medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Today (17. July) is the feast day of:
The Scillitan Martyrs (d. 180) This was a group of five women and
seven men from Tunisia, who seem to have been Roman citizens. They
were arrested in the last year of Marcus Aurelius' persecution and
were beheaded. Their acta are authentic: they are the first dated
Latin document from the western church (and also the first to mention
the existence of a Latin Bible).
Justa and Rufina (d. c. 287) J and R were Christian women of
Seville, who sold pots for a living. They refused to sell pots to be
used in a non-Christian religious ceremony, and the irate worshippers
destroyed J & R's stock; J & R retaliated by smashing the cult
statues. They were tortured, killed, and their bodies burned. A
strong cult developed, and they are the patron saints of Seville.
Marcellina (d. 400) Marcellina was Ambrose of Milan's big sister.
She consecrated herself to God as a young woman, living with a lot of
fasting and penance.
Kenelm (9th cent.) Kenelm (Cynhelm) was a Mercian prince.
Historically speaking, charters tell that he owned Glastonbury, and
he died in 812 (or perhaps 821), possibly in battle. Legend made him
more interesting, telling that he succeeded his father as king of
Mercia at the ripe age of seven. K's tutor murdered the child king
after only a few months, though---at the urging of his jealous sister
(she later got what was coming to her, though: when practicing
witchcraft by reading the psalter backwards, her eyes fell out). K
was venerated as a martyr.
Leo IV (d. 853) Leo was elected pope in 847 after some years in
papal service. He strengthened Rome's walls to hep guard against
Muslim raids and built new walls around the Vatican hill (the
"Leonine city"). He was a very decisive and well-organized pontiff,
asserting papal rights in relation to the German emperors and
repairing much of the damages of Muslim raids.
Jadwiga (Hedwig) of Poland (d. 1399) Jadwiga was a princess of
Hungary and Poland, betrothed at one year old to the heir of the
duchy of Austria and raised at the Habsburg court. But her father
died when J was eight, and she was named his heir; after much
diplomatic intrigue, her sister became queen of Hungary and J became
queen of the Poles. Her betrothal was cancelled and she was married
to the duke of Lithuania---who agreed to be baptized in return for
the marriage. The Habsburgs protested very strongly. But J and her
husband Jagiello set out to christianize Lithuania, and J seems to
have been one of the few peacemakers in this complicated political
situation. J died at the age of 25, after giving birth to a
premature daughter. Her cult spread rapidly and a canonization
process began in 1426. She was only beatified in 1986, though, and
canonized in 1997.
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