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Subject: Rejected [non-member submission] Re: Saint Barbara
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As I remember when I worked in Austria St. Barbara statues were always found
in mines and often even areas of the mine were named after her such as
Barbarastollen in the Mitterberg. (I believe the Germans follow the same
practice)
I think Barbara was the daughter of a fierce pagan and lived in Asia Minor.
Because she was so beautiful he banished her to solitary confinement in a high
tower. She then converted to christianity and her won father chopped her head
off (I think... but I may be getting mixed up here as that sounds too brutal).
Anyway, her father then got struck down by God for either chopping her head
off or ordering it.
I think St. Barbara is the patron saint of those who may be struck down i.e.
unforeseen accidents etc. so miners were particularly keen to have her on their
side. (I also remember been told that soldiers are also fond of her. This was
by an Austrian so I presume he meant German soldiers during the last war. I
wonder whether St. Barbara is exclusively a Germanic thing, or whether miners
in Britain and elsewhere respect her)
I was always glad that my Ph.D. supervisor was called Barbara (who was also
German); although never banished to a tower she was good at helping when you
had been struck down.
Gluck auf!
roger
M Breakspear wrote:
> I am new to this group so a few words to introduce myself. I am a retired
> civil engineer and a member of a number of caving and mining societies. I
> live close to the freestone underground quarries at Box in Wiltshire UK and
> have some knowledge of them.
> I have just returned from a rainy holiday in Alsace and was lucky enough to
> be invited to spend a working day in Schauinsland mine over the border in
> The Black Forest. In a niche at the top of one of the shafts was an efigy
> of Saint Barbara who, I was told, is the patron saint of miners in that
> area.
> Does anyone know the history of Saint Barbara and if she has that role in
> other countries? Mike Breakspear
