medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Today (25. July) is the feast day of:
James the Greater (d. 44) One of the most important saints of the Middle
Ages, thanks to some very interesting legends, James started out as a
fisherman, the son of Salome and Zebedee, and brother of John the
Evangelist. He has the odd distinction of being the only apostle whose
martyrdom appears in the Bible (Acts 12:2). A legend that developed in the
ninth century told how, after his decapitation, James went to Spain by ship
and his body was buried at a place later named "Compostela" since a
visionary was led to J's relics in a "field of stars." In an even more
surprising twist, James became the warlike Santiago, "slayer of Moors" and
patron saint of the reconquista (and thus of Spain).
Christopher (?) One of the saints decommissioned in 1969 (although the
last time I was in Rome it was possible to buy St. Christopher medallions
in the Vatican gift shop), Christopher, an obscure martyr of Lycia from the
time of Decius, attracted a very exotic legend over the centuries. The
most familiar is that he was a giant who carried the Christ-child over a
river, thus accounting for his name (Christophoros = "bearer of Christ").
In eastern legend, he has the head of a dog.
Cucaphas (Cugat) (d. 304) Cucaphas was one of the most popular Spanish
martyrs. He was a nobleman from Scillis in north Africa who was martyred
near Barcelona. The moanstery of St. Cugat del Valles was built on the
site.
Eurosia (Orosia) (d. 714) According to legend, Eurosia was from Bayonne (or
perhaps Bohemia (!)), martyred by Arab invaders at Jaca in the Aragonese
Pyrenees. Her existence is doubted, but her cult remains popular.
Theodemir of Carmona (d. 851) Theodemir was a monk from near Cordoba,
beheaded as one of the "martyrs of Cordoba" in the reign of Abd-er-Rahman
II.
Dr. Phyllis G. Jestice
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