medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Dear fellow list-members:
Our list owners have accepted my offer to take over the "saints of the day"
column that Carolyn Muessig so generously provided for so long. I'll be
following the same scheme she used---brief entries about interesting saints
from the Middle Ages (broadly defined) whose feast day it is. For your
information, the following are my main sources:
David Farmer, Oxford Dictionary of Saints (4th ed.)
Erhard Gorys, Lexikon der Heiligen
Piero Bargellini, Mille Santi del giorno
Vera Schauber and Hanns Michael Schindler, Bildlexikon der Heiligen (which
has some truly extraordinary pictures in it, by the way)
Alban of Mainz (d. c. 406) The martyrology of Hrabanus Maurus reports that
Alban worked as a missionary in the area around Mainz, and was killed along
with several companions by Vandals.
Mewen (Méen) (6th cent.) According to tradition, Mewan was a follower of
Samson of Dol, who went with Samson from Wales to Brittany. He evangelized
the Brocéliande district and founded the monastery later called Saint-Méen.
His vita was written about 500 years later, and Mewan's cult spread
throughout France, his shrine at Saint-Méen becoming a popular pilgrimage
site.
Leufred (d. 738) A French abbot and monastic founder. He became a hermit,
and then a monk under the Irish Sidonius of Rouen. Later he returned to
his home region of Évreux and founded the monastery of
La-Croix-Saint-Leufroy.
Bruno (Boniface) of Querfurt (d. 1009) Missionary bishop, martyred by
Prussians in 1009. Bruno was a Saxon nobleman who studied at Magdeburg,
then became successively a canon of Magdeburg and an imperial chaplain
under Otto III. In 1001, however, Bruno became a monk at Camaldoli under
Romuald of Ravenna. He and several other monks were encouraged by Otto III
to do missionary work in Poland. Bruno did not go immediately with his
companions however, and encountered a series of delays reaching the
missionary field, during which time his fellow missionaries were murdered
by thieves. Bruno described the events of their martyrdom in his very
beautiful and moving Vita quinque fratrum, and is also the author of a vita
of his kinsman Adalbert of Prague. Throughout both works resounds Bruno's
own desire to attain what he describes as "glorious martyrdom," a goal he
finally reached in 1009.
Dr. Phyllis G. Jestice
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