Caryophyllales

Hagiography

Barbara or holy Barbe would have lived in the middle of the 3rd century with Nicomédie in Asia Mineure, today Izmit, a port of Turkey, on the Marmara Sea. Other sources give birth to it in Héliopolis aujourdh' today Baalbeck in Lebanon then Byzantine possession where she lived under the Maximien emperor.

His/her father, a pagan rich person, a satrap of the name of Dioscore, wanted to protect his virginity (or to protect it from Christian proselytism). He locked up it in a tower with two windows. But a priest, disguised as a doctor, was introduced into the tower and baptized it.

With the return of a voyage, Barbara taught him that it had bored a third window in the wall of the tower to represent the Holy Trinity and that it was Christian. Furious, the father put fire at the tower.

Barbara succeeds in fleeing, but a shepherd discovered his hiding-place and informs his father. This last trailed it in front of the Roman governor of the province, which condemned it to dreadful torments. As the girl refused to abjure her faith, the governor ordered to the father to slice itself the head of his daughter.

Dioscore decapitated it and was punished at once by the Sky: he died struck by the Foudre. When the Christians asked for his body, they could only name it “one barbarian young woman”.

Attributes

Sainte Barbe is generally represented with one or more of the following attributes: a tower with three windows, a flash, a book, a crown or a palm of martyrdom and a sword.

Patronage

The catholics thus request holy Barbe to protect themselves from the lightning, but it is also the owner of the Architecte S, the geologists, the firemen, the minor (and by extension currently, of the Engineer S of the Mines), of the Artilleur S, the Sapeur S, the Canonnier S, metallurgists and other corporations related to the fire, of which military tankers.

In particular, strong patronage that the underground workers dedicated to him is gradually transmitted to the workmen and engineers of underground work (Tunnel S, caves, etc) with the progressive disappearance of Western mining industry. Nowadays, a holy Beard throne always at the entry of the Tunnels in construction to protect the workman-minors from the accidents of building site.

The Byzantine emperors particularly venerated its relics which they made transfer to the 6th century in Constantinople. A part was taken along to Italy by the Venetian ones, and another with by the girl of Alexis Comnène in Kiev, where they are always with the Saint-Wladimir cathedral of Kiev.

Vaults and places of worship

a vault on the commune of the Faouët in Morbihan: built in Ex-voto with hillside, it with the characteristic to be broader than long.

The church Holy-Bores Kutná Hora, city mining of first importance to the Middle Ages is dedicated to the owner of the minors.

Traditions related to the worship of Holy-Bores

Tradition inhabitant of Saint-Etienne

The December 4th, Holy-Bores, owner of the minors, ravels in the streets until the different ones then from mines, this procession is generally accompanied by a spectacle.

Savoyard tradition

Each first Saturday from December, with Bozel, Savoy the vault Holy-Bores is exceptionally open, and a mass is celebrated there the morning. Then follows a soup tasting traditional (beans and bacon), prepared in the night in an immense cauldron by the inhabitants and divided between all the people present.

Tradition of Provence

The December 4th, in Provence, each one must sow Blé and lens S on Coton soaked with water in a cup. A good growth is sign of abundance and prosperity.

Alsatian tradition

December 4th in Alsace, one cut branches of fruit trees (in particular the cherry tree) which were placed in a vase filled with water. For there it was necessary daily to cut a short period of the foot of the stem and to renew water. If these recommendations well are observed, the branches flower towards Christmas and a beautiful flowering is sign of abundance.

Lebanese tradition

The December 4th, with the Lebanon, people disguise and make door with door. They commemorate the escape of Barbara of the tower where she was imprisoned. This escape would hardly have been successful without the assistance of his/her friends who gave him the idea to disguise themselves.

Brittany

The Breton form is Barba , first name of the narrator Barba Tassel , informatrice of Fañch year Uhel.

Cuba, Brazil

In the tradition Cuban Negro and Brazilian Negro the holy one is comparable to the god Yoruba Chango.

In the tradition Brazilian Negro, Sainte Beard is comparable in Oricha (divinized ancestor) Yoruba (Nigeria people) " Oya" known also under the name of " Yansan" , which was one of the wives of Chango, 4th king d' Oyo. It is the owner of the Niger river in Africa and control surface the storms in the tradition of candomblé Brazilian.

Navy

In the marine old , the holy-bores was the name of the Ammunition store.

Toponymy

Several cities bear the name of Santa Barbara.

See too

Academic Ordre of Holy Beard
Ardoise
Collège Holy-Bores

External bonds

crowned Brittany: The martyrdom of holy Beard with Pédernec
crowned Brittany: The martyrdom of holy Beard with Lannelec

the site of association Co.-Bores Mines: Additional details on the holy one, traditions, the complete bio and a song which is dedicated to him. An association which works, amongst other things, to promote the traditions related to the holy one.
the tradition of Provence of corn of the co. Beard on notreprovence.fr
Article on the traditions and the habits related to Sainte Beard
Holy-Bores underground tourist museum of Fell

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