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Although my examples are not precisely abortions, they have the same effect (a pregnant woman becomes thin again, with no child in sight) after miraculous delivery by saints. I will be happy to forward references to Maeve (or other interested) in exchange for precise refs. to these Irish examples. Meg > No claims to being an expert, but . . . > Shortly before his birth, a prophetess declared that if he were born at > dawn, he would be great before God and humanity, in heaven and on earth. > His mother decided "Vere, nisi per latera mea venerit, non egredietur ex > utero meo, donec illa hora veniet." So she sat on a rock, hoping to delay > the delivery until the right time. Sure enough, he was born at dawn while > his mother was still sitting on the rock, too worn out to move. His head > indented the rock, forming a bullaun, a concave rock holding holy water, > believed to have exceptional healing powers due to its connection with the > saint's birth. A virtually identical story is told of Déclán, and bullauns > figure in other saints' Lives. > One of the things that interests me the most about Áed mac Bricc is his > connection with a miraculous non-birth, his performance of a miraculous (for > want of a better word) "abortion," an ability he shares with three other > Irish saints (Ciarán of Saigir, Cainnech of Achadh Bó, and Brigid), a > miracle that to my knowledge is unique to these four Irish saints. His Life > in the Codex Salmanticensis relates that when he visited a community of > nuns, he noticed that the womb of one of the consecrated virgins serving him > "grew quickly without food, as if it might flee from that place. Then she > confessed before all that she had sinned secretly and she did penance. St. > Áed blessed her womb, and at once the baby (infans) in her womb disappeared > as if it did not exist." (cito surrexit ille sine cibo, ut ab isto fugeret. > Tunc illa coram omnibus confessa est quod occulte peccasset et penitentiam > egit. Sanctus autem Aidus benedixit uterum eius, et statim infans in utero > eius evanuit quasi non esset.) The vita in the Codex Kilkenniensis retains > the story but omits reference to the disappearing fetus, and even the > version told in his Life in the CS is far milder than that told of Ciarán, > who "cured" the pregnancy of a nun who had been abducted by a neighboring > king; "When the man of God returned to the monastery with the girl, she > confessed that she was pregnant. Then the man of God, led by the zeal of > justice, not wishing the serpent's seed to quicken, pressed down on her womb > with the sign of the cross and forced her womb empty." (Reverente vero vir > Dei cum puella ad monasterium, confessa est puella se conceptum habere in > utero. Tunc vir Dei, zelo iustitie ductus, viperium semen animari nolens, > impresso ventri eius signo crucis, fecit illud exinaniri.) These Irish > legends are similar to the tale of the Nun of Watton, but there we have > miraculous childbirth, here miraculous "abortion." Does anyone know of > similar miracles told of other saints? > Maeve > At 02:31 PM 11/11/99 -0400, you wrote: > > > >Can any of the Irish experts out there provide details of the > >miraculous birth? > >Meg > > > >> * Aedh Mac Bricc, bishop (589) > >> - after a miraculous birth, he worked with his father's pigs until > >> meeting saints Brendan of Birr and Canice, then Illathan > >> - worked many extravagant miracles, including transporting himself > >> through the air > > > >> * Justus, archbishop of Canterbury (c. 627) > >> - accompanied Augustine of Canterbury in England; first bishop of > >> Rochester; before his death he consecrated St Paulinus > > > >> * * * * * * * * * * > >> Dr Carolyn Muessig > >> Department of Theology and Religious Studies > >> University of Bristol > >> Bristol BS8 1TB > >> UK > >> phone: +44(0)117-928-8168 > >> fax: +44(0)117-929-7850 > >> e-mail: [log in to unmask] > > > > > >Margaret Cormack [log in to unmask] > >Dept. of Philosophy and Religion fax: 843-953-6388 > >College of Charleston tel: 843-953-8033 > >Charleston, SC 29424-0001 > > > > Margaret Cormack [log in to unmask] Dept. of Philosophy and Religion fax: 843-953-6388 College of Charleston tel: 843-953-8033 Charleston, SC 29424-0001 %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%