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Hubertus or Hubert ( 656 – 30 May 727 A.D.) was a Christian
saint In religious belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of Q-D-Š, holiness, likeness, or closeness to God. However, the use of the term ''saint'' depends on the context and Christian denomination, denominat ...
who became the first bishop of
Liège Liège ( , , ; wa, Lîdje ; nl, Luik ; german: Lüttich ) is a major city and municipality of Wallonia and the capital of the Belgian province of Liège. The city is situated in the valley of the Meuse, in the east of Belgium, not far from b ...
in 708 A.D. He is the
patron saint A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholicism, Anglicanism, or Eastern Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or perso ...
of hunters, mathematicians, opticians and metalworkers. Known as the "Apostle of the
Ardennes The Ardennes (french: Ardenne ; nl, Ardennen ; german: Ardennen; wa, Årdene ; lb, Ardennen ), also known as the Ardennes Forest or Forest of Ardennes, is a region of extensive forests, rough terrain, rolling hills and ridges primarily in Be ...
", he was called upon, until the early 20th century, to cure
rabies Rabies is a viral disease that causes encephalitis in humans and other mammals. Early symptoms can include fever and tingling at the site of exposure. These symptoms are followed by one or more of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, vi ...
through the use of the traditional
Saint Hubert's Key St. Hubert’s Key (, ) is a sacramental in the form of a metal nail, cross, or cone. It was used in Europe until the early 20th century as a traditional cure for rabies and was named for St. Hubert, the patron saint of hunters, mathematicians, op ...
. Hubert was widely venerated during the
Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
. The iconography of his legend is entangled with the legend of the martyr
Saint Eustace Saint Eustace (Latinized Eustachius or Eustathius, Greek Εὐστάθιος Πλακίδας ''Eustathios Plakidas'') is revered as a Christian martyr. According to legend, he was martyred in AD 118, at the command of emperor Hadrian. Eusta ...
. The
Bollandists The Bollandist Society ( la, Societas Bollandistarum french: Société des Bollandistes) are an association of scholars, philologists, and historians (originally all Jesuits, but now including non-Jesuits) who since the early seventeenth century h ...
published seven early lives of Hubertus (''
Acta Sanctorum ''Acta Sanctorum'' (''Acts of the Saints'') is an encyclopedic text in 68 folio volumes of documents examining the lives of Christian saints, in essence a critical hagiography, which is organised according to each saint's feast day. The project w ...
'', November 3, 759 – 930 A.D.); the first of these was the work of a contemporary, although it offers few details. Hubertus died 30 May 727 A.D. in or near a place called (in Latin) ''Fura''. In the later Middle Ages, this location was claimed to have been identified as
Tervuren Tervuren () is a municipality in the province of Flemish Brabant, in Flanders, Belgium. The municipality comprises the villages of Duisburg, Tervuren, Vossem and Moorsel. On January 1, 2006, Tervuren had a total population of 20,636. The total a ...
near
Brussels Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...
; recent scholarship, however, considers
Voeren Voeren (; ) is a Flanders, Flemish Dutch language, Dutch-speaking Municipalities of Belgium, municipality with Municipalities with language facilities, facilities for the Walloons, French-speaking minority, located in the Belgium, Belgian provi ...
(Fourons), a location much closer to Liège than Brussels, to be the saint's likelier resting place. 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 3 November. His other skills were in mathematics and metalwork.


Early life

Hubert likely was born in
Toulouse Toulouse ( , ; oc, Tolosa ) is the prefecture of the French department of Haute-Garonne and of the larger region of Occitania. The city is on the banks of the River Garonne, from the Mediterranean Sea, from the Atlantic Ocean and from Par ...
about the year 656, the eldest son of Bertrand, allegedly a
Duke of Aquitaine The Duke of Aquitaine ( oc, Duc d'Aquitània, french: Duc d'Aquitaine, ) was the ruler of the medieval region of Aquitaine (not to be confused with modern-day Aquitaine) under the supremacy of Frankish, English, and later French kings. As succe ...
. At the age of 10 he nearly died from a fever. As a youth, Hubert was sent to the
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 ...
n court of
Theuderic III Theuderic III (or Theuderich, Theoderic, or Theodoric; french: Thierry) (c. 651–691) was the king of Neustria (including Burgundy) on two occasions (673 and 675–691) and king of Austrasia from 679 to his death in 691. Thus, he was the king of ...
() at Paris, where his charm and agreeable address led to his investment with the dignity of "count of the palace". Meanwhile, the tyrannical conduct of
Ebroin Ebroin (died 680 or 681) was the Frankish mayor of the palace of Neustria on two occasions; firstly from 658 to his deposition in 673 and secondly from 675 to his death in 680 or 681. In a violent and despotic career, he strove to impose the aut ...
, mayor of the Neustrian palace (in office: 658 to ), caused a general emigration of the nobles and others to the court of
Austrasia Austrasia was a territory which formed the north-eastern section of the Merovingian Kingdom of the Franks during the 6th to 8th centuries. It was centred on the Meuse, Middle Rhine and the Moselle rivers, and was the original territory of the F ...
at
Metz Metz ( , , lat, Divodurum Mediomatricorum, then ) is a city in northeast France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers. Metz is the prefecture of the Moselle department and the seat of the parliament of the Grand E ...
. Like many nobles of the time, Hubert was a hunting enthusiast. About this time (682), Hubert married Floribanne, daughter of Dagobert, Count of Leuven. (Their son
Floribert of Liège Floribert of Liège (died 746) was a bishop of Liège, and a saint of the Catholic and Orthodox Churches, celebrated on 27 April. He was the son of the French-born Hubert of Liège Hubertus or Hubert ( 656 – 30 May 727 A.D.) was a Christian ...
later would succeed his father as Bishop of
Liège Liège ( , , ; wa, Lîdje ; nl, Luik ; german: Lüttich ) is a major city and municipality of Wallonia and the capital of the Belgian province of Liège. The city is situated in the valley of the Meuse, in the east of Belgium, not far from b ...
- in office: 727 to ; bishoprics were all but accounted as fiefs heritable in the great families of the Merovingian kingdoms.) Hubert soon followed his noble peers to the Austrasian court and was warmly welcomed by
Pepin of Herstal Pepin II (c. 635 – 16 December 714), commonly known as Pepin of Herstal, was a Frankish statesman and military leader who de facto ruled Francia as the Mayor of the Palace from 680 until his death. He took the title Duke and Prince of the Fr ...
, Mayor of the palace, who entitled him almost immediately Grand Master of the household.


Spiritual conversion

Hubert's wife died giving birth to their son Floribert, and his grief prompted him to retreat from the court. He withdrew into the forests of the Ardennes and gave himself up entirely to hunting. Legend holds that on a Good Friday morning, while the faithful were in church, Hubert was hunting in the forest. As he pursued a magnificent stag or
hart Hart often refers to: * Hart (deer) Hart may also refer to: Organizations * Hart Racing Engines, a former Formula One engine manufacturer * Hart Skis, US ski manufacturer * Hart Stores, a Canadian chain of department stores * Hart's Reptile W ...
, the animal turned and Hubert was astounded to see a crucifix floating between its antlers. He heard a voice saying: "Hubert unless thou turnest to the Lord and leadest a holy life, thou shalt quickly go down into Hell." Hubert dismounted and prostrated himself, and after asking "Lord, what wouldst Thou have me do?" is told, "Go and seek Lambert, and he will instruct you." The story of the stag first appears in one of the later legendary
hagiographies 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 might ...
(''Bibliotheca hagiographic Latina'', nos. 3994–4002) and has been appropriated from the legend of
Saint Eustace Saint Eustace (Latinized Eustachius or Eustathius, Greek Εὐστάθιος Πλακίδας ''Eustathios Plakidas'') is revered as a Christian martyr. According to legend, he was martyred in AD 118, at the command of emperor Hadrian. Eusta ...
or Placidus. It was only attributed to Saint Hubert in the 15th century. Hubert is honored among sport hunters as the originator of ethical hunting behavior. In some versions of the story, the stag is said to have lectured Hubert to hold animals in higher regard and have compassion for them as God's creatures with value in their own right. For example, the hunter ought to only shoot when a clean, quick, and therefore humane kill is assured. He ought to shoot only old stags which are past their prime breeding years and forego a much-anticipated shot on a trophy to instead euthanize a sick or injured animal that might appear on the scene. Further, one ought never to shoot a female with young in tow, to assure the young deer have a mother to guide them to food during the winter. Such is the legacy of Hubert, which is still taught today and who held in high regard in the extensive, rigorous German and Austrian hunter education courses. His legacy is also followed by the French '' chasse à courre'' (riding to hounds) masters, huntsmen, and followers who hunt deer, boar, and roe on horseback and are the last direct heirs of Hubert in Europe. ''Chasse à course'' is currently enjoying a revival in France. These hunters apply a specific set of ethics, rituals, rules, and tactics that date from the early Middle Ages. Hubert is venerated every year by the hunts in formal ceremonies.


Religious career

Hubert set out immediately for
Maastricht Maastricht ( , , ; li, Mestreech ; french: Maestricht ; es, Mastrique ) is a city and a municipality in the southeastern Netherlands. It is the capital and largest city of the province of Limburg. Maastricht is located on both sides of the ...
, to meet
Lambert Lambert may refer to People *Lambert (name), a given name and surname * Lambert, Bishop of Ostia (c. 1036–1130), became Pope Honorius II *Lambert, Margrave of Tuscany ( fl. 929–931), also count and duke of Lucca *Lambert (pianist), stage-name ...
, a bishop who received him kindly and became his spiritual director. Hubert renounced all his very considerable honors and gave up his birthright to the Aquitaine to his younger brother,
Odo Odo or ODO may refer to: People * Odo, a given name; includes a list of people and fictional characters with the name * Franklin Odo (born 1939), Japanese-American historian * Seikichi Odo (1927–2002), Japanese karateka * Yuya Odo (born 1990), J ...
, whom he made guardian of his infant son, Floribert. Having distributed all his personal wealth among the poor, he studied for the priesthood, was ordained, and soon afterward became one of St. Lambert's chief associates in the administration of his diocese. By the advice of St. Lambert, Hubert made a pilgrimage to Rome in 708, but during his absence, Lambert was assassinated by the followers of Pepin. According to the hagiographies of Hubert, this act was simultaneously revealed to the pope in a vision, together with an injunction to appoint Hubert
bishop of Maastricht The Diocese of Maastricht (Latin Traiectum ad Mosam) was a Roman Catholic jurisdiction in parts of present Netherlands (including the see Maastricht) and Belgium, which has been nominally revived as a Latin titular bishopric. History Establishe ...
. Hubert distributed his episcopal revenues among the poor, was diligent in fasting and prayer, and became well known for his eloquence in the pulpit. In 720, in obedience to a vision, Hubert
translated Translation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text. The English language draws a terminological distinction (which does not exist in every language) between ''transla ...
St. Lambert's remains from Maastricht to Liège with great pomp and ceremony, with several neighboring bishops assisting. A basilica for the relics was built upon the site of Lambert's martyrdom, and was consecrated as a cathedral the following year, the see being removed from Maastricht to Liège, then only a small village. This laid the foundation of the future greatness of Liège, of which Lambert is honored as patron, and Hubert as founder and first bishop. Hubert actively evangelized among pagans in the extensive
Ardennes The Ardennes (french: Ardenne ; nl, Ardennen ; german: Ardennen; wa, Årdene ; lb, Ardennen ), also known as the Ardennes Forest or Forest of Ardennes, is a region of extensive forests, rough terrain, rolling hills and ridges primarily in Be ...
forests and in
Toxandria Texandria (also Toxiandria; later Toxandria, Taxandria), is a region mentioned in the 4th century AD and during the Middle Ages. It was situated in the southern part of the modern Netherlands and in the northern part of present-day Belgium, current ...
, a district stretching from near Tongeren to the confluence of the rivers Waal and the Rhine.


Death

Hubertus died peacefully in a place called ''Fura'', located 30 miles from Liège, 30 May 727 or 728. Initially he was buried in the collegiate St. Peter's Church, Liège, but his bones were dug out from the ground and translated to the Benedictine Abbey of Amdain ("Andagium", in French "Andage", the present-day
Saint-Hubert, Belgium Saint-Hubert (; wa, Sint-Houbert) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Luxembourg, Belgium. On 1 January 2007 the municipality, which covers 111.16 km² (42.92 sq mi), had 5,737 inhabitants, giving a popul ...
) in the Ardennes in 825. The abbey became a locus for pilgrimages, until Hubert's coffin disappeared during the
Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...
. His feast day is 3 November, probably the date of the translation of his relics to Amdain.


Veneration

Hubert was widely venerated in the
Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
and partly because of his noble birth, several military orders were named after him: the
Bavaria Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total lan ...
n, the
Bohemia Bohemia ( ; cs, Čechy ; ; hsb, Čěska; szl, Czechy) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. Bohemia can also refer to a wider area consisting of the historical Lands of the Bohemian Crown ruled by the Bohem ...
n
International Order of St. Hubertus The International Order of Saint Hubertus is a worldwide organization and knightly order of hunters and wildlife conservationists under Grand Master Istvan von Habsburg-Lothringen that promotes traditional hunting ethics and practices. The Orde ...
and that of the
Archbishop-Elector of Cologne The Archbishop of Cologne is an archbishop governing the Archdiocese of Cologne of the Catholic Church in western North Rhine-Westphalia and is also a historical state in the Rhine holding the birthplace of Beethoven and northern Rhineland-Palati ...
. Hubertus, along with
Quirinus of Neuss Quirinus of Neuss (german: Quirin, Quirinus), sometimes called ''Quirinus of Rome'' (which is the name shared by another martyr) is venerated as a martyr and saint of the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches. His cult was centered at Neuss in G ...
, Cornelius and
Anthony Anthony or Antony is a masculine given name, derived from the ''Antonia (gens), Antonii'', a ''gens'' (Roman naming conventions, Roman family name) to which Mark Antony (''Marcus Antonius'') belonged. According to Plutarch, the Antonii gens were ...
, was venerated as one of the
Four Holy Marshals The Four Holy Marshals (''Vier Marschälle Gottes'' or just ''Vier Marschälle'') are four saints venerated in the Rhineland, especially at Cologne, Liège, Aachen, and Eifel. They are conceived as standing particularly close to throne of Go ...
(''Vier Marschälle Gottes'') in the
Rhineland The Rhineland (german: Rheinland; french: Rhénanie; nl, Rijnland; ksh, Rhingland; Latinised name: ''Rhenania'') is a loosely defined area of Western Germany along the Rhine, chiefly its middle section. Term Historically, the Rhinelands ...
. The ''St. Hubertus Orden'' (
Order of Saint Hubert The Royal Order of Saint Hubert (german: Sankt Hubertus Königlicher Orden), or sometimes (german: Königlicher Orden des Heiligen Hubertus) is a Roman Catholic dynastic order of knighthood founded in 1444 or 1445 by Gerhard VII, Duke of Jülic ...
), a
chivalric order An order of chivalry, order of knighthood, chivalric order, or equestrian order is an order of knights, typically founded during or inspired by the original Catholic military orders of the Crusades ( 1099–1291) and paired with medieval concep ...
, was founded in 1444 by Gerhard V of Jülich and Berg. In the
Anglican Communion The Anglican Communion is the third largest Christian communion after the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches. Founded in 1867 in London, the communion has more than 85 million members within the Church of England and other ...
, at least two churches were dedicated to Saint Hubertus within the
Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britain ...
.


Patronage

St. Hubert of Liège is patron of archers; dogs; forest workers; trappers; hunting and huntsmen;Brown, C.F. Wemyss. "St. Hubert." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 7. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1910. 12 Aug. 2014
/ref> mathematicians; metal workers; smelters and the city of Liège. St. Hubert has been described as the patron saint of hunters and is honored by sportsmen as the originator of ethical hunting behavior. However, he renounced hunting after having his vision encountering the stag, as it was believed that God had seen his hunting life as an unholy, idolatrous one which would lead him to Hell. According to the Jews in the Middle Ages, when St. Hubert became a priest, clergy were subsequently forbidden to hunt and if they did, would be required to take penance. God's call to Hubertus made him realize that hunting had distracted him from fulfilling his religious duties on Easter's Good Friday. Lambert sent Hubert to the Ardennes to live amongst the people and the forest creatures. Hubert studied to become a priest and was soon ordained. Following Lamberts's assassination, Hubert becomes Bishop of Maastricht, then of Liége. He was known as the Apostle of the Ardennes throughout his life, venturing much into the forest and gaining the trust (and the faith) of its people through the outdoorsman skills he acquired in his hunting life. Hubert becomes a sought reference and voice whenever matters of the forest are on the table.History of St Hubertus, international order of Saint Hubertus (https://www.iosh-usa.com/about-us/history-of-st-hubertus)


Gallery

File:Hollola.vaakuna.svg, Saint Hubertus Deer, the coat of arms of the municipality of
Hollola Hollola () is a municipality of Finland, located in the western part of the Päijänne Tavastia region. The municipality is unilingually Finnish and has a population of () and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is . H ...
File:La Visión de San Huberto por Jan Brueghel el Viejo con Rubens.jpg, ''The Vision of Saint Hubert'' (c. 1617) by J. Brueghel and P. P. Rubens, Prado, Madrid. File:Hubertus-liege.jpg, A print in the style of an
illuminated manuscript An illuminated manuscript is a formally prepared document where the text is often supplemented with flourishes such as borders and miniature illustrations. Often used in the Roman Catholic Church for prayers, liturgical services and psalms, the ...
showing Hubert of Liège with the stag. File:St.Hubert, NL, kerk in het russisch orthodox klooster St.Elias.JPG,
Russian Orthodox Russian Orthodoxy (russian: Русское православие) is the body of several churches within the larger communion of Eastern Orthodox Christianity, whose liturgy is or was traditionally conducted in Church Slavonic language. Most ...
church and monastery, interior in
Sint Hubert Sint Hubert is a village in the Dutch province of North Brabant, in the former municipality of Mill en Sint Hubert. Since 2022 it has been part of the municipality of Land van Cuijk. History Sint Hubert developed in the Late Middle Ages around a ...
, Netherlands File:St Hubert window.JPG, Stained glass window in St. Ethelbert's Church,
Herringswell Herringswell is a village and civil parish in the West Suffolk district of Suffolk in eastern England. In 2005 it had a population of 190. In 2007 there were 128 voters there.McNeill, Phil.Shrine of the times" ''The Telegraph''. 22 July 2007. R ...
,
Suffolk Suffolk () is a ceremonial county of England in East Anglia. It borders Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south; the North Sea lies to the east. The county town is Ipswich; other important towns include Lowes ...
, dedicated to the memory of Llewellyn Sidney Davies. File:Grad Bistra statue.jpg, A
zinc Zinc is a chemical element with the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. Zinc is a slightly brittle metal at room temperature and has a shiny-greyish appearance when oxidation is removed. It is the first element in group 12 (IIB) of the periodi ...
statue of Saint Hubert and a deer outside
Bistra Castle Bistra may refer to: Name Female's name in Bulgaria Populated places * Bistra, Silistra Province, a village in Silistra Province, Bulgaria * Bistra, Targovishte Province, a village in Targovishte Province, Bulgaria * Bistra, Croatia, a village ...
in Slovenia File:Linteau_de_la_chapelle_St_Hubert.JPG, Depiction of the miracle of the stag at
Château d'Amboise The Château d'Amboise is a château in Amboise, located in the Indre-et-Loire ''département'' of the Loire Valley in France. Confiscated by the monarchy in the 15th century, it became a favoured royal residence and was extensively rebuilt. Kin ...
, France. File:Rellstal-Kapelle-Interior-Glasscheibe-H03a.jpg, Glass window with St. Hubert from
Vorarlberg Vorarlberg ( , ; gsw, label=Vorarlbergisch, Vorarlbearg, , or ) is the westernmost States of Austria, state () of Austria. It has the second-smallest geographical area after Vienna and, although it also has the second-smallest population, it is ...
, Austria. File:3 × Jägermeister (ubt).JPG, St. Hubert's stag is the logo of
Jägermeister ( , ; stylized Jägermeiſter) is a German digestif made with 56 herbs and spices. Developed in 1934 by Wilhelm and Curt Mast, it has an alcohol by volume of 35% ( 61 degrees proof, or US 70 proof). The recipe has not changed since its creation ...
("Master Hunter") liqueur. File:Coat_of_arms_of_Hrodna.svg, Saint Hubertus Deer, the coat of arms of the city of
Grodno Grodno (russian: Гродно, pl, Grodno; lt, Gardinas) or Hrodna ( be, Гродна ), is a city in western Belarus. The city is located on the Neman River, 300 km (186 mi) from Minsk, about 15 km (9 mi) from the Polish b ...


See also

*
Chronological list of saints in the 8th century A list of people, who died during the 8th century, who have received recognition as Blessed (through beatification) or Saint (through canonization) from the Catholic Church: See also *Christianity in the 8th century References {{DEFAU ...
*
Jägermeister ( , ; stylized Jägermeiſter) is a German digestif made with 56 herbs and spices. Developed in 1934 by Wilhelm and Curt Mast, it has an alcohol by volume of 35% ( 61 degrees proof, or US 70 proof). The recipe has not changed since its creation ...
*
Saint Eustace Saint Eustace (Latinized Eustachius or Eustathius, Greek Εὐστάθιος Πλακίδας ''Eustathios Plakidas'') is revered as a Christian martyr. According to legend, he was martyred in AD 118, at the command of emperor Hadrian. Eusta ...
*
St. Hubert's hound ST, St, or St. may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Stanza, in poetry * Suicidal Tendencies, an American heavy metal/hardcore punk band * Star Trek, a science-fiction media franchise * Summa Theologica, a compendium of Catholic philosophy an ...


Notes


External links


Painting from the National Gallery, London
The Conversion of Saint Hubert {{DEFAULTSORT:Hubertus, Saint 650s births 727 deaths 8th-century Frankish bishops 8th-century Frankish saints Bishops of Liège Saint-Hubert, Belgium Medieval Belgian saints 7th-century Frankish people Animals in Christianity