All Saints’ Day: 5 (cool and) bizarre saints
The ever-popular holiday Halloween falls every year on October 31. And on November 1, there is the not-as-often remembered All Saints’ Day. While each saint has his or her own day, All Saints’ Day is meant for their collective celebration. While you’re putting away the skeletons and coming off a candy-induced sugar high, check out some of cooler saints that you may never have heard about.
Saint Caedwalla, patron saint of repented serial killers
While Caedwalla’s story is a very confusing one, it’s interesting and bizarre. Caedwalla was descended from the King of Wessex, but exiled as a young man. He returned from exile to attack the South Saxons and kill their king, taking the throne of Sussex. Despite having devastated this land and the people, he was unable to hold the throne. He then turned his attention back to the West Saxons. The House of Wight, the ruling family of this area, was picked off and killed one by one; then, Caedwalla took the throne of all of these lands. Ten days before his death, he repented and was baptized into Christianity, thus making him a repented serial killer.
Saint George, patron saint of England
St. George gets cool points from being the stereotypical knight in shining armor from fairytales. In his tale, a dragon made his nest by the river where a town got its water. To be allowed to pass and draw water, the town had to make a daily sacrifice. When sheep couldn’t be found, they were forced to sacrifice girls. One day a princess’s lot was drawn. In swooped Saint George and cut off the dragon’s head, saving the princess.
Saint Brigid, a patron saint of Ireland
While Brigid is one of the patron saints of Ireland, as well as many groups ranging from blacksmiths to children born into abusive unions, she has a more interesting story. Brigid was supposedly quite the beer-loving gal. While she was working in a leper colony, they ran out of beer. Because beer was a source of nourishment, the nun changed the bath water into beer. Tradition also says that she provided beer to area churches for the entirety of Lent from one keg in her convent. A prayer attributed to the saint begins “I’d like to give a lake of beer to God…”
Saint Lucy, patron saint of the blind
St. Lucy has two different stories attributed to her, both of which are pretty gutsy. In the first one, Lucy turns down her pagan would-be groom because she has consecrated herself to God. In anger, the spited man turns her into the ruling government, which was very anti-Christian, as a Christian. She is arrested and sentenced to be defiled in a brothel. When the guards came to take her away, her body was said to have been so filled with the Holy Spirit that the guards actually could not budge her. They even hitched her to a team of oxen and she was still too stuff and heavy to be moved. In the other story, her would-be hubby admired the beauty of her eyes. In response, she tore them out and gave them to him so she could live with God.
Saint Brendan the Navigator, patron saint of whales
St. Brendan’s story is a legendary sea voyage. With a group of monks, Brendan set off from Ireland on the Atlantic Ocean in search of the Garden of Eden. After seven years, they are said to have reached the Isle of the Blessed. The actual written tale contains fantastical accounts of the places Brendan’s ship visits on the way to the Isle. Among the places they find are an island of monks with magic loaves of bread where no one ages and there is complete silence, an island with three groups of singing monks who have fruit, and an island that, when they light fire on it, they discover is actually a whale.
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