medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
A quick note: I'll be off in Munich at the MGH for the next couple of weeks
(if anybody is in the area, I'd love an excuse for a break!). I have,
however, put together a heap of articles, and Marjorie Green has kindly
agreed to transmit them at the proper times for me (I absolutely refuse to
travel with a computer).
Today (1. August) is the feast day of:
Maccabean Martyrs (d. c. 168 BCE) These martyrs, by tradition a woman
named Hannah and her seven sons, were victims of Antiochus III Epiphanes
and his efforts to eradicate Judaism. The account of their deaths played
an important role in shaping the Christian concept of martyrdom. Which
makes it sad that their cult was restricted to local calendars in 1969.
Maybe this has something to do with the fact that when their supposed
relics were examined in the 1930s it was discovered that they were really
dog bones.
Faith, Hope, and Charity (?120) It's sad to think of all three of these
being martyred together. A rather didactic legend makes these three the
daughters of St. Wisdom (Sophia), martyred with their mother (she died of
grief at their tombs, so is commemorated separately) at Rome in Hadrian's
reign.
Cyril, Aquila, & co. (?) An interesting case of how cults could get mixed
up. cyril was apparently bishop of Tomi on the Black Sea. Somehow legend
developed that his associates in martyrdom were Peter the apostle, and the
Roman martyr Rufus, besides others. Then all of them got mis-associated
with Philadelphia (Asia Minor).
Kenneth the Lame (6th cent.) Kenneth (Cenydd) was a Welsh nobleman, a
disciple of St. Illtyd. He founded monasteries near Caerphilly and at
Llangenydd. Later, like so many Welsh saints, he moved to Brittany.
Aethelwold of Winchester (d. 984) A native of Winchester, Aethelwold spent
some time as a courtier and then became a monk at Glastonbury under
Dunstan. He went on to restore the monastery of Abingdon and then became
bishop of Winchester in 963. He was a leader of the tenth-century reform
movement in England, and according to tradition was the author of the
Regularis Concordia.
Dr. Phyllis G. Jestice
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