Description
Size: 23×13 mm / 0.91×0.51 in Weight: ~3,8 g / 0.13 oz Icon pendant "St. Ludmila, Holy Martyr and Duchess of Bohemia" This miniature scapular is a great gift for someone who wishes to have a portable icon of their patron saint. Due to its small size, the icon pendant "St. Ludmila, Holy Martyr and Duchess ...of Bohemia" is inconspicuous and convenient to wear. It can easily be concealed under one's clothes or be worn on a casual basis without attracting undue attention. The symbolism of the icon pendant "St. Ludmila, Holy Martyr and Duchess of Bohemia" The round scapular contains a waist-length relief image of Ludmila, the Holy Martyr, and the Duchess of Bohemia. The iconography is traditional, with the saint wearing the robes of a duchess and a crown on her head. Her her left hand is opened in front of her chest in a gesture of confession. In her right hand, she is holding an eight-pointed cross. The remaining free space at the front of the scapular contains the name of the saint. The Holy Martyr Lyudmila was the daughter of a Serbian prince. She was married to the Czech prince Borivoj when the Czech people were still pagan, and so were the young spouses. They converted to Christianity through the efforts of St. Methodius, Equal of the Apostles, and were baptized by him. At the time, the great enlightener of the Slavic peoples was an archbishop in neighboring Moravia. The Duke and Duchess built churches, appointed priests, and used any possible means to convert their subjects to Christianity. After her husband's death, Ludmila surrendered herself to the will of God and distributed all her property to the poor. She continued to live in Prague, raising her grandson Vyacheslav, whom she wished to see first and foremost as a good Christian. The Duchess was successful in her attempt to instill Christian virtues in the boy. Vyacheslav's behavior was that of a model Christian youth: he was kind, gentle, chaste, and not conceited or arrogant. After the death of Duke Vratislav, his mother Dragomira began to rule the country in her son's name. She abolished the customs introduced by Dukes Borivoj and Vratislav in order to weaken paganism. Duchess Ludmila, mourning the misfortune that had befallen the country, insisted that Duke Vyacheslav take over the throne. As a result, Dragomira came to hate her and resolved to destroy her. After securing the throne for Vyacheslav, Duchess Ludmila retired to the city of Tetin. She knew that her daughter-in-law loathed her and wanted to be away from all evil. Dragomira, intent on assassinating Ludmila, bribed two boyars and sent them to Tetin to kill her. Having reached the city, the two villains gathered a mob of other like-minded evil people. At 1 a.m. on Saturday, 16 (29) September 927, they burst into Ludmila's palace and strangled her. Thus, St. Ludmila became a martyr at the age of sixty-one. The site by the city wall where she was buried was marked by many glorious miracles. Every night, one could see candles burning there. In addition, a blind man regained his sight after he touched the earth on the grave of St. Ludmila. Upon learning about this, Duke Vyacheslav had his grandmother's relics taken to the church of St. George in Prague. The relics remain there to this day and are the source of numerous omens and miracles. The Holy Martyr Ludmila is asked for assistance in child-rearing and in the treatment of eye ailments. On the reverse of the icon, one can see a four-pointed blossoming cross inside a circle with an inscription of the Savior's name. It is surrounded in a circle by the words of prayer to St. Ludmila in the Church Slavonic language. Technical details of the icon pendant "St. Ludmila, Holy Martyr and Duchess of Bohemia" The icon pendant is round, with a relief image decorated with blackening. It is fashioned from grade-925 sterling silver and covered in 24k gold at the top and around the rim. The top part of the icon has a movable hoop for a chain. The pendant is quite small, with a size of 0.91×0.51 in (23×13 mm), and weighs 0.13 oz (3.8 g). This makes it comfortable to wear either on or under one's clothes.
