Saint Medardus or St Medard (
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
: ''Médard'' or ''Méard'') (ca. 456–545) was the
Bishop of Noyon
The former French Catholic diocese of Noyon lay in the north-east of France, around Noyon. It was formed when Saint Medardus moved the seat of the bishopric at Vermandois to Noyon, in the sixth century. For four centuries it was united with the ...
. He moved the seat of the diocese from
Vermand
Vermand () is a commune in the Aisne department in Hauts-de-France in northern France.
Vermand was probably the original capital of the Viromandui, after whom the region of Vermandois is named. It was later displaced by the Roman settlement of ...
to Noviomagus Veromanduorum (modern
Noyon
Noyon (; pcd, Noéyon; la, Noviomagus Veromanduorum, Noviomagus of the Veromandui, then ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Oise Departments of France, department, northern France.
Geography
Noyon lies on the river Oise (river), Oise, a ...
) in northern France. Medardus was one of the most honored bishops of his time, often depicted laughing, with his mouth wide open, and therefore he was invoked against
toothache
Toothache, also known as dental pain,Segen JC. (2002). ''McGraw-Hill Concise Dictionary of Modern Medicine''. The McGraw-Hill Companies. is pain in the teeth or their supporting structures, caused by dental diseases or pain referred to the te ...
.
Life
St Medardus was born around 456 at
Salency
Salency () is a commune in the Oise department in northern France.
See also
*Communes of the Oise department
The following is a list of the 679 communes of the Oise department of France.
The communes cooperate in the following intercommunal ...
,
Oise
Oise ( ; ; pcd, Oése) is a department in the north of France. It is named after the river Oise. Inhabitants of the department are called ''Oisiens'' () or ''Isariens'', after the Latin name for the river, Isara. It had a population of 829,419 ...
, in
Picardy
Picardy (; Picard and french: Picardie, , ) is a historical territory and a former administrative region of France. Since 1 January 2016, it has been part of the new region of Hauts-de-France. It is located in the northern part of France.
Hi ...
.
His father, Nectaridus, was a noble of
Frank
Frank or Franks may refer to:
People
* Frank (given name)
* Frank (surname)
* Franks (surname)
* Franks, a medieval Germanic people
* Frank, a term in the Muslim world for all western Europeans, particularly during the Crusades - see Farang
Curr ...
ish origin, while his mother Protagia was
Gallo-Roman
Gallo-Roman culture was a consequence of the Romanization of Gauls under the rule of the Roman Empire. It was characterized by the Gaulish adoption or adaptation of Roman culture, language, morals and way of life in a uniquely Gaulish context ...
.
[Clugnet, Léon. "St. Medardus." The Catholic Encyclopedia]
Vol. 10. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1911. 1 April 2019 The ''
Roman Martyrology
The ''Roman Martyrology'' ( la, Martyrologium Romanum) is the official martyrology of the Catholic Church. Its use is obligatory in matters regarding the Roman Rite liturgy, but dioceses, countries and religious institutes may add duly approved ...
'' includes the fanciful tale that
Saint Gildard
Saint Gildard or Gildardus, or Gildaredus also known as Saint Godard or Godardus (c. 448 – c. 525), was the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Rouen, Bishop of Rouen from 488 to 525. He is venerated as a saint of the Roman Catholic Church, and the m ...
,
Bishop of Rouen
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Rouen (Latin: ''Archidioecesis Rothomagensis''; French: ''Archidiocèse de Rouen'') is an archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in France. As one of the fifteen Archbishops of France, the Arc ...
, was his brother, ''"born on the same day, consecrated bishops on the same day, and on the same day withdrawn from this life."'' A
pious fiction
In politics, a noble lie is a myth or a lie typically of religious nature, knowingly propagated by an elite to maintain social harmony or advance an agenda. The noble lie is a concept originated by Plato as described in '' The Republic''.
In reli ...
links his childhood to his future bishoprics: "He often accompanied his father on business to
Vermand
Vermand () is a commune in the Aisne department in Hauts-de-France in northern France.
Vermand was probably the original capital of the Viromandui, after whom the region of Vermandois is named. It was later displaced by the Roman settlement of ...
and Tornacum (modern
Tournai
Tournai or Tournay ( ; ; nl, Doornik ; pcd, Tornai; wa, Tornè ; la, Tornacum) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. It lies southwest of Brussels on the river Scheldt. Tournai is part of Euromet ...
), where he frequented the schools, carefully avoiding all worldly dissipation".
Medardus lived during the immediate aftermath of the
fall of the Western Roman Empire
The fall of the Western Roman Empire (also called the fall of the Roman Empire or the fall of Ancient Rome, Rome) was the loss of central political control in the Western Roman Empire, a process in which the Empire failed to enforce its rul ...
. The last
Western Roman emperor was deposed in 476. During 481–511, the
Salian Frankish king
Clovis I
Clovis ( la, Chlodovechus; reconstructed Frankish: ; – 27 November 511) was the first king of the Franks to unite all of the Frankish tribes under one ruler, changing the form of leadership from a group of petty kings to rule by a single kin ...
conquered and united several
Germanic successor states to form the Kingdom of
Francia
Francia, also called the Kingdom of the Franks ( la, Regnum Francorum), Frankish Kingdom, Frankland or Frankish Empire ( la, Imperium Francorum), was the largest post-Roman barbarian kingdom in Western Europe. It was ruled by the Franks dur ...
, the predecessor of modern France and Germany.
He was ordained at the age of 33.
His piety and knowledge, considerable for that time, caused Bishop Alomer of Vermand to confer on him Holy Orders. At the death of Alomer in 530, Medard was chosen to succeed him as bishop of Vermand. Despite his objections, he found himself obliged to accept the heavy responsibilities of the position, to which he devoted himself zealously.
![St Medard's Tympanum](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2a/St_Medard%27s_Tympanum.jpg)
Evidence for his deeds as bishop is thin. He is held to have removed the seat of his bishopric from Vermand, a little city with no defences, to Noviomagus Veromanduorum (modern
Noyon
Noyon (; pcd, Noéyon; la, Noviomagus Veromanduorum, Noviomagus of the Veromandui, then ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Oise Departments of France, department, northern France.
Geography
Noyon lies on the river Oise (river), Oise, a ...
), the strongest place in that region of
Neustria
Neustria was the western part of the Kingdom of the Franks.
Neustria included the land between the Loire and the Silva Carbonaria, approximately the north of present-day France, with Paris, Orléans, Tours, Soissons as its main cities. It later ...
, in 531.
That year
Clotaire
Chlothar (Latin ''Chlotharius''; Greek ''Khlōthários'' Χλωθάριος; French ''Clotaire'') is a Germanic given name, attested in Old English as ''Hloþhere'', in Old High German as ''Lothari'' ( Lothair), and reconstructed in Frankish as *' ...
marched against the
Thuringii
The Thuringii, Toringi or Teuriochaimai, were an early Germanic people that appeared during the late Migration Period in the Harz Mountains of central Germania, a region still known today as Thuringia. It became a kingdom, which came into confl ...
with his brother
Theuderic I __NOTOC__
Theuderic I (c. 485 – 533/34) was the Merovingian king of Metz, Rheims, or Austrasia—as it is variously called—from 511 to 533 or 534.
He was the son of Clovis I and one of his earlier wives or concubines (possibly a Franco- ...
, but struggles with the
Burgundians
The Burgundians ( la, Burgundes, Burgundiōnes, Burgundī; on, Burgundar; ang, Burgendas; grc-gre, Βούργουνδοι) were an early Germanic tribe or group of tribes. They appeared in the middle Rhine region, near the Roman Empire, and ...
also troubled Merovingian Neustria. Medardus was a councillor to Clotaire, the
Merovingian
The Merovingian dynasty () was the ruling family of the Franks from the middle of the 5th century until 751. They first appear as "Kings of the Franks" in the Roman army of northern Gaul. By 509 they had united all the Franks and northern Gauli ...
king at Noviodunum (modern
Soissons
Soissons () is a commune in the northern French department of Aisne, in the region of Hauts-de-France. Located on the river Aisne, about northeast of Paris, it is one of the most ancient towns of France, and is probably the ancient capital ...
).
It is also claimed that in 532, at the death of Saint
Eleutherius,
bishop of Tornacum, Medardus was invited to assume the direction of that diocese also. He refused at first, but being urged by Clotaire himself, he at last accepted. The union of the two dioceses of Noviomagus/Noyon and Tornacum/Tournai lasted until 1146, when they were again separated.
Tornacum was a center for evangelizing the pagan
Flemings. There, Medardus accepted
Radegund of Thuringia as a
deaconess
The ministry of a deaconess is, in modern times, a usually non-ordained ministry for women in some Protestant, Oriental Orthodox, and Eastern Orthodox churches to provide pastoral care, especially for other women, and which may carry a limited ...
and
nun
A nun is a woman who vows to dedicate her life to religious service, typically living under vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience in the enclosure of a monastery or convent.''The Oxford English Dictionary'', vol. X, page 599. The term is o ...
, until she moved to her own foundation at
Saix {{Unreferenced, date=April 2018
The South African Internet eXchange (SAIX) was a transit ISP erroneously marketed as an Internet exchange point. It was once the dominant provider serving Internet traffic in Southern Africa.
SAIX is run by Telkom, ...
.
Death
King Clotaire, who had paid Medardus a last visit at Noviomagus, where the bishop died, had his body transferred to his own manor of Croviacum (modern
Crouy
Crouy () is a commune in the Aisne department in Hauts-de-France in northern France.
Population
See also
* Communes of the Aisne department
The following is a list of the 799 Communes of France, communes in the French Departments of Fran ...
), at the gates of the royal city of Noviodunum; there over his tomb was erected the celebrated
Benedictine abbey
, image = Medalla San Benito.PNG
, caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal
, abbreviation = OSB
, formation =
, motto = (English: 'Pray and Work')
, found ...
which bears his name, the
Abbey of Saint-Médard. The selection of the site was given authenticity through a familiar
trope
Trope or tropes may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Trope (cinema), a cinematic convention for conveying a concept
* Trope (literature), a figure of speech or common literary device
* Trope (music), any of a variety of different things ...
of
hagiography
A hagiography (; ) is a biography of a saint or an ecclesiastical leader, as well as, by extension, an adulatory and idealized biography of a founder, saint, monk, nun or icon in any of the world's religions. Early Christian hagiographies migh ...
:
:''When the procession reached Crouy, which is about three miles from Soissons, the bier became wholly immovable. The king then promised to give half the borough of Crouy to the new church. On trying again to lift the bier, it was found that the half facing the part given to the church was loose and could be moved, but the other half was as fast as ever. Clotaire now promised the whole borough to the church. The bier instantly became so light that it could be lifted and carried without any trouble to its final destination.'' (Walsh 1897)
Veneration
Saint Medardus was one of the most honored bishops of his time. His memory has always been popularly venerated, first in the north of France, then in
Cologne
Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western States of Germany, state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 m ...
and extending to western
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
, and he became the hero of numerous legends. His ''
cultus Cultus may refer to:
*Cult (religious practice)
* ''Cultus'' (stonefly), a genus of stoneflies
* Cultus Bay, a bay in Washington
* Cultus Lake (disambiguation)
*Cultus River
The Cultus River is a stream in the U.S. state of Oregon, located in Desc ...
'' is mentioned by both
Saint Venantius Fortunatus and
Saint Gregory of Tours
Gregory of Tours (30 November 538 – 17 November 594 AD) was a Gallo-Roman historian and Bishop of Tours, which made him a leading prelate of the area that had been previously referred to as Gaul by the Romans. He was born Georgius Florenti ...
. His
feast day
The calendar of saints is the traditional Christian method of organizing a liturgical year by associating each day with one or more saints and referring to the day as the feast day or feast of said saint. The word "feast" in this context d ...
is celebrated on June 8. It is believed that, as with
Saint Swithun, whatever the weather on his feast day, it will continue for the forty days following, unless the weather changes on the feast of
St Barnabas
Barnabas (; arc, ܒܪܢܒܐ; grc, Βαρνάβας), born Joseph () or Joses (), was according to tradition an early Christian, one of the prominent Christian disciples in Jerusalem. According to Acts 4:36, Barnabas was a Cypriot Jew. Name ...
(11 June).
[ French Wikipedia (in French)]
He was often depicted laughing, with his mouth wide open, therefore he was invoked against
toothache
Toothache, also known as dental pain,Segen JC. (2002). ''McGraw-Hill Concise Dictionary of Modern Medicine''. The McGraw-Hill Companies. is pain in the teeth or their supporting structures, caused by dental diseases or pain referred to the te ...
. He is also invoked against bad weather (but also for rain), sterility and imprisonment. He is patron saint of vineyards, brewers, captives and prisoners, the mentally ill, and peasants.
The coat of arms of the Dutch municipality of
Wessem
Wessem is a small city in the Netherlands, in the province of Limburg. Wessem is a part of the municipality of Maasgouw. It received city rights around 1320.
History
First mentioned in 965 as Wisheim, which means "good settlement", it received ci ...
and that of the German municipality of
Lüdenscheid
Lüdenscheid () is a city in the Märkischer Kreis district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the Sauerland region.
Geography
Lüdenscheid is located on the saddle of the watershed between the Lenne and Volme rivers which b ...
feature St. Medardus.
[Heraldry of the World (in Dutch)](_blank)
/ref>
The parish church of St. Medardus and St. Gildardus in Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire (abbreviated Lincs.) is a county in the East Midlands of England, with a long coastline on the North Sea to the east. It borders Norfolk to the south-east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south-west, Leicestershire ...
, England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
is jointly dedicated to him and Saint Gildard
Saint Gildard or Gildardus, or Gildaredus also known as Saint Godard or Godardus (c. 448 – c. 525), was the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Rouen, Bishop of Rouen from 488 to 525. He is venerated as a saint of the Roman Catholic Church, and the m ...
.
Legends and customs
As a child, St Medardus was said to have once been sheltered from rain by an eagle
Eagle is the common name for many large birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of genera, some of which are closely related. Most of the 68 species of eagle are from Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just ...
which hovered over him. This is how he was most commonly depicted, and is why he is associated with weather, good or bad, and why he is held to protect those who work in the open air.
The weather legend concerning St Medardus is similar to Saint Swithun in England. The French rhyme is: ''Quand il pleut à la Saint-Médard, il pleut quarante jours plus tard'' (If it rains on St Medardus' Day, it rains for forty days more).
Every year at Salency
Salency () is a commune in the Oise department in northern France.
See also
*Communes of the Oise department
The following is a list of the 679 communes of the Oise department of France.
The communes cooperate in the following intercommunal ...
(Medardus' birthplace) near Noyon
Noyon (; pcd, Noéyon; la, Noviomagus Veromanduorum, Noviomagus of the Veromandui, then ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Oise Departments of France, department, northern France.
Geography
Noyon lies on the river Oise (river), Oise, a ...
, France (and certain other villages) "the most virtuous young girl of the year" of the commune is elected the ''Rosière''. The custom is said to have been started by St Médard himself, and the first ''Rosière'' is said to have been his sister, Sainte Médrine. Clothed in a long white dress, the ''Rosière'' is escorted to Mass
Mass is an intrinsic property of a body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the quantity of matter in a physical body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physics. It was found that different atoms and different elementar ...
by 12 young girls dressed in white and 12 young boys. After vespers
Vespers is a service of evening prayer, one of the canonical hours in Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Catholic Church, Catholic (both Latin liturgical rites, Latin and Eastern Catholic Churches, Eastern), Lutheranism, Lutheran, and Anglican ...
, accompanied by two godmothers, she is crowned with a crown of 12 rose
A rose is either a woody perennial flowering plant of the genus ''Rosa'' (), in the family Rosaceae (), or the flower it bears. There are over three hundred species and tens of thousands of cultivars. They form a group of plants that can be ...
s, decorated with a blue ribbon and a silver ring, at the chapel of St Médard. Then she goes to receive a bouquet of roses from the mayor, who also presents her with two arrows, two tennis balls and a whistle. She blows the whistle three times and throws nuts to the assembled crowd. The procession is followed by a fair with rides, stalls and fireworks.Noyon tourism website; Circuit de la Rosière
/ref>
See also
* Saint-Médard (disambiguation), a list of places named after him
*Convulsionnaires of Saint-Médard
The Convulsionnaires (or Convulsionaries) of Saint-Médard was a group of 18th-century French religious pilgrims who exhibited convulsions and later constituted a religious sect and a political movement. This practice originated at the tomb of Fr ...
*Catholic Church in France
, native_name_lang = fr
, image = 060806-France-Paris-Notre Dame.jpg
, imagewidth = 200px
, alt =
, caption = Cathedral Notre-Dame de Paris
, abbreviation =
, type ...
* Saint Medardus, patron saint archive
References
Sources
*''Early Life'', ed. B. Krusch, ''Monumenta Germaniae Historica
The ''Monumenta Germaniae Historica'' (''MGH'') is a comprehensive series of carefully edited and published primary sources, both chronicle and archival, for the study of Northwestern and Central European history from the end of the Roman Empire ...
'', ''Auctores Antiquissimi'', iv (part 2), 67–73
*''Butler's Lives of the Saints'', vi 66–67
*William Walsh, 1897. ''Curiosities of Popular Customs ...''
{{authority control
450s births
545 deaths
6th-century Frankish bishops
Bishops of Noyon
Weather lore
Burials at the Abbey of Saint-Médard de Soissons
6th-century Frankish saints