Today, 6 March, is the feast of ...
* Perpetua, Felicity and companions, martyrs (203): In the fourth century
the acts of these martyrs were publicly read in the churches of Africa.
They were so highly esteemed that Augustine of Hippo found it necessary to
issue a protest against their being placed on a level with Scripture.
* Fridolin, abbot (sixth century?): Known as the 'Traveller'. Fridolin was
born in Ireland. He became a priest and wandered from city to city
preaching. He went to France to continue his preaching. He travelled as an
itinerant preacher until he reached Poitiers where, he joined the
monastery of St Hilary. He want on to establish several monasteries. He
also founded a school for young boys in which he encouraged sports and at
times joined in them.
* Cyneburga, Cyneswide and Tibba (seventh century): Cyneburga founded a
convent on the borders of Northampton and Huntingdon. Cyneburga became
abbess and was respected by the nuns of convent for her learning and
holiness. Later her sister Cyneswide joined the convent. A third holy
woman who is associated with the other two and was venerated on this day
is their kinswoman Tibba.
Regarding Tibba, Graham Jones made the following query last year: "Camden
recorded a tradition at Ryhall, Tibba's resting place, that she was
regarded as patroness of 'fowling and falconers'. Can anyone help me take this
any further? I have looked at the standard late medieval work on hawking and
hunting without coming across any clues as to why the tradition should have
come about. Ryhall is in the great East Midlands hunting country with the
obvious links between hunting and lordship/courtesy/gift-giving (these three
saints were members of the Mercian royal house), and not far from the fen-edge.
But that's all circumstantial. Is there any hard evidence that would support an
association of Tibba (apparently translated to Peterborough either in the tenth
century or in the eleventh) and/or her day/season with 'fowlers and falconers'?"
Has anyone been able to help Graham (and other curious types) with regard to this
matter?
* Chrodegang, bishop of Metz (766): Among the activities of Chrodegang was
the building and restoration of churches, monasteries, and charitable
institutions. The abbey of Gorze was one of his foundations.
* Balred and Bilfrid, hermit (eighth century): Baldred was a priest who
led a solitary life in the kingdom of Northumbria. After a life of great
austerities and trials, Balred died at Aldham. A dispute arose with the
neighbouring parishes of Tyningham and Preston for the possession of the
body. The next morning three bodies of Balred were found, so each parish
was able to have its own. The relics were lost during a Danish attack, but
two centuries later a priest called Elfrid discovered through a dream the
body of St Balred, which was removed to Durham together with the remains
of another hermit, St Bilfrid the goldsmith.
* Cadroe or Cadroel, abbot (976): Was sent to Ireland from Scotland for
his education. He so greatly distinguished himself at Armagh that he was
credited with having read 'all that every poet has sung, orator spoken and
philosopher thought.'
* Ollegarius or Oldegar, archbishop of Tarragona (1137): Butler writes:
'In 1123 Ollegarius went to Rome to attend the First Lateran Council where
he asked Pope Callistus II and the assembly to enact that the privileges
which were being offered to those who would take part in the crusades in
Palestine should be extended to those who would fight the Moslems in
Spain. His petition was granted, and he returned home as apostolic
delegate charged to preach a crusade against Moors.'
* Cyril of Constantinople, General of the Carmelites (1235?): Last year, Paul
Chandler kindly enlightened us regarding this elusive character:
"Cyril is a legendary but fascinating and under-researched character,
popular not only among the Carmelites but also in Franciscan and
Joachimite circles from the 13th to the 16th centuries. He was supposed to
have been a hermit on Mount Carmel and to have received two silver tablets
with prophetic inscriptions in Greek from an angel who appeared to him
during Mass; he had them translated into Latin and sent to Joachim of
Fiore, who is supposed to have sent a letter in reply.
These prophecies, known as the Oraculum angelicum, were highly regarded by
the Spirituals and commented on by John of Rupescissa (1350) and Telesforo
di Cosenza (1386). (Edited by P. Piur, Oraculum angelicum Cyrilli, in K.
Burdach, Briefwechsel des Cola di Rienzo 2:4, Berlin 1912, 221-343).
Around 1390 my hero Felip Ribot published a spurious Epistola Cyrilli ad
Eusebium heremita as part of his Decem libri de institutione et
peculiaribus gestis religiosorum carmelitarum, of which one day soon I
hope to publish a critical edition, if Carolyn does not distract me. Here
Cyril is made to give some history of the Carmelites in the century before
they really existed. John Grossi is to blame, it seems, for making Cyril
second (or third) prior general of the Carmelites (in his Viridarium and
Catalogus sanctorum respectively); lying convincingly requires a good
memory. Later Carmelites, great legend makers, embellished his story with
a diplomatic mission from Constantinople to Rome, the conversion of a
sultan, preaching in Armenia, etc. Later still, he was confused with Cyril
of Alexandria, thus confusing everyone even more than they already were.
San Martino ai Monti in Rome has a 17th-c. fresco of Cyril baptising the
sultan; and there is a 14th-c. fresco in the Carmine of Florence.
Most of this information is from Adrianus Staring's article on Cyril in
Santi del Carmelo, (Rome: Institutum Carmelitanum, 1972), the best
authority for this kind of thing, where there is further bibliography."
* Giordano da Pisa, Dominican (1311): In Florence he sometimes preached
five times a day, in the churches, and in the open air. Often he would
begin to discuss one subject in the morning in one church, continue it at
noon, in another, and finish it in the evening in a third, with the
Florentines following him from church to church.
* Colette, Poor Clare (1447): Reformer of the Poor Clares. Altogether she
founded seventeen new convents, besides reforming numerous old ones, and
several houses of Franciscan friars accepted her reform.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
George Ferzoco tel ++ 44 (0)116 252 2654
Director of Studies for Italian fax ++ 44 (0)116 252 3633
University of Leicester e-mail [log in to unmask]
School of Modern Languages
LEICESTER LE1 7RH UNITED KINGDOM
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