medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Today (18. October) is the feast day of:
Luke the Evangelist (1st cent.) Author of the third gospel and the book of
Acts. The latter work tells how Luke, a physician, accompanied Paul on
some of his journeys, and there is also a reference to him in the letter to
the Colossians (4:14). Nothing historical is known of L. after that, and
there's no evidence that he was martyred. Sixth-century legend made him an
artist, who painted a great icon of the Virgin Mary. L's relics in Padua
were DNA-tested in 2001; my source says they were "found to be probably
genuine." Genuine what? Genuinely related to somebody? Genuinely human
bones? I really don't understand this.
Tryphonia (3rd cent.) Tryphonia was a Roman widow who was martyred. A
rather exciting-sounding legend made her the wife of either Emperor Decius
or his son.
Justus of Beauvais (3rd cent.?) Odds seem to be that Justus is fictional:
a nine-year-old boy martyred at Beauvais in Gaul when he refused to tell
where his father and uncle were hiding. After his head was lopped off, it
continued to speak.
Athenodorus (d. c. 269) Athenodorus was a Cappodocian, born in
Neocaesarea. His brother St. Gregory the Thaumaturge converted A. to
Christianity, after which the two studied together under Origen. A. became
bishop somewhere in Pontus and was martyred in the reign of Aurelian.
Gwen of Cornwall (5th cent.) Legend tells that Gwen was the sister of St.
Nonna, and an aunt of St. David, wife of St. Solomon I, and mother of St.
Cybi. She is associated with the village of St. Wenn in Cornwall.
Gwen of Talgarth (d. c. 492) According to legend, Gwen was a daughter of
St. Brychan, killed by invading Saxons at Talgarth in Powys.
Henry of Bonn (blessed) (d. 1147) Henry was a German noble. He set out on
the second crusade, but along the way (? I'm finding this hard to imagine
from a map) he stopped to help the Portuguese conquer Lisbon, was killed in
the fighting, and won veneration as a martyr.
Dr. Phyllis G. Jestice
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