2 weeks Ago By [email protected] (Danielle Kate Wroe)
We sing it every single year during December , but do you know the truth about the man behind the Good King Wenceslas carol? Each festive period, the tuneful carol can be heard across the world , and it was written by the English hymn writer and translator John Mason Neale and published in 1853. But there's a heartwarming moral of the carol, and it's very in-keeping with the festive period, as it teaches us to be nice to one another - and it was based on a real person. TikToker @historyshortz said: "Good King Wenceslas bravely ventured into a blizzard on the feast of Stephen, to bring food and fuel to a poor man living on his estate".
He continued: "The song describes how King Wenceslas, looking out on a cold day, saw an old man gathering winter fuel, and he directed his page to bring the man food and drink", doing a good deed. The carol celebrates the "compassion and generosity" of King Wenceslas "during the season of giving" - and what's more, he was a real person - the Duke of Bohemia, a 10th-century Christian prince. "He carried a reputation of bravery and piety [.
..], but tragically, his reign was cut short by his jealous brother", who, according to NPR ", murdered" him, as he was "under the sway of their so-called pagan mother.
" The carol was written to fit the melody of the 13th-century spring carol 'Tempus adest floridum', and was written about the Feast of St Stephen, which is also known as Boxing Day, and celebrates charitable giving around Christmastime. Classic History shared a simple outline of the story and the heartwarming moral behind it. They said that the carol follows King Wenceslas, who wants to "share the warmth of his own home and the food of the holiday with" the poor man who is gathering winter fuel.
"Thus begins the King's journey of goodwill through the wintery night with one of his servants", they explained, saying that the men trudged through the snow to help the man. It is then thought that the page told King Wenceslas that he could not continue walking in such conditions, and Wenceslas told him to "follow boldly in his footsteps", and legend has it that the page walked in his footsteps and felt "pleasantly warmed". Then, Good King Wenceslas reached "the poor man's home, bringing him plenty of firewood and a wonderful dinner they all share together".
But what is the moral of the story? "Those who bless the poor shall themselves find blessing as well." Did you know the heartwarming meaning behind the carol? Let us know in the comments..
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