With her extra pair of eyes, Saint Lucy / Lucia delivers up a mystery for those so inclined. Her sainthood is born of conflict, yet she brings a sense of peace and restoration. Having mythically lost her eyes (by her own hand, or by tormentors), she’s had a better pair instated by God’s will. She’s a patron saint of the blind. In Nordic tradition, she brings illumination by way of candles worn like a coal miner’s lamp on her feast day, December 13. How strange and memorable -- no wonder St. Lucy / Lucia folk traditions spread like wildfire from the Mediterranean to Sweden. Thanks to cultural diffusion by war and trade and intermingling and art -- and with no definitively provable origin point -- St. Lucy / Lucia became a saint in both Catholic and Protestant traditions, syncretized beautifully with non-Christian elements.
Today’s Rune: Defense.
7 comments:
Once again, I'm reminded of my college class on European Witchcraft. This painting is peculiar, very peculiar.
Hi Erik,
Thanks for the occasional visit during my enforced absence. I'm tidying up the blog now as I want to use it as an example to some students next year.
Then, I'll try and make more posts. It will take time pruning and editing past posts though. There are so many mistakes in there.
I didn't know anything about Saint Lucy/Lucia, and the face is certainly very peculiar. The name 'Luca' obviously brings up words like Lucifer and also the Sisters of Mercy tune, "Lucretia My Reflection".
http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=IuezNswtRfo
Maybe Lucy/Lucia in the painting is the sort of offspring that would emerge from the sort of person named Andrew Eldritch. Anyway, I spent many hours dancing to that tune. Too many, when one considers what I could have been doing.
Oh, and also - after reading the first line of your post, it brought the title of Les Rallizes Denudes posthumous collection to mind: Blind Baby Has Its Mothers Eyes.
http://www.headheritage.co.uk/merchandiser/#JAPROCK2
As a good Swedish girl, I have worn that candle wreath on my head several times.
I like the song Lucia by Rosario Flores but Im sure this is not realted to this Lucia.
While i am not as familiar with the saints as I suppose i should be this one looks like she is serving up lunch to Andrew Zimmer.
I'm not terribly familiar with this saint, but when I was in Catholic grade school I read many, many books on saints. That's mostly what our small library had.
Thanks all, for the comments! JR, I agree -- it's almost lurid.
Danny, glad to see you back! Good luck with your students and revamping -- I'm fond of several Sisters of Mercy tracks, cool stuff and very dramatic.
Lulu, cheers to your Swedish heritage, wich I share by quarter (first name is a clue).
Ali, I hope your trip to Aleppo was most excellent.
Walkin Man, chuckles -- bizarre food for thought, indeed.
Charles, there's quite a lively bit of imagination involved, which probably didn't hurt your own storytelling ;->
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