medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture

Today (21. October) is the feast day of:

Ursula and 11,000 virgins (d. 3rd or 4th cent.)  The passio of Ursula is
mostly legendary, with possibly a historical core.  Ursula was probably a
Christian who was martyred in Cologne.  In legend, she became the daughter
of an English king, raised as a Christian.  When a pagan prince wanted to
marry her, she declared that she had vowed herself to chastity.  To avoid a
war between the two royal houses, Ursula convinced her suitor to wait for
three years, after which she and 11,000 (!) female companions set sail,
eventually going up the Rhine to Cologne.  There all 11,001 of them were
killed by the pagans who were besieging the city.  At first a local cult,
veneration of Ursula began in the tenth century to spread widely, reaching
a high point in the fifteenth century.

Hilarion of Gaza (d. c. 370)  Hilarion of Gaza is credited as the founder
of monasticism in Palestine.  He founded the monastery of Gaza in 330.
Since he was famed as a miracle-worker, more and more people sought out
Hilarion, until he finally fled, going to Sicily and Dalmatia, and finally
to Cyprus (where he died).  A strong cult developed in the east immediately
after Hilarion's death, which eventually spread to Italy and France.

Malchos (d. c. 385)  St. Jerome, who knew Malchos well, wrote an account of
his life in c. 390.  Malchos was a native of Nisibis (Syria).  To avoid
marriage he fled from his parents' house and lived for about 20 years as a
hermit in the desert.  Saracens took him captive and forced him to marry a
Christian slave.  Both were able to flee, and Malchus returned to the
desert.

Viator of Lyons (d. between 382 and 390)  Viator, a lector, was the
companion of Bishop Justus of Lyons.  Viator accompanied his bishop when
Justus abandoned his office and fled to the Egyptian Thebaid.  Viator is
supposed to have died only a few days after Justus.  Viator's relics were
returned with those of Justus to Lyons, where a cult had developed by the
seventh century.

Wulflaik (Wulfilaic) (d. c. 600)  Wulfilaic was a hermit in Gaul, who
sought to imitate the great stylite saints of the east; he is the only
pillar-sitting saint attested in the west.  He was ordered by a bishop to
descend from his pillar, after which Wulfilaic formed a monastic community
around this hermitage (the later St-Walfroy).

Fintan Munnu (d. 635)  The Irish Fintan was trained as a monk by Comgall of
Bangor, then went on to join Columcille at Iona.  He arrived just after
Columcille had died; C's successor would not let Fintan join the community,
since he was destined to be an abbot himself, rather than subordinated to
any abbot.  So Fintan returned to Ireland, where he founded the monastery
of Taghmon (Wexford).  He is said to have been afflicted with a skin
disease (leprosy?), with which he had prayed to be afflicted.

Pietro de Tiferno (blessed) (d. 1445)  Pietro was born in 1390 in Tiferno
(now Citta di Castello, Italy), and in 1411 entered the Dominican order.
He became one of the greatest preachers of Italy, and was famous as the
"preacher of death" (he always carried a skull in his hands).  He was also
a reformer of his own order.  Pietro was canonized in 1816.

Dr. Phyllis G. Jestice
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