Vita Wenceslai (Legenda Gumpoldi)

The Miracle of Podhiwen

Podhiwen, the faithful chamberlain of Saint Wenceslas, mourns his lord and prospers his memory, is condemned to hang by an insane ruler, yet his severed head remains alive and grows white hair.

A no less remarkable miracle follows from this one. A young chamberlain named Podhiwen — more faithful than the other servants and more trusted with his secrets — was deeply loved by the holy man, now living in the world; he also mentioned him in a writing referred to above. When this young man was deprived of his dearest lord, he mourned with sorrowful lamentations day after day, and no less abundantly he spread abroad the examples of his deeds — deeds he himself had witnessed — praising them among many. When the insane leader learned of this, inflamed with the swiftest anger, he soon ordered him to be put to death by hanging. Hung up — as the true testimony of good men declares — after two years his head was seen to grow and turn white through a flourishing crop of white hairs, just as the living and healthy heads of men are accustomed to do.