medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Today, February 3, is the Feast Day of:
Blaise/Blasius/Vlaho, bishop of Sebastea (Turkey or Armenia), martyr (316?)
- He lived during the time of Diocletian or Licinius, legend adds that he
became bishop when a young man, retreated to a hermitage when persecutions
began, and was brought to official attention by hunters who saw him curing
sick and wounded wild animals. He had an affinity with animals usually
reserved to Irish saints; his feats included convincing a wolf to return a
stolen pig to a poor woman. While in prison, he healed a boy who had a
fishbone stuck in his throat; this gave rise to his patronage of those who
suffer from maladies affecting the throat. The mother of the child later
brought B food and candles in prison, so the blessing of St. Blaise includes
the application of two candles to the sufferer's throat. Blaise is also
invoked prophylactically on his feast day (which in the Northern Hemisphere
occurs during a season when upper respiratory infections are common) to ward
off coughs and other afflictions of the throat.
3 February is now B.'s day in Latin-rite churches. He is said to appear
in Carolingian martyrologies under 15 February; whether his feast were moved
up under the influence of the candles part of the legend in order to bring
it close to Candlemas or whether, instead, that aspect of the legend is a
later addition reflecting B.'s repositioning in the Roman calendar is
something that would be worth investigating. Greek-rite churches celebrate
the hieromartyr Blasios on 11. February.
One of the Fourteen Holy Helpers of the later Middle Ages, he has been
venerated extensively in the West since at least the ninth century. Blasius
(Vlaho) is also venerated as patron saint of Dubrovnik (Ragusa) since the
11th century. His relics are widely distributed.
Within the territories of the former Regno, Blaise (Biagio, Biase, etc.)
has also long been popular. But here his cult is especially linked to two
places: Maratea (PZ) in Basilicata and Ostuni (BR) in Puglia. Local
traditions place his arrival here in the eighth century and ascribe it to
eastern-rite monks fleeing westward to avoid iconoclastic persecution.
Whereas the latter motivation is no longer thought to have been such a major
factor in the spread of Greek culture in early medieval Italy, it remains
true that in some parts of the Italian south monastic settlement by
Greek-speakers did significantly antedate reassertion of territorial control
by the empire of the Romans and was also widespread in others that remained
under Lombard administration until the Norman conquest.
At Maratea, the sanctuary of San Biagio occupies the crest of a mountain
of the same name overlooking the Gulf of Policastro. In the year 732
Armenian refugees are said, on what authority I do not know, to have brought
here urns containing B.'s relics and those of saint Macarius and to have
installed these in a tiny chapel that previously had been dedicated to
Minerva. Be that as it may, the settlement here appears not to be
documented prior to 1079.
Ia, virgin (sixth century) - sailed miraculously from Ireland to Cornwall on
a leaf, where she built a hermitage; that place is now known as Saint Ives.
Breton tradition makes her a convert of Patrick who came to Brittany with
777 disciples and was martyred there.
Laurence/ Laurentius Illuminator, bishop of Spoleto (576) - a Syrian, the
people of Spoleto refused to admit him to their city; but after Laurence
prayed for a sign of God's will in the matter, the city gates flew open on
their own. He had fled to exile in Italy to escape persecution in the middle
of the sixth century, and founded a monastery near Spoleto. Undependable
sources report that he was bishop of Spoleto for 20 years, then abdicated
and went on to found the monastery of Frafa near Rome, which he led until
his death. Laurentius' nickname "Illuminator" comes from his reputation for
both healing the blind and giving spiritual enlightenment to those in more
figurative darkness.
Fillan (d. c. 750) According to legend, Fillan was an Irishman, a son of St.
Kentigerna/Quentigerna (reputedly the daughter of the Irish prince Cellach).
He became a missionary in the area around St. Fillans (near Crieff,
Scotland). St Fillan's Bell still exists somewhere: the classic
early-medieval bell, rectangular in form, which produces at least three
different tones from different walls of the rectangle. His staff also
survives, apparently it was actually brought to Canada in the 19th century
by the family entrusted with the hereditary task of guarding it. St Fillan's
staff was the 'Quigrich' and his bell the 'Bernane'. The latter, according
to legend, would fly through the air to the saint when he called it. More
historically verifiable is the fact that it was used in the coronation of
James IV of Scotland.
(Wasn't that the bell that was lost to us in that disastterous fire a few
years ago? - TM)
Anskar/Ansgar, archbishop of Hamburg and Bremen (865) - born c.801 in
France, a pupil of Paschasius Radbertus, he became a monk at Corbie, but
later moved to Corvey (New Corbie) and in 826 He was sent to Denmark with a
fellow monk to convert Danes. He was sent to Scandinavia as a missionary,
working under the auspices of King Harold in Denmark. He is known as
"apostle of the north." In 831 Ansgar was consecrated as first Archbishop
of Hamburg. He worked with little support but considerable success, only to
see Vikings overrun his mission territory and destroy Hamburg in 845. He
became archbishop of Hamburg & Bremen after the sacking. Throughout his
years in office, Ansgar was impeded by inability to find enough co-workers,
as the lovely vita by Rimbertus makes clear. Despite his longing (and
prophetic dreams) to be a martyr (according to Rimbertus), Ansgar died
peacefully. He is the patron saint of Denmark.
Contrary to what one might have expected, the Anskar cult was slow to be
established in the Scandinavian countries. In Lund archbishopric it was
originally celebrated on September 9, but moved to February 3 in the
thirteenth century. In most other Scandinavian dioceses, there are few if
any traces of the cult before the later Middle Ages, but then it was on the
other hand often celebrated on February 4, because of the interference with
St. Blaise on February 3. The renewed interest for Saint Anskar in the end
of the middle ages is partly due to a better knowledge of the history of
Christianization in the North, but also to political tensions between the
Swedish and the Danish Church provinces.
Adelheid of Vilich (d. sometime between 1010 and 1020) Adelheid was first
abbess of Vilich near Bonn, a house of canonesses founded by her parents. In
c. 1000 she converted the house to the Benedictine Rule. When her sister
died in 1002, Adelheid also assumed leadership of the convent of St. Maria
im Kapitol in Cologne. Adelheid enjoyed the esteem of both the people and
the rulers, and was famed for her care of the poor. Her well in Puetzchen is
supposed to cure eye diseases and still draws pilgrims today. Her cult was
formally approved in 1966.
Aelred of Rievaulx (d. 1167) The English Aelred was in the service of King
David of Scotland before becoming a Cistercian at Rievaulx. He eventually
became abbot. Aelred was famous for his preaching and spiritual writing, and
was already considered a saint in his lifetime.
happy reading,
Terri Morgan
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