St. Wenceslaus, Duke, Martyr–R (III)

His martyrdom, and the popularity of several biographies, quickly gave rise to a reputation for heroic goodness, resulting in his being elevated to sainthood, posthumously declared king, and seen as the patron saint of the Czech state. He is the subject of “Good King Wenceslas,” a Saint Stephen’s Day carol written over 900 years later, in 1853, that remains popular to this day.