St. Anselm's art is an archaic

superstition A superstition is any belief or practice considered by non-practitioners to be irrational or supernatural, attributed to fate or magic, perceived supernatural influence, or fear of that which is unknown. It is commonly applied to beliefs an ...

, in which wounds are said to be cured by barely touching the

linen Linen () is a textile made from the fibers of the flax plant. Linen is very strong, absorbent, and dries faster than cotton. Because of these properties, linen is comfortable to wear in hot weather and is valued for use in garments. It also ...

wherein those wounds had been covered.

Martin Delrio Martin Anton Delrio SJ ( la, Martinus Antonius Delrio; es, Martín Antonio del Río; french: Martin-Antoine del Rio; 17 May 1551 – 19 October 1608) was a Dutch Jesuit theologian He studied at numerous institutions, receiving a master's ...

, in his '' Disquisitiones Magicae'', observed that some Italian soldiers who practiced this art attributed its invention to

St. Anselm Anselm of Canterbury, OSB (; 1033/4–1109), also called ( it, Anselmo d'Aosta, link=no) after his birthplace and (french: Anselme du Bec, link=no) after his monastery, was an Italian Benedictine monk, abbot, philosopher and theologian of th ...

; but assured the reader that it was invented by

Anselm de Parma Anselm may refer to: People Saints * Anselm, Duke of Friuli (s), Benedictine monk and abbot Nonantula * Anselm of Canterbury (c. 1033–1109), philosopher, Abbot of Bec, and Archbishop of Canterbury * Anselm of Lucca (1036–1086), better known as ...

, a celebrated

astrologer Astrology is a range of divinatory practices, recognized as pseudoscientific since the 18th century, that claim to discern information about human affairs and terrestrial events by studying the apparent positions of celestial objects. Di ...

and

magician Magician or The Magician may refer to: Performers * A practitioner of magic (supernatural) * A practitioner of magic (illusion) * Magician (fantasy), a character in a fictional fantasy context Entertainment Books * ''The Magician'', an 18th-ce ...

References

Supernatural healing {{alt-med-stub