Reading Notes: Saints and Animals, Part A

Saints and Animals - Abbie Farewell Brown

Saint Kentigern and the Robin

• Summary: Saint Kentigern is a great student, and all of the other students try to sabotage him because they're jealous. He brings a bird back to life to prove his superiority. 
• The traits that are most valued include: obedience, holiness, academic skill, singing 
• General themes include: moral purity, superiority, martyrdom, the connection between God and Nature 
• Minimal dialogue

Saint Blaise and His Beasts

• Summary: Saint Blaise was a martyr who was loved by all of the animals of the forest. 
• Christianity is equated with goodness: "he was a Christian, full of sympathy for everything that lived."
• Animals are referred to as "beasts", which I like a lot. Old-fashioned language is a big plus. 
• This story ends with a note about the lasting impact of the story, like a creation tale - it explains why there are bonfires on February third. 

Mosaic, Bangor Harbor by Albert Bridge via Wikipedia

St. Comgall and the Mice

• Summary: St. Comgall is a good guy. A man is hoarding all of the grains, and to get revenge on him, St. Comgall sends all of the mice to eat all of his grains. 
• Personified mouse lit!!!!! Think Tale of Despereaux, Redwall, Hermux Tantamoq. 
• "...for peanuts were not invented in those days,..." made me laugh.
• This makes me wonder whether there is some conceptual conflict between relationship of God and Nature in these stories and the Wiccan/Pagan Nature worship. I don't know much about Christianity. 
• Bad idea, Comgall - now that your mice ate all the grains, what are you going to eat?

The Wonders of Saint Berach

• Summary: Saint Berach grows an apple in the winter and then freezes some bad guys. He gets rich. 
• Forgiveness, but also revenge? 
• Similes! "seemed fairly bursting, like fat round kittens"