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medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture Yes, when I say sensible, nine at one time doesn't seem too likely. However, the couple could have had a total of nine girls and the last could have been twins or triplets. And of the nine named, at least one is in the martyrology. Undoubtedly, through the years legendary aspects would have creeped in. Just as the beard stuff got in during, I think, the 16th century. Basically, the Mexican story runs like this: The royal couple - he was the head of that part of Spain - and they are named. There was the multiple birth and the mother (not the dad like in the beard stuff) was afraid the ultiple birth would be taken by her husband as a sign of infidelity and told the maid to go and drown the babies. The maid was a Christian, so instead of drowning them she baptized them and she and pious families raised them. They got a reputation for being very pious and good girls. When the persecution order came down, dad was in charge of enforcement and since the girls had gained the reputation for virtue they were called before him. He asked who they wre and they replied they were daughters of Christ by choice and his daughters by blood. He acknowledged them when the mother confessed what she had done. They refused to honor the idols saying they had vowed themselves to Christ. He then offered to put them into the temple of some goddess where they could remain virgins but they refused. Not wanting to put his own blood to death, he arranged for their escape from jail and for a while they hid out and/or fled. Eventually all, and the maid, were caught and martyred in different places. I think that they wre all beheaded but in different places. Supposedly, Librada was martyred right there in Spain and her remains were put in that church and the big miracle is that her relics were not harmed through the years in spite of all the ups and downs Spain went through. During the 60s when a lot of the saints were taken off the universal calendar, they remained in the martyrology. Christopher is a good example. In the martyrology, his entry is short, just saying that he was a martyr of an unknown time. One of the 9 girls is in the new martyrology. I don't have an old one. If anyone has an old one perhaps they would kindly check to see if Librada is there. She must be considered at least quasi-legit as a martyr somewhere or else they wouldn't still be sending pieces of her to Panama! Why would Andre think Julia was the same? The background seems to be the mythem of the "Nine Twin Sisters": Quiteria, Eumelia or Euphemia, Liberata or Virgeforte, Gema or Marinha or Margarida, Genebra, Germana, Basilissa, Marica and Vitoria. Is Julia from Corsica the same as Liberata ? I suppose "pretty sensible" depends on how plausible you think nonuplets are! It sounds as if some of the totally fictitious elements are still inextricably entwined. It is St Wilgefortis who was bearded and crucified. She is known in Spanish as Santa Librada, whereas "this" St Liberata is one of the sisters of St Marina of Aguas Santas, who in turn seems to have taken on some of the elements of St Margaret of Antioch - not to mention the Portuguese St Quiteria. ************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com. ********************************************************************** 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