medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Today (13. October) is the feast day of:
Faustus, Januarius, and Martial (d. c. 304) This threesome of
martyrs died at Cordoba during Diocletian's persecution. They were
tortured and then burned to death. Prudentius called them the "three
crowns of Cordoba."
Comgan (8th cent.) Comgan was a prince of Leinster. When he was
defeated in battle his fled to Scotland, along with his sister and
her children. They settled at Lochalse (near Skye) and built a
monastery.
Gerald of Aurillac (d. 909) Gerald was count of Aurillac, a man of
notable piety and charity who founded the monastery of Aurillac. He
is sometimes held up as a model of lay piety, but according to Odo of
Cluny's vita, Gerald was basically a monk in disguise, even tonsuring
half his hair secretly under his cap and ordering his soldiers to
whack the enemy with the wrong ends of their spears.
Coloman of Stockerau (d. 1012) Colman was a Scot or Irish pilgrim.
He set out for the Holy Land on pilgrimage, one of the early pilgrims
to use the overland route through Hungary. People along the way
weren't used to foreigners. C. was seized as a spy at Stockerau
(near Vienna) and hanged (between two thieves). But his body didn't
decompose, so they eventually buried him. Miracles were reported at
his grave, so he was declared a saint. He is now one of the patron
saints of Austria.
Edward the Confessor (d. 1066) Normally celebrated on this day,
although he died on January 5. Edward was the last Anglo-Saxon king
of England, recalled to England after growing up in exile and made
king in 1042. It seems hard to assess his holiness: was he a wimp,
or a lover of peace, or just lacking in the means to fight the Godwin
family? Did he live chastely with his wife, or did he hate her as a
daughter of Earl Godwin, or did they just fail to have children? It
is, however, certain that he founded Westminster Abbey, which should
be enough to win anyone a halo.
Maurice of Carnoet (d. 1191) Maurice came from Croixanvec in
Brittany. He studied at Paris before becoming a Cistercian at
Langonnet, where he soon became abbot. He moved from there to become
first abbot of Carnoet, built by Duke Conan IV at M's urging.
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