Dear Marleen,
Are there legends that identify Dympna as a local girl, as in born and
raised? The 13th-c. Life by Pierre builds upon her Irish origin that
popular tradition had long ascribed to her. Has this been proven false and
thus is no longer part of her cult, or has it just diminished over time and
now is no longer remembered? She has been identified with a Dympna from Co.
Monaghan, who I think is the only female Irish saint whose staff we still
have (National Museum).
-Maeve
At 02:26 PM 5/26/97 +0200, you wrote:
>Dear Carolyn,
>
>My reaction to Dympna's feast came purely from what you could call
>presentday folklore. In our library here I could not find any study
>on Dympna, only the legend of Dympna, saint and martyr, in several
>versions.
>
>Why her cult became popular in the thirteenth century is an
>interesting question. Very likely becuse Dympna was a local girl (?).
>But I will leave the question as to why saints became popular (or the
>circumstances under which they became popular) to the hagiography
>scholars on the list.
>
>I am sorry not to be able to be of any more help.
>
>Marleen
>
>
>***************************
>Marleen Cre
>University of Antwerp
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>***************************
>
>
He who gives to anyone a liquor in which a mouse or weasel is found dead,
shall do penance with three special fasts.
--The Penitential of Cummean
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