I've been having this pop up a lot for me lately,and so I'm trying to make a list of saints that are;
1) Catholic versions of an older deity, whether officially canonized or not (Santa Muerte, for example).
2) Tied to pagan symbolism, or otherwise "filling in" on a role previously held by a pagan deity ( Saint Walpurga and her sheaf of grain, along with myths about her entering the last sheaf of wheat, or being chased by the Wild Hunt).
3) Used as an avatar to syncretize another being with Catholic practice (Lwa in Voudon usually have a saint they are tied to).
A lot of lists online just say this=this, without any links or information, which is aggravating, especially when I eventually disagree with their analysis, and so I'm trying to include detail when possible:
Saint Brigid of Kildare, who took up all the symbols of the older Celtic goddess Brighid .
Saint Elijah the Thunderer, the Eastern Orthodox church's effort to reduce worship of Perun.
Saint Lucy, a minor but loved saint in her native Italy, who became hugely popular and syncretized with Norse solar symbolism in Northern Europe (link from my blog).
Santa Muerte, the unofficial saint from Mexico who is becoming a source of controversy in the States because of her ties to the poor and desperate. Some are now arguing that she is a modern incarnation of ideas and practices originally tied to the goddess Mictecacihuatl.
Saint Walburga, another probably real person who absorbed older myths tied to their name (my blog, again).
I'll add more when I'm not worried my connection will lose this thread...any others you can think of?
1) Catholic versions of an older deity, whether officially canonized or not (Santa Muerte, for example).
2) Tied to pagan symbolism, or otherwise "filling in" on a role previously held by a pagan deity ( Saint Walpurga and her sheaf of grain, along with myths about her entering the last sheaf of wheat, or being chased by the Wild Hunt).
3) Used as an avatar to syncretize another being with Catholic practice (Lwa in Voudon usually have a saint they are tied to).
A lot of lists online just say this=this, without any links or information, which is aggravating, especially when I eventually disagree with their analysis, and so I'm trying to include detail when possible:
Saint Brigid of Kildare, who took up all the symbols of the older Celtic goddess Brighid .
Saint Elijah the Thunderer, the Eastern Orthodox church's effort to reduce worship of Perun.
Saint Lucy, a minor but loved saint in her native Italy, who became hugely popular and syncretized with Norse solar symbolism in Northern Europe (link from my blog).
Santa Muerte, the unofficial saint from Mexico who is becoming a source of controversy in the States because of her ties to the poor and desperate. Some are now arguing that she is a modern incarnation of ideas and practices originally tied to the goddess Mictecacihuatl.
Saint Walburga, another probably real person who absorbed older myths tied to their name (my blog, again).
I'll add more when I'm not worried my connection will lose this thread...any others you can think of?
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