Today is the feast of St Blaise. As one of the Holy Helpers, he is best known for healing a boy who swallowed a fish bone & is considered the patron saint of those with throat ailments. Little is known about Blaise’s life, but his vita claims he was a C4 doctor from Armenia. (1/n) - ThreadSky

networknorse.bsky.social • 28 days ago

Today is the feast of St Blaise. As one of the Holy Helpers, he is best known for healing a boy who swallowed a fish bone & is considered the patron saint of those with throat ailments. Little is known about Blaise’s life, but his vita claims he was a C4 doctor from Armenia. (1/n)

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networknorse.bsky.social•28 days ago

However, Blaise's vita was not written until the 8th century. According to this text, he was martyred while suspended to a tree, where he was first tortured with iron combs and then beheaded. In the eleventh and twelfth centuries, Blaise became incredibly popular in Europe. (2/n)

networknorse.bsky.social•28 days ago

The authenticity of Blaise's relics have been called into question, as there are at least 8 complete skeletons purported to be his body stored as relics in various churches around Europe, as well as 4 skulls, & more than 8 arm bones. (3/n)

networknorse.bsky.social•28 days ago

Since 972, The Festivity of St Blaise has been celebrated in Dubrovnik, Croatia, where one of these skulls & arm bones are carried in procession in front of the cathedral. Legend says that he protected the city from invading Venetians, after which he became its patron saint. (4/n)

networknorse.bsky.social•28 days ago

St Blaise was very popular in medieval Iceland, likely because of his association with fishing. All 6 of the churches in Iceland dedicated to him are located close to the water. 3 churches owned a statue of him. All of the locations associated with St Blaise are located in Southwest Iceland. (5/n)

networknorse.bsky.social•28 days ago

There are several attestations of his vita in Old Norse-Icelandic. Blasíuss saga, translated from Latin (BHL 1377), survives in 3 medieval manuscripts & 2 post-medieval manuscripts. (6/n)

networknorse.bsky.social•28 days ago

A second version of the saint's legend, called “Af Blasíus” (“about Blaise”) survives in one 15th-century manuscript. In addition to his standalone saga or vita, St Blaise appears alongside St Thorlak in a miracle found in the C-version of Þorláks saga. (7/7)

TNW

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