Aphrodisius
Saint Aphrodisius | |
---|---|
Roman Catholic Church Eastern Orthodox Church | |
Feast | 28 April |
Attributes | Depicted as a cephalophore |
Patronage | his relics were carried in a procession during times of drought or plague.[1] |
Aphrodisius (
According to
Legend
A
Aphrodisius learned of the
Local traditions assign Aphrodisius as the first
Aphrodisius was executed by beheading. The head was kicked into a well, but the water gushed out and the decapitated Aphrodisius
Aphrodisius left his head at the cave that he had previously occupied. This was a spot on which later stood a chapel dedicated to Saint Peter, later a basilica named after Aphrodisius (Saint-Aphrodise). This martyrdom is supposed to have occurred on 28 April 65 AD, during the reign of Nero.[6]
According to the story, after the death of his master, the camel was taken care of by a compassionate family of potters. When Aphrodisius was recognized as a saint, the city's leaders considered as an honour to take charge of all the expenses associated with the animal's maintenance. They offered it a house at the beginning of a street and this road, after the camel's death, took the name of "rue du Chameau" ("Camel Street"), afterwards rue Malbec.[6][7] This is considered the origin of the local "fêtes de Caritach" (feasts of charity).
Historicity
According to the Bréviaire de Béziers, during the 14th and 15th centuries, he was presented as bishop and confessor who died of
There are several saints with the name of Aphrodisius. The old martyrologies bear five saints with this name: the bishop of Béziers; a martyr of
The first literary account of the life of Aphrodisius of Béziers is probably that of
Veneration
There was a custom of leading a camel in the procession at Béziers on the feast of the saint.[4][6]
The "camel" was actually a mechanical camel of wood with a moving head and jaws, covered with a painted fabric on which the armorial bearings of the city and two inscriptions were inscribed: the Latin ex antiquitate renascor ("I'm reborn from Antiquity") and the local Occitan sen fosso ("we are numerous"). This machine, which did not really resemble a camel, concealed in its sides a few operators who made its head, jaws and teeth move. This camel was utilized during all local, religious, and political festivals.[6]
This mechanical camel was led during the processions by a costumed figure named Papari,
The camel was burned during the Wars of Religion and again during the French Revolution. The custom was revived in 1803 only to be discontinued during the Revolution of 1830, when it was considered a symbol of feudalism and religious fanaticism. Today, it continues to run through the city's streets during local holidays. The current head dates from the eighteenth century. In the 1970s, it was proposed that the camel be remade to give it a real camel's appearance. However, the townspeople protested and the camel retained its traditional appearance.[7]
The roots of this particular tradition are possibly to be found in the pre-Christian festivities dedicated to
Notes
- ^ a b [1] The Legend of Saint Aphrodise]
- ^ a b "St. Aphrodisius - Saints & Angels - Catholic Online". Catholic Online. Retrieved 2018-03-17.
- ^ In French, their names are Caralippe, Agape et Eusèbe.
- ^ a b Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. .
- ^ a b c d "Saint APHRODYSE". eocf.free.fr. Retrieved 2018-03-17.
- ^ a b c d e PITTORESQUE, LA FRANCE (9 September 2009). "Coutumes et traditions : chameau de Béziers et saint Aphrodise (Hérault)". La France pittoresque. Histoire de France, Patrimoine, Tourisme, Gastronomie (in French). Retrieved 2018-03-17.
- ^ a b c d Lou Camel
- ^ Possibly a variation of Papalin/Papalino, a soldier of the Pope. See http://www.sunnyfrance.net/histoiredebeziers/camel.htm
External links
- (in French) LA FÊTE DE SAINT-APHRODISE OU LE CHAMEAU DE BÉZIERS
- (in French) Saint APHRODYSE
- (in French) Lou Camel de Béziers
- (in French) Saint Aphrodise