Translation of the relics of martyr Wenceslaus I, Duke of Bohemia, Prince of the Czechs.
Wenceslaus I (Czech: Vclav [vatslaf] (listen); c. 907 28 September 935 or 929), Wenceslas I or Vclav the Good was the duke (kne) of Bohemia from 921 until his death probably either in 935 or 929 (although 935 is favored today). His younger brother, Boleslaus the Cruel, is commonly considered the perpetrator of Wenceslaus' assassination by the Czech public and the Roman Catholic Church. However, there is a debate on whether his death was an accident or a murder. According to some historians (e. g. Duan Tetk or Martin Wihoda) it was the result of a quarrel between the two brothers or their parties (probably after a night of drinking). Boleslaus' men then killed Wenceslaus in the subsequent chaotic fight.
His martyrdom and the popularity of several biographies gave rise to a reputation for heroic virtue that resulted in his elevation to sainthood. He was posthumously declared to be a king and came to be seen as the patron saint of the Czech state. He is the subject of the well-known "Good King Wenceslas", a carol for Saint Stephen's Day.
In religion, a relic is an object or article of religious significance from the past. It usually consists of the physical remains of a saint or the personal effects of the saint or venerated person preserved for purposes of veneration as a tangible memorial. Relics are an important aspect of some forms of Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, shamanism, and many other religions. Relic derives from the Latin reliquiae, meaning "remains", and a form of the Latin verb relinquere, to "leave behind, or abandon". A reliquary is a shrine that houses one or more religious relics.