h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Roman Catholicism has saints for just about everyday of the year. Sometimes the unfortunate Catholic is named after the Saint on whose day he or she was born. Thankfully, I am not a Catholic, or else my name might be...

...Cunegonde.

hmmmm... March 3rd, are you?



I'd be Illtud myself, which is about as bad.

Mikey

You're right. It is.

Cunegonde was known for the usual--vow of chastity, random torture, and hefty donations to the Church. How about Illtud?

Maybe I should change my name. Cunegonde Grafenberg? Too unwieldy?

Illtud at least has a decent story behind him. He's Welsh, and was supposedly one of the three knights of the Holy Grail, and a cousin to King Arthur.

He and his wife were also hermits and one point, and also started some famous Welsh abbey.

And hey, Cunegonde was also some kind of Roman empress, wasn't she?


Mikey

Close. *Holy* Roman Empress. Even though she was chaste, Emperor Henry (himself a saint-in-the-making) married her. After his death, she joined a Benedictine nunnery.

Still, it's not as exciting as the obscure Italian saint who claimed the foreskin of Christ would materialize in her mouth. Now that's pizzazz!

Does it ever frighten you that we know these things....?


Mikey

Nope. It's what makes me the secret weapon down at the pub trivia quizzes. Be proud of your arcane and useless knowledge!

Hey, hey - more about this saint with the foreskin! Being that the feast of the Circumcision is Jan 1, I guess she didn't get it the way the average lass would acquire same - it was at least detached. But who was this gal? And is she the Patron Saint of chewing gum by any chance?

Hey, hey - more about this saint with the foreskin! Being that the feast of the Circumcision is Jan 1, I guess she didn't get it the way the average lass would acquire same - it was at least detached. But who was this gal? And is she the Patron Saint of chewing gum by any chance?

Sorry it took me so long to get back to you. I had to remember where *I* found this information. It's in Frances Mayes' "Under the Tuscan Sun". She doesn't mention the name, or names, but on page 262 she talks about a number of young women, martyrs and saints, in the Middle Ages who experienced this phenomenom. , huh?

If you're not Welsh you perhaps don't realise that "Illtud" is pronounced "Ichhh-tid" which is slightly better than being called Ill-tud, I suppose. We have quite a few churches dedicated to him in this neck of the woods.
I am a Catholic and am named after the patron saint whose feastday is the day before my birthday. This wheeze was suggested by my godmother,who was rampantly old-style Catholic,festooned by rosary beads, crucifixes and holy medals, and I remain eternally grateful because my parents then decided not to call me Dorothy after all. No offence to any Dorothies, but I would not have been happy with the name. So a big shout out for St Anne - and please look out for Aunty Rosie, who moved up your way about forty years ago.