Leonhard of Limoges

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St. Leonhard as advocate of the prisoners before the throne of the Merovingian king Clovis I, depiction from the Vie des Saints by Richard de Montbaston, (14th century).

Leonhard von Limoges , also Leonhard von Noblat († 559/620 ), was a Frankish nobleman who was educated at the court of the Merovingians ; later he lived as a hermit . He is venerated as a saint in the Roman Catholic Church . His feast day is November 6th .

Life

Rescue of the Queen, altar relief (1495) in Pesenbach (Upper Austria)

Leonhard, whose year of birth estimated at 500 is not documented, is not mentioned by his famous contemporaries Gregor von Tours (* 538/39) and Venantius Fortunatus (* 538/39). His life story is known from a biography with legendary features written in the 11th century. According to this tradition, the Archbishop Remigius of Reims (440-534) baptized and raised him . Filled with pity, the young Leonhard regularly sought out prisoners and successfully spoke to King Clovis I (466–511) or his successor Chlothar I (~ 500–561) for their release . Later he refused the offer of bishopric in order to retire as a hermit in the solitude of the Pauvain forest not far from Limoges . From his cell he began to preach for the sick and the needy. Legend has it that the prayer of St. Leonhard or his invocation miraculously broke the chains of numerous prisoners.

The saint came to land after he had rescued the heavily pregnant queen. The royal couple hunted in the Limoges woods, but the queen went into labor. Leonhard heard her screams, hurried to help and saved her and the child's life. The king - presumably it was King Chlothar I - wanted to thank Leonhard with wealth. But Leonhard only asked for as much forest area as he could ride around with his donkey in one night. The king granted this wish. Leonhard founded the Noblat Monastery on the donated land , which still exists.

St. Leonhard, sandstone figure around 1310, Würzburg Cathedral

Adoration

Saint Leonhard, initially the patron saint of prisoners, is also known as the "chain saint ". From the 11th century he was given special veneration in old Bavaria , where he is seen as a helper in need, but above all as the patron saint of cattle, especially horses . The vernacular gave him the nickname "Bavarian Lord God" or "Farmer Lord God". Saint Leonhard is called by farmers, grooms, carters, blacksmiths and locksmiths as well as fruit dealers and miners. He is also considered a helper for women who have recently given birth, for headaches as well as mental and venereal diseases.

Patronage :

An arch brotherhood to St. Leonhard has existed in Inchenhofen since 1659, approved by Pope Alexander VII .

This statue shows St. Leonhard in Kukulle and Pektorale and with his attribute, the chain, in hands (St. Laurentius parish church in Unteralb , Lower Austria)

Representations and customs

Since the 13th century, St. Leonhard has also been shown in iconography as a Benedictine abbot with a crook and the attributes of a chain, often also with horses and oxen. The chain symbolizes the liberation of prisoners achieved by Leonhard. Over time it was misinterpreted and viewed as a cattle chain, which is why he is considered the patron saint of cattle.

In Bavaria there are over 50  Leonhardi pilgrimages , mostly with horse rides or Leonhardi rides. In some places there are also fairs or dulten associated with it, such as in Siegertsbrunn or in Aigen am Inn . In Bad Tölz this day is a city holiday, the shops are closed during the Tölzer Leonhardifahrt and the service.

Pawn rule

Peasant rules for the feast day of St. Leonhard read:

  • When it rains on Leonhardi, the wheat is in bad shape.
  • How's the weather at Lenardi, it'll be certain until Christmas.
  • After all the heavy work, honor to Leonhardi the horse.

literature

  • Josef Hopfenzitz: St. Leonhard, the Bavarian and Swabian "Lord God". His worship in the Diocese of Augsburg north of the Danube . In: Markus Würmseher, René Brugger (Hrsg.): Crossing borders between Old Bavaria and Swabia. History, politics and art on both sides of the Lech . Festschrift for Wilhelm Liebhart. 1st edition. Verlag Schnell & Steiner, Regensburg 2016, ISBN 978-3-7954-3118-1 , p. 365-380 .
  • Hiltgart L. Keller: Reclam's Lexicon of Saints and Biblical Figures. Legend and representation in the visual arts , 1968, 4th revised and supplemented edition, Philipp Reclam jun., Stuttgart 1979, ISBN 3-15-010154-9
  • Karl Mühlek:  Leonhard. In: Biographisch-Bibliographisches Kirchenlexikon (BBKL). Volume 4, Bautz, Herzberg 1992, ISBN 3-88309-038-7 , Sp. 1488-1490.  ( Article / beginning of article in Internet archive )

Web links

Commons : Heiliger Leonhard  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Hiltgart L. Keller: Reclam's Lexicon of Saints and Biblical Figures , p. 332
  2. ↑ Since King Clovis died in 511, Leonhard, born around 500, would have been around 11 when this happened, so it seems reasonable to think that it must have been Clovis's successor, Chlotar.
  3. ↑ See Hiltgart L. Keller: Reclams Lexicon of Saints and Biblical Figures , p. 333
  4. ↑ See Kurt Malisch: Farmer Lord God - Chain Saint - Cattle Patron: the veneration of St. Leonhard in Bavaria in France - Bavaria. Bavaria and France. Paths and Encounters , 2006, pp. 25–28
personal data
SURNAME Leonhard of Limoges
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Leonhard von Noblat; Léonard de Noblat
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Monastery founder, saint
DATE OF BIRTH 5th century or 6th century
DATE OF DEATH 559