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medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture Today (still for a little bit---8. November) is the feast day of: Four Crowned Martyrs (early 4th cent.) Not one but two groups of early Roman martyrs are known as the "4 Crowned Martyrs" and venerated on this day---one group of five Persian stonemasons, the other of four Roman soldiers. Perhaps the more authentic is the tale of the Persians Claudius, Nicostratus, Simpronian, and Castorius (the fifth of the group, Simplicius, became a Christian because he thought the carving of the others must be divinely inspired). They were killed by drowning during Diocletian's persecution, and a basilica on the Celian Hill is dedicated to them. Willehad of Bremen (d. 789) Willehad was born in Northumbria in c. 745 and came to Frisia in c. 770 as a missionary. He also evangelized in Saxony (and had to flee for his life in the Saxon rising of 782). In 787 Willehad was consecrated as a missionary bishop, and chose Bremen as his seat. Gottfried of Amiens (d. 1115) Gottfried was born near Soissons in 1065. He became a priest and abbot of Nogent, and 1104 was made bishop of Amiens. He was a careful and dedicated bishop, but in 1114 fled his office and entered the monastery of Grande Chartreuse (the mother house of the Carthusian order). He was forced to return to his see, but died shortly afterward. He is sometimes depicted in art with a dead hound at his feet; according to legend, enemies tried to poison Gottfried, but the hound ate the food in his place. Johannes Duns Scotus (blessed) (d. 1308) JDS was one of the great theologians of the Middle Ages, an was named "theologian of love." After a very long and difficult process (which seems to have been active for centuries) he was beatified in 1993. Johannes was born in c. 1265 in southwest Scotland. At the age of fourteen he became a Franciscan friar. After studying at the University of Paris he taught at Cambridge, Oxford, and Paris. He was exiled from France because he supported Pope Boniface VIII against Philip the Fair of France, but was able to return to teaching in Paris after a year. In 1307 he was driven out again by political dissent and moved to Cologne, where he died the next year. Johannes is perhaps most famous for his championship of the immaculate conception of the BVM. 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