medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
> Merkurios (d. c. 360?) Merkurios is one of the most important saintly
> soldiers of the eastern church, although it is likely that he is a purely
> legendary figure.
For a legendary figure, we have a startlingly large amount of relics of the
chap. At least two churches in Cairo are dedicated to him, and a goodly number
claim to have various bones. An analogue of St. George and the dragon, perhaps
both can be seen as going back to the prototype of Horus spearing the
crocodile. St Shenudah of Artipe was harshly critical of newly-evangelised,
Nile-dwelling, 6th-century fellahin who discovered bones and, in their piety,
assumed/claimed them to be the relics of martyrs. A prayer to St. Merkurios is
still a part of the ceremony for the ordination of a monk and also in the
general blessing of a lay congragation.
Angus, Muscat
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