Part of the problem must be that saints are venerated as collectivities - in Wales, for example, according to poetic tradition there were 20,000 saints buried on Ynys Enlli (Bardsey) and another 5,000 on Ramsey.
And do you count Ursula's 10,000?

Maddy

Dr Madeleine Gray PhD, FRHistS

Reader in History/ Darllenydd mewn Hanes

School of Humanities and Lifelong Learning /Ysgol Ddyniaethau a Dysgu Gydol Oes

University of South Wales/Prifysgol De Cymru

Caerleon Campus/Campws Caerllion,

Newport/Casnewydd NP18 3QT Tel: +44 (0)1633.432675

'Small wonder politicians no longer read history. It would give them nightmares.' (Simon Jenkins)

From: medieval-religion - Scholarly discussions of medieval religious culture [[log in to unmask]] on behalf of John Shinners [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 01 July 2013 03:49
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [M-R] Saintly "guesstimate"

medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture

Though it could only be impressionistic, I wonder if anyone had ever seen an estimate of the total number of saints venerated in the Middle Ages? If not, where would be a good place to start counting?

Thanks,
John

John Shinners
Professor, Schlesinger Chair in Humanistic Studies
Saint Mary's College
Notre Dame, Indiana 46556
Phone: 574-284-4494 or 574-284-4534
Fax: 284-4855
www.saintmarys.edu/~hust

"Learn everything. Later you will see that nothing is superfluous." -- Hugh of St. Victor (d. 1141)

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