Ludmila of Bohemia

Ludmila of Bohemia (Template:Circa 860 – 15 September 921) is a Czech saint and martyr venerated by the Orthodox and the Roman Catholics. She was born in Mělník as the daughter of the Sorbian prince Slavibor.<ref>Překlad Josef Vajs, 1929</ref> Saint Ludmila was the grandmother of Saint Wenceslaus,<ref name="Britannica">Template:Cite web</ref> who is widely referred to as Good King Wenceslaus. Saint Ludmila was canonized shortly after her death. As part of the process of canonization, in 925, Wenceslaus moved her remains to St. George's Basilica, Prague.

Marriage

Ludmila was married to Bořivoj I of Bohemia, the first Christian Duke of Bohemia,<ref name="Britannica"/> in 873. The couple converted to Christianity through the efforts of Methodius.<ref name="Britannica"/><ref name=ott>Ott, Michael. "St. Ludmilla." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 9. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1910. 24 Feb. 2013</ref> Their efforts to convert Bohemia to Christianity were initially not well received,<ref name="Britannica"/> and pagans drove them from their country for a time. Eventually the couple returned and ruled for several years before retiring to Tetín, near Beroun.

In 875, the eldest son of the princely couple, Spytihněv, was born. Ludmila gave birth to at least six children (three sons and three daughters - not counting any children who died in infancy and were not mentioned in the records) during the approximately fourteen years of her marriage. Only the names of two sons Spytihněv 875-915 and Vratislav c. 888-921) are known, both of whom later ascended to the princely throne.

Bořivoj was succeeded by their son Spytihněv.<ref>"Saint Ludmila - 1100 years since the death of the first Czech saint", Prague.eu</ref> Spytihněv was succeeded by his brother Vratislav. When Vratislav died in 921, his son Wenceslas became the next ruler of Bohemia.<ref name=ott/> It had been primarily Ludmila who raised her grandson, and she acted as regent for him.

Ludmila and Drahomíra

Murder of Saint Ludmila

Wenceslaus' mother, Drahomíra, became jealous of Ludmila's influence over Wenceslaus. She had two noblemen, Tunna and Gommon (probably of Frankish or Varangian descent) murder Ludmila in Tetín, and part of Ludmila's narrative states that she was strangled<ref name="Britannica"/> with her veil. Initially, Ludmila was buried at St. Michael's at Tetín.<ref>Kantor, M. The Origins of Christianity in Bohemia. 1990.</ref>

Ludmila was canonized shortly after her death. As part of the process of canonization, in 925 Wenceslaus moved her remains to St. George's Basilica, Prague.<ref name=ott/> She is venerated as a patroness of Bohemia. She is considered to be a patron saint of Bohemia, converts, duchesses, those with problems with in-laws, and widows. Her feast day is celebrated on September 16.<ref>Roman Martyrology, https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_academies/cult-martyrum/martiri/009.html#settembre</ref>

Antonín Dvořák composed his oratorio Saint Ludmila between September 1885 and May 1886. The work was commissioned by the publisher Littleton for the Leeds Festival.<ref>Halstead, Susan. "St. Ludmila, patroness of Bohemia". British Library, 16 September 2013.</ref>

Interesting facts

A direct descendant of Saint Ludmilla is Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, Archbishop of Vienna.

See also

• St. George's Basilica, Prague
• House of Přemysl
• Bohemia
• Statue of Saint Ludmila, Charles Bridge
• Saint Ludmila, patron saint archive

Sources

• 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.