medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Today (8. July) is the feast day of:
Prisca and Aquila (1st cent.) This was a Jewish couple, forced out
of Rome when Emperor Claudius evicted the Jews. The went to Corinth;
Paul stayed with them there and may have converted them. They went
with Paul to Ephesus---Paul stayed with them there, too. When they
returned to Rome their house was used as a church. They seem to have
been martyred, but sources disagree on whether it was in Asia Minor
or Rome.
Procopius (d. 303) Procopius was a native of Jerusalem who became a
lector and exorcist at the church in Scythopolis. He was beheaded
during Diocletian's persecution.
Kilian and companions (d. c. 689) Kilian was an Irish monk who, with
some companions, became a missionary in Franconia. He successfully
converted Duke Gosbert of Wurzburg. Fine, except that G. had married
his brother's widow and K. made a big issue of it being unchristian.
Legend tells that the wife was not amused and had K. and two
companions murdered while G. was away on a military expedition.
Withburga (d. c. 743) Withburga was a daughter of King Anna of the
East Angles. She was a recluse who attracted disciples and ended up
founding a convent. She was first buried at Dereham, where a holy
well (says legend) sprang up in the churchyard as a result.
Sunniva and companions (10th cent.) An old Norse legend tells that
Sunniva was a daughter of an Irish king who fled home to escape
marriage. She and several companions landed on the coast of Norway,
where they lived peacefully in a cave. But then a group of neighbors
suspected the hermits of dining on their cattle and decided to
attack, only to find that the cave had been sealed up by a landslide.
Olaf Tryggvason is supposed to have had the cave opened in 995.
Sunniva's body was found incorrupt, and he built a church in her
honor.
Raymond of Toulouse (d. 1118) Raymond Gayrard (not to be mistaken
with one of the counts of Toulouse, who all seem to have been named
Raymond) decided to devote himself to charitable works after his wife
died. He built a poorhouse and two bridges, became a canon at St.
Sernin, and helped rebuild the church. There were miracles at his
tomb, and the ensuing cult was approved in 1652.
A modern saint: Mancius Araki Ky-uzaburo and companions (blessed) (d.
1626) Mancius was a Japnese layman, arrested with eight others for
giving shelter to missionaries working in Kyushu. M. himself died of
tuberculosis, but his body was burned with the other men of the
group; the three women involved got off more lightly---they were only
beheaded.
**********************************************************************
To join the list, send the message: join medieval-religion YOUR NAME
to: [log in to unmask]
To send a message to the list, address it to:
[log in to unmask]
To leave the list, send the message: leave medieval-religion
to: [log in to unmask]
In order to report problems or to contact the list's owners, write to:
[log in to unmask]
For further information, visit our web site:
http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/medieval-religion.html
|