Martina (saint)

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El Greco: The Virgin Mary with the hll. Agnes and Martina

Martina († around 230 in Rome ) was a consecrated virgin , martyr and saint of the early Church. Her feast day is January 30th . The name Martina comes from Latin and means " consecrated to the (Roman) god of war Mars ".

Martina was the daughter of a former Roman consul and thus belonged to the Roman upper class, the patricians . She lived at the time of Emperor Severus Alexander (222–235 AD) and openly professed Christianity .

Life

According to tradition, the Christian Martina was supposed to be forced to offer a sacrifice in the temple of Apollo . In front of the statue of Apollo she made a cross , whereupon the idol shattered and the temple collapsed. Martina has now been subjected to a series of tortures. Heavenly assistance helped her through this. She was thrown to the animals in the amphitheater , but the lion that was supposed to devour her lay at her feet. When Martina was put on a pyre, the fire was extinguished by a sudden thunderstorm; eventually Martina was beheaded.

reception

The veneration of St. Martina has been attested since the 5th century. In the 13th century Hugo von Langenstein wrote an extensive Middle High German rhyming legend based on the Passio Sanctae Martinae about the life and martyrdom of St. Martina. On October 25, 1634, relics attributed to the saint were found in a clay coffin in the crypt of an early Christian church in Rome . Pope Urban VIII thereupon in 1634 agreed to the building of a new church in this place, Santi Luca e Martina , which in addition to the patronage of St. Martina also that of St. Luke carried.

In Christian iconography Martina is represented with a lion at her feet as her attribute . She is the patron saint of Rome and nursing mothers.

Farmer rules

Numerous peasant rules (weather rules) apply to the feast day of the saints :

  • To Martina Sonnenschein, promises a lot of fruit and good wine.
  • If the sun shines mildly on Martina, she is the image of a good harvest.
  • When January brings a lot of rain, the fields of God are fertilized.
  • If Martina brings sunshine, one hopes for a lot of grain and wine.

literature

Web links

Commons : Saint Martina  - collection of images, videos and audio files
personal data
SURNAME Martina
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Martina of Rome
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Virgin and martyr
DATE OF BIRTH 2nd century or 3rd century
DATE OF DEATH at 230
Place of death Rome