> From: [log in to unmask] [SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
>
> The story of St. Sithney is great. It made me wonder, oh learned
> listmembers: when did it become common to attribute special patronage for
> particular saints---e.g., of young girls, of dogs, of eye diseases, of
> lost
> causes, etc.? The vitae I've read (admittedly none later than the early
> twelfth century) have most saints curing all sorts of odd ailments. Is
> there a time that there is a shift from multi-purpose to specialized?
>
Considering the large number of saints who were apparently
euhemerized gods or at least took over the functions of erstwhile deities, I
rather doubt that there was a specific date at which saints started becoming
"specialized." In many cases, they were taking over pre-established
functions.
Francine Nicholson
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