medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Today (16. August) is the feast day of:
Armel (aka Ermel, Ermyn) (d. c. 552) Legend reports that Armel was born in
southern Wales and was a cousin of Sts. Samson and Cadfan. He became a
monk, and then emigrated to Brittany with a large contingent of relatives.
There he founded the monasteries of Plouarmel and Ploermel.
Stephen (Istvan) of Hungary (d. 1038) Stephen succeeded his father as
ruler of the Magyars in 997. He worked throughout his long reign to
strengthen his own authority and to establish Christianity as the religion
of his land---two goals that worked well together. Pope Silvester II gave
him the title of king (crowned 1001). Stephen established a series of
dioceses and monasteries while at the same time creating a single kingdom
of the Magyars. Miracles were proclaimed at S's tomb and his relics were
formally enshrined at Buda in 1083.
Lawrence Loricatus (d. 1243) Lawrence was born in Facciolo (Italy). While
still young, he killed a man accidentally. To expiate, L. made a
pilgrimage to Compostella and then became a hermit at Subiaco. He gathered
a small community that lived in strict poverty and austerity, L. himself
wearing a chain mail hauberk next to his skin (thus the nickname
"loricatus"), until Cardinal Hugolino persuaded him to take it off in 1224.
Pope Innocent IV investigated Lawrence's life and decided not to canonize,
but the popular cult that flourished in the area was finally formalized in
1778.
Uguzo of Carvagna (?) It is not known when Uguzo lived, but his cult is
first attested in Milan in 1280. Uguzo was a shepherd who worked in the
Italian Alps. Despite his own poverty, he gave all of his surplus to the
poor and churches. Legend reports that he was killed by a former employer
who was envious of Uguzo's virtue.
Roch (Rocco, Rock) (d. c. 1380) Roch was born at Montpellier in c. 1350 to
a rich merchant family. He became a hermit, making many pilgrimages.
While in Piacenza, R. came down with the plague. A dog brought him food in
the woods. After that, R. was credited with curing people of the plague,
and his cult as patron of the plague-stricken spread quickly. (I know that
it's too late for this list, but it's interesting that Roch found a new
disease to heal in the nineteenth century---cholera---so his cult revived.)
Dr. Phyllis G. Jestice
[log in to unmask]
**********************************************************************
To join the list, send the message: join medieval-religion YOUR NAME
to: [log in to unmask]
To send a message to the list, address it to:
[log in to unmask]
To leave the list, send the message: leave medieval-religion
to: [log in to unmask]
In order to report problems or to contact the list's owners, write to:
[log in to unmask]
For further information, visit our web site:
http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/medieval-religion.html
|