BLOODSTONE MEDALLION, SHOWING THE SANTA CASA OF LORETO CARRIED BY ANGELS TO DALMATIA FROM GALILEE

A strange legend of angelic activity is that touching the miraculous transportation through the air (from Galilee to Dalmatia) of the “Santa Casa,” the house wherein the Virgin Mary dwelt. This event is placed in 1295, and the reverse of an Italian medallion engraved in 1508, during the pontificate of Julius II, gives a representation of the journey to Dalmatia, two angels sufficing to bear the little edifice. The sea, over which the house is being borne, is conventionally indicated by waves, but the fact that the medallist has seen fit to show a relatively large figure of the Virgin seated on the roof of the little structure and holding the Infant Jesus in her arms, scarcely adds to the realism of the effect.

Quite naturally Catholicism could not be satisfied with the pagan idea that the constellations held sway over the different parts of the human body, and the saints were substituted for the stars.

The saints of the Romanists have usurped the place of the zodiacal constellations in their government of the parts of man’s body, and so for every limbe they have a saint. Thus, St. Otilia keepes the head instead of Aries; St. Blasius is appointed to govern the necke instead of Taurus; St. Lawrence keepes the backe and shoulders instead of Gemini, Cancer and Leo; St. Erasmus rules the belly with the entrayls, in the place of Libra and Scorpius; in the stead of Sagittarius, Capricornus, Aquarius and Pisces, the holy church of Rome hath elected St. Burgarde, St. Rochus, St. Quirinius, St. John, and many others, which govern the thighes, feet, shinnes and knees.[505]

When we consider how many beautiful and symbolic rites and observances have marked the celebration of saint’s days and holidays in the Old World, and how few of these have been preserved by the inhabitants of our own country, we must find this most regrettable. Of late years there has been a marked tendency to increase the number of holidays, and in a few cases to revive the celebration of old holidays, but the popular idea of the best way to celebrate these occasions seems to be confined to making them carnivals of noise and disorder. This is largely owing to a lack of intelligent guidance, for it is too much to expect that any people, above all those so practical as our American people, can spontaneously evolve, at short notice, an emblematic expression of the idea underlying the festival. If, however, a beautiful and adequate symbolism were presented in a concrete form, the masses of the people would grasp its significance quickly enough, and would thus gain a higher and better conception of the historic anniversary or the time-honored festival they were called upon to celebrate.

The saint’s days on which the summer and winter solstices fell were memorized by distichs. For instance:

St. Barnaby bright! St. Barnaby bright!
The longest day and the shortest night.
St. Thomas gray! St. Thomas gray!
The longest night and the shortest day.

The former of the verses is probably the earlier, as St. Barnabas’ Day is June 11, the day on which the summer solstice fell in England for some time before the reform of the “Old Style” calendar, in 1752, replaced this date; while St. Thomas’ Day is December 21, the date of the winter solstice in our modern calendar.[506]

Writing of the origin of the rural superstitions in regard to the weather on certain saint’s days, Wehrenfels quotes the distich:

If Paul’s Day be fair and clear
It foreshows an happy Year.

and continues:

The contrary has happened a thousand Times, but however this cannot destroy the Rule. It once happened; certainly, say they, these Rules of the Husbandmen are not to be despised; see how exactly they are made good by Experience. Thus a great Part of Mankind reasons; which if one consider, he will neither depend much upon the Content of the common People in these Things, nor wonder at so great a Number of most silly Opinions.[507]

VERSES ON SAINTS’ DAYS AT VARIOUS SEASONS OF THE YEAR.[508]

January 25. Saint Paul’s Day:

If the clouds make dark the sky,
Great store of people then will die;
If there be either snow or rain,
Then will be dear all kinds of grain.
(Robin Forby, “Vocabulary of East Anglia,” London, 1830.)

Somewhat different in a Latin form:

Clara dies Pauli multas segetes nitant amni,
Si fuerint nebulæ, aut venti, erunt proelia genti.

February 2. Candlemas Day:

If Candlemas day be fair and bright,
Winter will have another flight;
If on Candlemas day it be shower and rain,
Winter is gone and will not come again.
(John Ray, “A Collection of English Proverbs,” 2d ed., Cambridge, 1678.)

February 12. St. Eulalia’s Day:

If the sun shines on St. Eulalie’s day,
It is good for apples and cider they say.

February 14. St. Valentine’s Day:

On St. Valentine’s day
Cast beans in clay
But on St. Chad
Sow good or bad.
(Seed time of this Lenten crop limited between February 14 and March 2.)

February 24. St. Matthias’ Day:

Saint Matthew (Sept. 21)
Get candlesticks new;
St. Mattheg
Lay candlesticks by.

March 1. St. David’s Day:

Quoth Saint David, “I’ll have a flood.”
Saith our Lady [Mch. 25] “I’ll have as good.”
(Referring to spring tides in Wales, from Poor Robin’s Almanack, 1684.)

June 15. St. Vitus’ Day:

If Saint Vitus’ day be rainy weather,
It will rain for thirty days together.
(M. A. Denham, “Proverbs and Popular Sayings Relating to the Seasons,” Percy Soc., 1846.)

July 15. St. Swithin’s Day:

St. Swithin’s day, if thou dost rain,
For forty days it will remain;
St. Swithin’s day, if thou be fair,
For forty days t’will rain nae mair.
(M. A. Denham, “Proverbs and Popular Sayings Relating to the Seasons,” Percy Soc., 1846.)
July 15: All the tears that St. Swithin can cry
Aug. 24: Saint Bartholomew’s dusty mantle wipes dry.
(R. Inwards, “Weather Lore,” London, 1893.)

July 20. St. Margaret’s Day:

“Margaret’s floods” (heavy rains).

July 25. St. James’ Day:

“Whoever eats oysters on St. James’ day will never want money.”
(M. A. Denham, “Proverbs and Popular Sayings Relating to the Seasons,” Percy Soc., 1846.)

August 24. St. Bartholomew’s Day:

St. Bartholomew
Brings cold dew.
(John Ray, “A Collection of English Proverbs,” 2d ed., Cambridge, 1678.)

October 28. St. Simon and St. Jude:

Simon and Jude
All the ships on the sea home they do crowd.
Dost thou know her then?
Trap. As well as I know ’twill rain upon
Simon and Jude’s day next.
(Middleton, “The Roaring Girl,” Act 5, Sc. 1.)
Now a continual Simon and Jude’s rain beat all your feathers as flat down as pancakes!
(Idem, Act II, Sc. 1.)

November 11. St. Martin’s Day:

Expect St. Martin’s summer, halcyon days.
(Shakespeare, “I Henry VI,” Act 1, Sc. 2.)

December 13. St. Lucy’s Day:

Lucy [bright] light
The shortest day and the longest night
(For a long time, before the change of the calendar, St. Lucy’s Day corresponded to our 21st of December.)

December 21. St. Thomas’ Day:

St. Thomas gray, St. Thomas gray
The longest night and the shortest day.

December 27. St. John the Evangelist’s Day:

Never rued the man
That lead in his fuel before St. John.
(Robin Forby, “Vocabulary of East Anglia,” London, 1830.)

Additional verses on Candlemas Day (Purification of the Blessed Virgin):

If the sun shines bright on Candlemas Day,
The half of the winter’s not yet away.

In Latin:

Si sol splendescat Maria purificante,
Major erit glacies post festum quam ante.

SAINTS’ DAYS

Adrian. September 8. As also of his wife, Natalia. Anniversary of translation of his relics to Rome; anciently his festival on day of his martyrdom, March 4, 306. Patron of soldiers in Flanders, Germany, and northern France; also against the plague. Relics in Abbey of St. Adrian, Gearsburg, Belgium; and elsewhere.

Afra. August 5. Especially celebrated in Augsburg, of which city (her native one) she is patroness. Martyred Aug. 7, 304.

Agatha. February 5. Patroness of Malta, and Catania, Sicily. Died February 5, 251.

Agnes. January 21. Supposed anniversary of martyrdom in 304.

Alban. June 22. First English saint and martyr, died June 22, 303. Present town of St. Albans upon site of martyrdom.

Amable. June 11. Patron of Riom, France. Died 475.

Ambrose. December 7. Patron of Milan. Died April 4, 397. Founder of church, now Sant’ Ambrogio basilica Maggiore, Milan, in 387. One of four Latin Fathers.

Andrew. November 30. Apostle, patron of Scotland and Russia.

Anne. July 26. Supposed anniversary of her death. Mother of the Virgin Mary. Patroness of Canada.

Anselm. April 21. Archbishop of Canterbury (1033–1109).

Anthony. January 17. Hermit (251–356).

Anthony of Padua. June 13. Died June 13, 1231.

Apollonia. February 9. Martyred February 9, 250. Patroness of those suffering from toothache.

Athanasius. May 2. One of four Greek Fathers. Died May 2, 373.

Augustine. August 28. Died 430. Patron of theologians and learning. Bishop of Hippo in Africa. One of four Latin Fathers.

Augustine. May 26. Apostle to England in 596. Died May 26, 604.

Babylas. September 1 (14) in Eastern Church; January 24 in Western Church (237–250). Bishop of Antioch. Relics said to have silenced the revived oracle of Apollo at Delphi, during reign of Julian the Apostate.

Barbara. December 4. Patroness of Ferrara, Mantua and Guastalla, Italy, and of armourers and gunsmiths. Died December 4, 235 (?).

Barnabas. June 11. His birthday. One of the patrons of Milan. Apostle.

Bartholomew. August 24. Apostle.

Basil the Great. January 1, Eastern Church; June 14, Western Church (328–380).

Bathilda. January 30 in France; January 26 in Roman Martyrology (died ca. 680).

Bayo or Bavon. October 1. Patron of Ghent (589–653).

Benedict. March 21. Founder of Benedictine Order (480–543).

Bernard of Clairvaux. August 20. Founder of Abbey of Clairvaux, one of the Fathers of the Church (1091–1153).

Bernard of Menthon. June 15. Founder of hospices in the Alps, “Great St. Bernard” and “Little St. Bernard” (923–1008?).

Blaise. February 3. Patron of Ragusa, and of those afflicted with throat diseases. Bishop of Sebaste, Cappadocia (died 316).

Boniface. June 5. Apostle of Germany (680–755).

Bridget or Bride. February 1. Patroness of Ireland (450–521).

Bruno. October 6. Founder of Carthusian Order (1035–1101).

Catherine. November 25. Patroness of Venice and appealed to against diseases of the tongue.

Catherine of Siena. Patroness of Siena; lived in fourteenth century.

Cecilia. November 22. Patroness of sacred music (died 100).

Clement. November 23. Patron of farriers and blacksmiths (died 100).

Columban. November 21. Irish saint (543–615).

Crispin and Crispinian. October 25. Patrons of shoemakers (died 284).

Cuthbert. March 20. Patron saint of Durham, England (died 687).

David. March 1. Patron saint of Wales (446–549).

Declan. July 24. First bishop of Ardmore, Ireland.

Denis. October 9. Patron of France. Living in 250.

Domenic. August 4. Founder of Dominican Order (1170–1221).

Edmund. November 20. King of East Anglia and martyr (died 870).

Edward. March 18. King of England and martyr (962–978).

Edward the Confessor. October 13. King of England (1004–1066).

Elizabeth of Hungary. November 19. Daughter of Alexander II, King of Hungary (1207–1231).

Elmo (Erasmus). June 2 (died 304).

Eloy (Eligius). December 1. Patron of goldsmiths (588–659).

Emeric. November 4. Eldest son of St. Stephen of Hungary.

Engracia.

Eric (or Henry). May 18. Patron of Sweden (died 1151).

Ethelreda (Audrey). October 17. Princess of East Anglia (died 679).

Euphemia. September 16. Patroness of Chalcedon (died ca. 307).

Felicitas. November 23. Patroness of male heirs (died 173).

Fillan. January 9. Scotch saint (died ca. 649).

Filomena (Filumina, Philomena). August 10. Supposititious saint.

Francis of Assisi. October 4. Founder of Franciscan Order (1182–1226).

Francis Xavier. December 3. Patron and Apostle of India (1506–1552).

Frideswide. October 19. Patroness of city and university of Oxford, daughter of Sidan, Prince of Oxford (died ca. 740).

Genevieve. January 3. Patroness of Paris.

George. April 23. Patron of England, of Germany and Venice, of soldiers and armourers (born third century).

Giles. September 1. Patron of Edinburgh (ca. 640–).

Gregory the Great. March 12 (born 540).

Gudula. January 8. Patron of Brussels (born middle of seventh century).

Helena. August 18. Wife of Constantius, mother of Constantine the Great (died 328).

Henry of Bavaria. July 15. Patron of Bavaria. Emperor (Henry II) of Germany (972–1024).

Hilary. January 14 (died 368).

Honoratus. Bishop of Arles. Died January 6, 429.

Honoratus (Honoré). May 16. Patron of bakers. Bishop of Amiens. (Died 690.)

Hubert of Liege. November 3. Patron of the chase and of dogs (died 727).

Ignatius Loyola. July 3. Founder of Jesuit Order (1491–1556).

Isidore the Ploughman (Isidro el Labrador). May 15. Patron of Madrid and of farmers (born ca. 1110–1170).

James the Great. July 25. Apostle; patron of Spain and of pilgrims to Jerusalem (died 42).

Januarius. September 19. Patron of Naples (died 305).

Jerome. September 30. Patron of scholars. One of the four Latin Fathers (342–420).

John the Baptist. June 24, or Midsummer Day.

John the Evangelist. December 27 (died 101).

Joseph. March 19.

Julian Hospitator. January 9. Patron of hospitals (died 313).

Justina of Padua. October 7. One of the patrons of Padua and Venice (died 303).

Kenelm. December 13 and July 17. Son of Kenulph, King of Murcia (812–820).

Keyne (Keyna). Cornish saint (died 689).

Kilian. July 8. Irish saint (died 689).

Lawrence. August 10. Patron of Nuremberg, Genoa, and of the Escorial.

Leonhardt. November 6. Patron of prisoners and slaves; in Bavaria, of cattle (died ca. 560).

Lucy (Lucia). December 13. Patron of Syracuse, and against eye-diseases.

Ludmilla. September 16. Patron of Bohemia. Queen of that country (died ca. 920).

Luke. October 18. Patron of painters.

Macaire the Elder. January 15. (Fourth century.)

Macaire the Younger. January 2. (Fourth century.)

Malo (Maclou). November 15. Patron of St. Malo, France (died 627).

Margaret. July 20. One of the patrons of Cremona and of women in childbirth (died fourth century).

Mark. April 25. Evangelist (died 68).

Martha of Bethany. July 29. Patroness of cooks and housewives (died 84).

Martin of Tours. November 11, Martinmas. Patron of Tours and of beggars, tavern-keepers and wine-growers (316–397).

Mary Magdalene. July 22. Patroness of Provence and of Marseilles as well as of penitent fallen women.

Matthias. February 24.

Maurice. September 22. Patron of Austria, Savoy, Mantua, and of foot-soldiers (fourth century).

Michael. September 29. Archangel.

Nicholas. December 6. Archbishop of Myra in Lycia, patron of Russia, and especially of serfs and serfdom (died 342).

Olaf. July 29. Patron of Norway. Not canonized but informally accepted.

Ouen (Ouine). August 24. Patron of Rouen (595–683).

Pantaleone. June 27. Patron of physicians (fourth century).

Patrick. March 17. Patron of Ireland (born ca. 386).

Paul. June 29 (with St. Peter), and January 25.

Peter. June 29; also August 1, St. Peter’s Chains, and January 18, Chair of St. Peter.

Philip. May 1. Patron of Brabant and Luxemburg.

Philip Neri. May 26. Founder of Oratorian Order (1515–1595).

Polycarp. January 26. Bishop of Smyrna (died 167).

Quietus. (No day.) Bones in church of Our Lady of Grau, Hoboken, enshrined June 1, 1856, Archbishop Bailey officiating.

Roche (Roch, Roque). August 16. Patron of prisoners and the sick, especially the plague-stricken (born ca. 1280–1327).

Romain. October 23. Patron of Rouen (died 639).

Romuald. February 7 (956–1027).

Rosalia. September 4. Patroness of Palermo (died 1160).

Rumald (Rumbald). November 3. Patron of Brackley and Buckingham, England. Son of King of Northumbria.

Scholastica. February 10. Sister of St. Benedict (died ca. 543).

Sebald. Son of a Danish king (eighth century).

Sebastian. January 20. Patron of Chiemsee, Mannheim, Oetting, Palma, Rome, Soissons, and of archers (fourth century).

Secundus. March 30. Patron of Asti (died 119).

Stephen. December 26. Patron of horses.

Swithin (Swithun). July 15. Patron of Winchester (died 862).

Symphorosa. July 18. Only in Greek Church. A Jewish martyr, the mother of the Maccabees (second century B.C.).

Theresa. October 15. Patron of Spain (1515–1582).

Thomas à Becket. July 7 (1117–1170).

Thomas Didymus. December 21. Apostle, patron of Portugal and Palma.

Urban. May 25. Pope and martyr (died 236).

Ursula. October 21. Patroness of young girls, and of educational institutions (died 383).

Valentine. February 14 (first century).

Veronica. Shrove Tuesday (first century).

Victor. Patron of Marseilles (fourth century).

Vincent. January 22. Patron of Lisbon, Valencia, Saragossa, Milan, and Châlons.

Vincent de Paul. July 19. Founder of Order of the Sisters of Charity.

Vitus. June 15. Patron of Bohemia, Saxony, Sicily, and of dancers and actors (third century).

Walburga. February 25 (died ca. 778).

William. January 10. Patron of Bruges (died 1209).

Winifred. November 3. British maiden of seventh century.