medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Today (3. March) is the feast day of:
Nonna (d. c. 540) The mother of David of Wales. Legend tells that
Nonna (Non) was a noble (and very beautiful) young woman in the
convent at Ty Gwyn. A local chieftain, Sant, raped her, and the
result was David. Another legend tells that N was married to Sant.
A number of place names attest to N's popularity in Cornwall and
Brittany
Winwaloe (6th cent.) Winwaloe (Guenole) was a Breton saint. Legend
tells that he became a hermit on a coastal island, then settled with
a group of monks on another island. It was a very exposed location,
though, and after sticking it out for three years they migrated to
the mainland, where W. founded the monastery of Landevennec. W. is
shown in art with a goose. This is probably in reference to a rather
odd miracle: his sister had an eye plucked out by a goose. W.
ordered the goose to cough up the eye, which it did. Then W.
replaced it in its socket.
Kunigunde (d. 1039) Kunigunde of Luxembourg married Duke Henry of
Bavaria, who succeeded Otto III as Emperor Henry II. K. is
commemorated as a virgin, but there seems to be no basis to the
legend that K. and H. took a vow of chastity on their wedding day.K.
joined with H. in founding the diocese of Bamberg and the monastery
of Kaufungen. When widowed, she devoted herself completely to the
religious life. She was canonized in 1200.
Gervinus (d. 1075) Gervinus was a canon of Rheims who gave up his
comfortable life to become a monk at St-Vanne, Verdun, from which he
moved on to be abbot of St-Riquier. G. was famous for his holiness,
to which he added an interesting twist by contracting leprosy (or at
least what was called leprosy). He suffered for four years, then
died. When his body was washed, all trace of the leprosy had
vanished.
Peter Geremia (blessed) (d. 1452) Peter was a native of Palermo who
studied law at Bologna. But a vision persuaded him to give up law
and get religion. He became a Dominican and yet another of those
wonderful fifteenth-century preachers. PG was commissioned by the
pope to reform the Sicilian clergy, became prior of St. Zita's, and
had a reputation for mildness and general holiness.
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