Celebrating the feast day of the most famous figure in Czech history, a 10th century ruler known around the world as “Good King Wenceslas” thanks to the popular Christmas carol, Pope Benedict XVI ...

Even heard in modern synthesizer arrangements, the melody of the carol "Good King Wenceslas" brings the words and images of the story into my head: "Good King Wenceslas looked out / on the Feast of ...

Every December, we sing the carol of Good King Wenceslas, but do you know the true story behind it? The festive tune, penned by English hymn writer and translator John Mason Neale in 1853, echoes ...

Sheet music of "Good King Wenceslas" in a biscuit container from 1913, preserved at the Victoria and Albert Museum. (Wikimedia) If you’ve listened to this week’s episode of “Hark!” on “Good King ...

On a bitter morning in 935 AD, Duke Wenceslas of Bohemia walked through falling snow to attend church, unaware that his brother, Boleslav, waited with a weapon and treachery in his heart. The tragedy ...

Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter. This 1853 Christmas Carol, set to the melody of a 13th-century Nordic Hymn, has since fallen into the hands of ...

This is the real story behind one of today’s best-loved carols... ‘Good King Wenceslas’ may be one of the most popular Christmas carols ever written – but the story behind it is bizarre and gruesome.

It’s the part of the Christmas story we wish the Gospel writers had left it out, or perhaps over the years as the biblical texts were edited someone would have deleted it. During the Twelve Days of ...

The popular carol of Good King Wenceslas tells of a Czech king on a journey through harsh winter weather to give alms to a poor peasant. But his whereabouts are almost impossible to spot in this mind ...

The real King Wenceslas was a 10th century Duke of Bohemia who became a Christian martyr. Lots of miracles have been reported in his name. Czech composer wrote his World War I "Meditation on an Old ...