and the Younger Babenberger. However, Luitpold seemed to have sided on the side of the Babenberger enemies, the Conradines , during
123-634: A blood relation as well as a cousin. This relation could have gone through Arnulf 's mother Liutswind, married to the Carolingian King Carloman of Bavaria and a possible sister of Luitpold's father Ernst. This hypothesis would explain the transmission of the dukedom of the Bavarian/Bohemian march from Ernst II's father (Ernst I) to Luitpold, both of whom are also recorded as Counts in the Nordgau. Additionally, Luitpold's mother could have been
164-577: A chief of the Havelli , but was baptized at the time of her marriage. His paternal grandmother, Ludmila of Bohemia , saw to it that he was educated in the Old Church Slavonic liturgical language and, at an early age, Wenceslaus was sent to the college at Budeč . In 921, when Wenceslaus was about 13, his father died and his grandmother became regent. Jealous of the influence Ludmila wielded over Wenceslaus, Drahomíra arranged to have her killed. Ludmila
205-483: A group of nobles allied with Wenceslaus's younger brother Boleslav plotted to kill him. After Boleslav invited Wenceslaus to a celebration of 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
246-814: A king-like position at his Regensburg residence. He inevitably interfered with the Ottonian King Henry I of Germany , whose rule he finally acknowledged in 921, reserving numerous privileges for himself. Given a free hand, he campaigned in the lands of the Přemyslid duke Wenceslaus of Bohemia and in 933–934 even invaded the Kingdom of Italy , in order to obtain the Iron Crown of Lombardy for his son Eberhard , though without success. Eberhard had succeeded his father as Duke of Bavaria in 937. However, he soon struggled with King Otto I of Germany , who had no intention to respect
287-613: A pilgrimage are held in the city of Stará Boleslav , whereas the translation of his relics , which took place in 938, is commemorated on 4 March . Since 2000, the September 28 feast day has been a public holiday in the Czech Republic , celebrated as Czech Statehood Day. Legends of Wenceslaus began to appear around the second half of the 10th century, several decades after his death, and spread throughout both Bohemia and abroad, including Italy, Germany, and even Russia. Such legends include
328-553: A stone, revealing the legendary sword of Bruncvík. With this sword, King Wenceslaus will slay all the enemies of the Czechs, bringing peace and prosperity to the land. Wenceslaus is the subject of the popular Saint Stephen's Day (celebrated on December 26 in the West) carol " Good King Wenceslas ". It was published by John Mason Neale in 1853, and may be a translation of a poem by Czech poet Václav Alois Svoboda . A supposed American spelling of
369-508: Is a popular meeting place in Prague. Demonstrations against the Communist regime were held there. His helmet and armour are on display inside Prague Castle. The lavish 1930 silent film St. Wenceslas was at the time the most expensive Czech film ever made. Ogden Nash wrote a comic epic poem, "The Christmas that Almost Wasn't" (1957), in which a boy awakens Wenceslaus and his knights to save
410-590: Is one of the oldest known Czech songs. Traceable to the 12th century AD, it is still among the most popular religious songs in the Bohemian lands. In 1918, at the founding of the modern Czechoslovak state, the song was discussed as a possible choice for the national anthem. During the Nazi occupation , it was often played along with the Czech anthem. Wenceslaus's feast day is celebrated on September 28 . On this day, celebrations and
451-563: Is uncertain and based on Roskilde Historie. The addition of Leopold I (and his Babenberger descendants) as well as the Counts of Scheyern (and their Wittelsbach descendants) here is tentative. Henry I, Duke of Bavaria Henry I (919/921 – 1 November 955), a member of the German royal Ottonian dynasty , was Duke of Bavaria from 948 until his death. He was the second son of the German king Henry
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#1732852335283492-633: The Hungarian invasions and was killed in the 907 Battle of Pressburg . While the Kingdom of Germany emerged under the rule of King Conrad I and his successors (the Ottonian dynasty ), Luitpold's son and heir Arnulf the Bad was backed by the local nobility and adopted the Bavarian ducal title. He reorganized the defense against the Hungarian invaders and, according to the contemporary Annales iuvavenses , built up
533-745: The Magyars and the forces of the Saxon and East Frankish king Henry the Fowler , who had started several eastern campaigns into the adjacent lands of the Polabian Slavs , homeland of Wenceslaus's mother. To withstand Saxon overlordship, Wenceslaus's father Vratislaus had forged an alliance with the Bavarian duke Arnulf , a fierce opponent of King Henry at that time. The alliance became worthless, however, when Arnulf and Henry reconciled at Regensburg in 921. Early in 929,
574-593: The rex justus (righteous king), a monarch whose power stems mainly from his great piety as well as his princely vigor. Referring approvingly to these hagiographies, the chronicler Cosmas of Prague , writing in about the year 1119, states: But his deeds I think you know better than I could tell you; for, as is read in his Passion , no one doubts that, rising every night from his noble bed, with bare feet and only one chamberlain, he went around to God’s churches and gave alms generously to widows, orphans, those in prison and afflicted by every difficulty, so much so that he
615-522: The Babenberg Feud that caused their fall, and headed a Conradine army in their siege against the Babenberger. In 893, Emperor Arnulf appointed Luitpold Margrave of Carinthia and Upper Pannonia to succeed to the Wilhelminer margrave Engelschalk II . Luitpold was able to enlarge his Bavarian possessions around Regensburg and in the adjacent March of the Nordgau . He became a military leader during
656-530: The Bavarian autonomy. Otto declared Eberhard deposed and banned him the next year. Instead, he appointed Arnulf's brother Berthold duke, after he had renounced the exercise of the Bavarian liberties. Berthold would remain a loyal supporter of King Otto. Nevertheless, upon his death in 947, the hereditary title of his son Henry the Younger was denied and the king ceded the Bavarian duchy to his own brother Henry I (married to Arnulf's daughter Judith ). In 976, Henry
697-463: The Fowler and his wife Matilda of Ringelheim . After the death of his father, the royal title passed to Henry's elder brother Otto I , who immediately had to face the indignation of several Saxon nobles. Moreover, the late king's son from his first marriage, Thankmar , revolted in alliance with Duke Eberhard of Franconia and had young Henry captured and arrested. While Thankmar was killed by his own henchmen in 938, Henry, in custody, chose to join
738-795: The Younger received a certain compensation from Emperor Otto II with the newly established Duchy of Carinthia . In 983, he even regained the Bavarian ducal title, however, two years later he had to yield the force of the Ottonian Duke Henry the Wrangler . With his death in 989, the line of the Luitpoldings ended. Luitpold (d. 907), Margrave of Carinthia and Upper Pannonia , Count in the Nordgau The key Luitpoldings are shown below. Since heraldry did not yet exist, coat of arms have been added only for people to be easily recognized. The reconstruction
779-646: The attack was the formation of the anti-Saxon alliance between Bohemia, the Polabian Slavs, and the Magyars. Wenceslaus introduced German priests into his realm and favoured the Latin rite instead of the old Slavic, which had gone into disuse in many places for want of priests. He also founded a rotunda consecrated to St. Vitus at Prague Castle in Prague that was the basis of present-day St. Vitus Cathedral . In September 935,
820-622: The command of Wenceslaus, bring aid to the Czech people in their ultimate danger. There is a similar legend in Prague which says that when the Motherland is in danger or in its darkest times and close to ruin, the equestrian statue of King Wenceslaus in Wenceslaus Square will come to life, raise the army sleeping in Blaník, and upon crossing the Charles Bridge his horse will stumble and trip over
861-516: The court of King Louis IV of France . When Otto's troops invaded Lorraine (Lotharingia) and marched against France , Henry returned and submitted to his elder brother. He and Otto were reconciled in 940, and Henry was awarded the Lotharingian duchy. However, he could not assert his authority in Lorraine against the local nobility tending to France, and as a result he was stripped of his position when
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#1732852335283902-487: The duke's name, "Wenceslaus," is occasionally encountered in later textual variants of the carol, although it was not used by Neale in his version, and in the U.S. the name usually is spelled Wenceslas, as in the carol . Wenceslaus is not to be confused with King Wenceslaus I of Bohemia (Wenceslaus I Premyslid), who lived more than three centuries later. At the beginning of the Hussite Wars Wenceslaus’s name
943-501: The early 12th century, one of Boleslav's sons was born on the day of Wenceslaus'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 Wenceslaus's loyal servant Podevin avenged his death by killing one of the chief conspirators, an act for which he was executed by Boleslav. The assassination of Wenceslaus has been characterized as an important turning point in early Bohemian history, as
984-506: The first Old Slavic legend from the 10th century, the Latin legend Crescente fide, Gumpold's legend, and Christian's legend. According to legend, one Count Radislas rose in rebellion and marched against King Wenceslaus. The latter sent a deputation with offers of peace, but Radislas viewed this as a sign of cowardice. The two armies were drawn up opposite each other in battle array, when Wenceslaus, to avoid shedding innocent blood, challenged Radislas to single combat. As Radislas advanced toward
1025-573: The foundations of the renewed stem duchy . Luitpold's descent has not been conclusively established. His father may have been Ernst II, of the Ernstides dynasty [ de ]. Both may have been an offshoot of the early medieval Bavarian Huosi , one of the five leading Bavarian dynasties during the time of the formation of the Bavarian tribes , who flourished in the 8th and 9th century. His grandfather or perhaps an uncle could have been his namesake Liutpold who died in 846. Emperor Arnulf of Carinthia calls him
1066-608: The instigation of his mother Matilda, enfeoffed Henry with the Duchy of Bavaria in 948. Henry had ties to Bavaria through his marriage with Judith , a daughter of late Duke Arnulf . Though he was met with resistance by local nobles, he first defended, and then enlarged his duchy in wars with the Hungarians . In 951 he accompanied King Otto on his Italian campaign against King Berengar II and acted as matchmaker for his brother, when he brought Queen Adelaide to Pavia . In turn he received
1107-572: The insurgents. In alliance with Duke Eberhard and Duke Gilbert of Lorraine he attempted a revolt against his elder brother King Otto in 938, believing he had a claim on the throne as firstborn son after King Henry's coronation in 919. In 939 Henry's forces were defeated at Birten (near Xanten ) and he himself was wounded. Both his allies Duke Eberhard and Duke Gilbert were killed at the Battle of Andernach on 2 October. Henry fled, first to his sister Gerberga , widow of Duke Gilbert of Lorraine, later to
1148-512: The joint forces of Duke Arnulf of Bavaria and King Henry I the Fowler reached Prague in a sudden attack that forced Wenceslaus to resume the payment of a tribute first imposed by the East Frankish king Arnulf of Carinthia in 895. Henry had been forced to pay a huge tribute to the Magyars in 926 and needed the Bohemian tribute, which Wenceslaus probably refused to pay after the reconciliation between Arnulf and Henry. Another possible reason for
1189-623: The king appointed Count Otto of Verdun duke. Embittered Henry again plotted to assassinate King Otto in Easter 941 at the Imperial palace of Quedlinburg , but was discovered and put in captivity in Ingelheim , being released after doing penance at Christmas of that year. Over the years, the relationship between the brothers improved. After the death of the Luitpolding duke Berthold of Bavaria , Otto, at
1230-456: The king, he saw by Wenceslaus's side two angels, who cried: "Stand off!" Thunderstruck, Radislas repented his rebellion, threw himself from his horse at Wenceslaus's feet, and asked for pardon. Wenceslaus raised him and kindly received him again into favour. A second enduring legend claims an army of knights sleeps under Blaník , a mountain in the Czech Republic . They will awake and, under
1271-617: The newly established March of Verona with Friuli , Aquileia , and Istria at the 952 Imperial Diet in Augsburg . In 953–954 Henry, temporarily deserted by his Bavarian subjects, brutally suppressed a revolt by Otto's son, Duke Liudolf of Swabia and Duke Conrad of Lorraine . While his brother gained a victory over the Hungarians in the Battle of Lechfeld , Henry fell ill in 955 and died on 1 November in Pöhlde Abbey . His son and heir
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1312-674: The rule of Boleslav I saw him renounce the Franks, centralize power in Bohemia and expand the territory of the polity. Wenceslaus was considered a martyr and saint immediately after his death, when a cult of Wenceslaus grew up in Bohemia and in England . Within a few decades, four biographies of him were in circulation. These hagiographies had a powerful influence on the High Middle Ages concept of
1353-407: The rule of non-hereditary governors and civil servants. By the late 9th century however, Frankish direct power had waned in the region due to the conquests of the Hungarians and their recurring attacks , allowing Bavaria's local rulers to grab greater independence. Margrave Luitpold , the progenitor of the Luitpoldings, set himself up as the most prominent of Bavaria's aristocracy and thereby laid
1394-463: The well-known " Good King Wenceslas ", a carol for Saint Stephen's Day . Wenceslaus was the son of Vratislaus I , Duke of Bohemia from the Přemyslid dynasty . His grandfather, Bořivoj I of Bohemia , and grandmother, Ludmila, had been converted by Cyril and Methodius to Byzantine Christianity in a still unified Christendom , before the Great Schism . His mother, Drahomíra , was the daughter of
1435-496: Was Henry II, Duke of Bavaria . He was laid to rest in the abbey of Niedermünster in Regensburg , Bavaria, where his wife Judith is also buried. Henry married Judith , daughter of Arnulf, Duke of Bavaria . They had: Wenceslaus I, Duke of Bohemia Wenceslaus I ( Czech : Václav [ˈvaːtslaf] ; c. 907 – 28 September 935), Wenceslas I or Václav the Good
1476-515: Was 18, those Christian nobles who remained rebelled against Drahomira. The uprising was successful, and Drahomira was sent into exile to Budeč. With the support of the nobles, Wenceslaus took control of the government. He "reined in the dependent dukes who had become restive under the regency and used Christianity to strengthen his state." After the fall of Great Moravia , the rulers of the Bohemian Duchy had to deal both with continuous raids by
1517-460: Was at Tetín Castle near Beroun when assassins murdered her on 15 September 921. She is said to have been strangled by them with her veil. She was at first buried in the church of St. Michael at Tetín, but her remains were later removed, probably by Wenceslaus, to the church of St. George in Prague , which had been built by his father. Drahomíra then assumed the role of regent and immediately initiated measures against Christians. When Wenceslaus
1558-441: Was considered, not a prince, but the father of all the wretched. Several centuries later this legend was asserted as fact by Pope Pius II . Although Wenceslaus was only a duke during his lifetime, Holy Roman Emperor Otto I posthumously "conferred on [Wenceslaus] the regal dignity and title", which is why he is referred to as "king" in legend and song. The hymn "Svatý Václave" (Saint Wenceslaus) or " Saint Wenceslas Chorale "
1599-430: Was often employed by Charles in his enterprises both at home and abroad, and in later years when the systematic Germanization of Bohemia began, Wenceslaus came to be considered a representation of the Czech national consciousness. An equestrian statue of Saint Wenceslaus and other patrons of Bohemia (St. Adalbert, St. Ludmila, St. Prokop and St. Agnes of Bohemia) are located on Wenceslaus Square in Prague . The statue
1640-463: Was often invoked, and it was only later that he was overshadowed by Hussite warrior Jan Žižka . Later, even when the Hussites and Protestants gained the upper hand in Bohemia and the cult of Wenceslaus faded, he still remained a venerated figure throughout Bohemia, with Jan Hus himself often referencing Wenceslaus in his sermons. During the reign of Charles IV , Wenceslaus’s image as a saint and martyr
1681-555: Was the Prince ( kníže ) of Bohemia from 921 until his death, probably in 935. According to the legend, he was assassinated by his younger brother, Boleslaus the Cruel . His martyrdom and the popularity of several biographies gave rise to a reputation for heroic virtue that resulted in his sainthood. He was posthumously declared to be a king and patron saint of the Czech state . He is the subject of