Post by dreamy on Nov 28, 2005 18:10:10 GMT 10
Saint Andrew is the Patron Saint of Scotland, and Saint Andrew's Day is celebrated by Scots around the world on the 30th November. The flag of Scotland is the Cross of Saint Andrew, and this is widely displayed as a symbol of national identity.
Very little is really known about Saint Andrew himself. He was thought to have been a fisherman in Galilee (now part of Israel), along with his elder brother Simon Peter (Saint Peter). Both became followers (apostles) of Jesus Christ, founder of the Christian religion.
Saint Andrew is said to have been responsible for spreading the tenets of the Christian religion though Asia Minor and Greece. Tradition suggests that Saint Andrew was put to death by the Romans in Patras, Southern Greece by being pinned to a cross (crucified). The diagonal shape of this cross is said to be the basis for the Cross of Saint Andrew which appears on the Scottish Flag.
Saint Andrews bones were entombed, and around 300 years later were moved by Emperor Constantine (the Great) to his new capital Constantinople (now Istambul in Turkey). Legend suggests that a Greek Monk (although others describe him as an Irish assistant of Saint Columba) called Saint Rule (or Saint Regulus) was warned in a dream that Saint Andrews remains were to be moved and was directed by an angel to take those of the remains which he could to the "ends of the earth" for safe-keeping. Saint Rule dutifully followed these directions, removing a tooth, an arm bone, a kneecap and some fingers from Saint Andrew's tomb and transporting these as far away as he could. Scotland was close to the extremities of the know world at that time and it was here that Saint Rule was shipwrecked with his precious cargo.
Saint Rule is said to have come ashore at a Pictish settlement on the East Coast of Scotland and this later became St. Andrews. Thus the association of Saint Andrew with Scotland was said to have begun.
Perhaps more likely than the tale of Saint Rule's journey is that Acca, the Bishop of Hexham, who was a reknown collector of relics, brought the relics of Saint Andrew to St. Andrews in 733. There certainly seems to have been a religious centre at Saint Andrews at that time, either founded by Saint Rule in the 6th century or by a Pictish King, Ungus, who reigned from 731 - 761.
Whichever tale is true, the relics were placed in a specially constructed chapel. This chapel was replaced by the Cathedral of St. Andrews in 1160, and St. Andrews became the religious capital of Scotland and a great centre for Medieval pilgrims who came to view the relics.
There are other legends of how Saint Andrew and his remains became associated with Scotland, but there is little evidence for any of these, including the legend of Saint Rule. The names still exist in Scotland today, including Saint Rules Tower, which remains today amongst the ruins of St. Andrews Cathedral.
It is not known what happened to the relics of Saint Andrew which were stored in St. Andrews Cathedral, although it is most likely that these were destroyed during the Scottish Reformation. The Protestant cause, propounded by Knox, Wishart and others, won out over Roman Catholism during the Reformation and the "idolatry of catholism", that is the Saints, relics, decoration of churches, were expunged during the process of converting the Roman Catholic churches of Scotland to the harsh simplicity of Knox's brand of Calvanism.
The place where these relics were kept within the Cathedral at St. Andrews is now marked by a plaque, amongst the ruins, for visitors to see.
The larger part of Saint Andrew's remains were stolen from Constantinople in 1210 and are now to be found in Amalfi in Southern Italy. In 1879 the Archbishop of Amalfi sent a small piece of the Saint's shoulder blade to the re-established Roman Catholic community in Scotland.
CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS
St. Andrew's Day is mainly celebrated north of the Border and by Scots living outside of Scotland, and "St. Andrew's Societies" flourish. The Saint's Day is usually a celebration of general Scottishness with traditional food, music (especially bagpipes) and dancing, and of course good Scotch.
Around midnight on November 29th, the day St. Andrew's Day, it was traditional for girls to pray to St. Andrew for a husband. They would make a wish and would look for a sign that they had been heard.
A girl wishing to marry could:
Throw a shoe at a door. If the toe of the shoe pointed into the direction of the exit, then she would marry and leave her parents' house within a year.
Peel a whole apple without breaking the peel and throw the peel over the shoulder. If the peel formed a letter of the alphabeth, then this suggested the name of her future groom.
Very little is really known about Saint Andrew himself. He was thought to have been a fisherman in Galilee (now part of Israel), along with his elder brother Simon Peter (Saint Peter). Both became followers (apostles) of Jesus Christ, founder of the Christian religion.
Saint Andrew is said to have been responsible for spreading the tenets of the Christian religion though Asia Minor and Greece. Tradition suggests that Saint Andrew was put to death by the Romans in Patras, Southern Greece by being pinned to a cross (crucified). The diagonal shape of this cross is said to be the basis for the Cross of Saint Andrew which appears on the Scottish Flag.
Saint Andrews bones were entombed, and around 300 years later were moved by Emperor Constantine (the Great) to his new capital Constantinople (now Istambul in Turkey). Legend suggests that a Greek Monk (although others describe him as an Irish assistant of Saint Columba) called Saint Rule (or Saint Regulus) was warned in a dream that Saint Andrews remains were to be moved and was directed by an angel to take those of the remains which he could to the "ends of the earth" for safe-keeping. Saint Rule dutifully followed these directions, removing a tooth, an arm bone, a kneecap and some fingers from Saint Andrew's tomb and transporting these as far away as he could. Scotland was close to the extremities of the know world at that time and it was here that Saint Rule was shipwrecked with his precious cargo.
Saint Rule is said to have come ashore at a Pictish settlement on the East Coast of Scotland and this later became St. Andrews. Thus the association of Saint Andrew with Scotland was said to have begun.
Perhaps more likely than the tale of Saint Rule's journey is that Acca, the Bishop of Hexham, who was a reknown collector of relics, brought the relics of Saint Andrew to St. Andrews in 733. There certainly seems to have been a religious centre at Saint Andrews at that time, either founded by Saint Rule in the 6th century or by a Pictish King, Ungus, who reigned from 731 - 761.
Whichever tale is true, the relics were placed in a specially constructed chapel. This chapel was replaced by the Cathedral of St. Andrews in 1160, and St. Andrews became the religious capital of Scotland and a great centre for Medieval pilgrims who came to view the relics.
There are other legends of how Saint Andrew and his remains became associated with Scotland, but there is little evidence for any of these, including the legend of Saint Rule. The names still exist in Scotland today, including Saint Rules Tower, which remains today amongst the ruins of St. Andrews Cathedral.
It is not known what happened to the relics of Saint Andrew which were stored in St. Andrews Cathedral, although it is most likely that these were destroyed during the Scottish Reformation. The Protestant cause, propounded by Knox, Wishart and others, won out over Roman Catholism during the Reformation and the "idolatry of catholism", that is the Saints, relics, decoration of churches, were expunged during the process of converting the Roman Catholic churches of Scotland to the harsh simplicity of Knox's brand of Calvanism.
The place where these relics were kept within the Cathedral at St. Andrews is now marked by a plaque, amongst the ruins, for visitors to see.
The larger part of Saint Andrew's remains were stolen from Constantinople in 1210 and are now to be found in Amalfi in Southern Italy. In 1879 the Archbishop of Amalfi sent a small piece of the Saint's shoulder blade to the re-established Roman Catholic community in Scotland.
CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS
St. Andrew's Day is mainly celebrated north of the Border and by Scots living outside of Scotland, and "St. Andrew's Societies" flourish. The Saint's Day is usually a celebration of general Scottishness with traditional food, music (especially bagpipes) and dancing, and of course good Scotch.
Around midnight on November 29th, the day St. Andrew's Day, it was traditional for girls to pray to St. Andrew for a husband. They would make a wish and would look for a sign that they had been heard.
A girl wishing to marry could:
Throw a shoe at a door. If the toe of the shoe pointed into the direction of the exit, then she would marry and leave her parents' house within a year.
Peel a whole apple without breaking the peel and throw the peel over the shoulder. If the peel formed a letter of the alphabeth, then this suggested the name of her future groom.
