Today, 10 August, is the feast of ...
Laurence, martyr (258): One of the seven deacons who served the Roman
church. Martyred during the Emperor Valerian's reign. Valerian had
Laurence bound upon an iron bed and slowly roasted him to death.
According to the legends, Laurence's face appeared to be surrounded
with a beautiful light, and his body gave off a sweet smell. Having
suffered a long time, he turned to the judge and said with a cheerful
smile: "Let my body be turned, one side is broiled enough." When the
execution turned him, he said: "It is cooked enough, you may eat."
Last year Francine Nicholson added this interesting bit of info:
ΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚI've been reading with fascination about the role of St. Laurence's
feast in the sowing and harvesting of wheat in Estonia and surrounding
areas.
ΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚhttp://haldjas.folklore.ee/folklore/vol3/laur.htm
ΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚThere are harvest customs in parts of Estonia that are almost
identical to those documented in Ireland as part of Lughnasa (beginning of
harvest celebrations), traditionally taking place at the beginning of August
or thereabouts. For example, both involved rituals to protect horses and one
Estonian folktale describes how to use fire to thresh the first wheat
quickly so that bread could be made from it before sundown. This is what was
done in parts of Ireland and Scotland as part of Lughnasa.
Philomena or Philumena (date unknown): Butler states: "On May 24, 1802,
in the catacomb of St Priscilla on the Via Salaria Nova an inscribed
loculus was found, and on the following day it was carefully examined
and opened. The loculus was closed with three tiles, on which was the
following inscription: lumena paxte cum fi ... It is now generally
accepted that the tiles were put in a wrong order ... and that the
inscription should read: pax tecum Filumena. Within the loculus was
found the skeleton of a female between thirteen and fifteen years old
... Embedded in the cement was a small glass phial with vestiges of
what was taken to be blood. Accordingly, in accordance with the
knowledge of the time ... the remains were taken to be those of the
virgin martyr Philomena..."
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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]
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