Marculf (in French ''Marcoult'', ''Marcouf'', ''Marcoul'' or ''Marcou'') (d. 558) was the abbot at Nantus in the

Cotentin The Cotentin Peninsula (, ; nrf, Cotentîn ), also known as the Cherbourg Peninsula, is a peninsula in Normandy that forms part of the northwest coast of France. It extends north-westward into the English Channel, towards Great Britain. To its w ...

. He is regarded as a saint and is associated with the healing of scrofula.

Life

Marculf was born in the Saxon colony of Bayeux around AD 500. The accounts of his life are merged with that of Saint

Helier Saint Helier (died 555) was a 6th-century ascetic hermit. He is the patron saint of Jersey in the Channel Islands, and in particular of the town and parish of Saint Helier, the island's capital. He is also invoked as a healing saint for diseases ...

, whom he sent to convert the inhabitants of

Jersey Jersey ( , ; nrf, Jèrri, label= Jèrriais ), officially the Bailiwick of Jersey (french: Bailliage de Jersey, links=no; Jèrriais: ), is an island country and self-governing Crown Dependency near the coast of north-west France. It is the l ...

to Christianity. Marcouf also visited Jersey himself, where

miracle A miracle is an event that is inexplicable by natural or scientific lawsOne dictionary define"Miracle"as: "A surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of a divi ...

s are ascribed to him. He died on May 1, 558, in the

Îles Saint-Marcouf Îles Saint-Marcouf comprise two small uninhabited islands off the coast of Normandy, France. They lie in the Baie de la Seine region of the English Channel and are east of the coast of the Cotentin peninsula at Ravenoville and from the island o ...

off the east coast of the

Cotentin Peninsula The Cotentin Peninsula (, ; nrf, Cotentîn ), also known as the Cherbourg Peninsula, is a peninsula in Normandy that forms part of the northwest coast of France. It extends north-westward into the English Channel, towards Great Britain. To its w ...

. His relics were transferred to the abbey of Corbény in

Champagne Champagne (, ) is a sparkling wine originated and produced in the Champagne wine region of France under the rules of the appellation, that demand specific vineyard practices, sourcing of grapes exclusively from designated places within it, ...

, where they played a part in the coronation ceremonies of kings of France, crowned at Reims, and in the tradition of the

royal touch The royal touch (also known as the king's touch) was a form of laying on of hands, whereby French and English monarchs touched their subjects, regardless of social classes, with the intent to cure them of various diseases and conditions. The ...

. The traditional power ascribed to French and English kings to cure scrofula ( the king's Evil) by the laying on of hands derives from the efficacy of the relics of Marcouf, according to the chronicle of Joan of Arc, '' Chronique de la Pucelle''. The north ambulatory of the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Coutances contains the Chapel of Saint Marcouf, with a stained glass window showing scenes from the saint's life.

References

External links

*
M. Charles Grosset, "A Theory on the Evangelisation of the Cotentin"
558 deaths People from Bayeux Roman Catholic monks French Christian monks 6th-century Frankish saints Year of birth unknown {{France-saint-stub

Life

See also

References

External links