Miraculous healings at Willehad's grave
The miraculous healings at Willehad's grave were a series of miraculous healings that are said to have occurred beginning on Whitsun 860 at the grave of the first Bremen bishop Willehad in the cathedral in Bremen .
The news of the supposed miraculous healings quickly spread throughout northwest Germany and subsequently attracted numerous pilgrims who hoped for recovery through prayers at the grave of Willehad - who was venerated as a saint after his death in 789. The events of Bishop Ansgar have been narrated in his record of the life and deeds of Willehad.
Saints in the time of Willehad
“In Willehad's time, saints did not arise as a result of lengthy examination procedures by appointed bodies and ultimately papal decisions; they were venerated for their pious, ascetic way of life and their miraculous powers and justified their worship by miracles. [...] When the miracles occurred that the people wanted, the bishop could make the elevation to saint and fix the day for worship in the diocese. "
List of miraculous healings
In his notes, Bishop Ansgar collected the miraculous healings that took place at the grave (introduced, translated and edited by Andreas Röpcke, p. 78 ff; see literature)
- A woman from Oslebshausen (Tida) who has been blind for seven years “received her eyesight back as a gift from God's hand”.
- A woman (Wimod) came from the Emsgau who had been blind for nine years and "got back the sight that she had lost".
- On the birthday of St. John the Baptist ( June 24th ) "in the midst of a very large crowd, seven sick people were freed from various diseases."
- From Lara (the area between Weser and Hunte) from the village of Schlutter (on the Delme near Delmenhorst), a woman “has not been able to move about anything other than crawling on her hands for many years,” she had a daughter who was blind from childhood - the daughter was able to see and the woman could "move alone and upright again and walk back to her place of residence on her own two feet".
- Two women from Lara from the village of Falldorf (southeast of Syke), one of whom was blind and the other lame, “returned home fresh and healthy through God's goodness”.
- A young man from the village of Altenbücken (south of Hoya / Weser), "who had been paralyzed for a long time, received his former strength back through God's providence".
- A woman by the name of Adsuit from the village of Baldrikeswich in the Gau Ostarburge (in the area around Vlotho and Rinteln on the middle Weser), had "suffered from paralysis for a long time"; After a mass, the congregation was informed “that that very day many sick people, seven or eight perhaps, had been healed of various ailments.” “While the clergy and congregation were now singing the praises of God for the miracles that had occurred, Adsuit suddenly arose from the middle of the congregation and began to run towards the altar steps. "
- In Waldsaten in the village of Wilstedt (between Tarmstedt and Ottersberg ) a woman named Ikkia had suffered from blindness for seven years, she was taken to Bremen by her neighbor - she then turned to her guide with the words “Look, I see it like you do Light of heaven. "
- A woman, also called Ikkia, who came from the same area, had been paralyzed from the girdle for many years, her "strengths being restored by God's mercy".
- A local who wandered around out of poverty, was blind and asked for alms, and his blind stepdaughter saw in Wildeshausen that the stepdaughter could see with one eye again, and when they "came to the Bremen Cathedral", he himself was in both eyes and seeing his stepdaughter in the other eye too.
- A man who has been deaf and mute since his childhood from the Gau Nordwidu (on the East Frisian coast around Esens and Dornum) also received his hearing in Wildeshausen and his language in Bremen Cathedral thanks to “God's mildness and goodness through the mediation of St. Willehad ”.
- The daughter of a certain Fridebern from Lara from the village of Oiste (left of the Weser west of Verden) had been paralyzed in all limbs for a long time - she “began to feel relief through God's goodness” and, to the delight of relatives and neighbors, returned “to everyone Divide healthy back into the father's house ”.
- In Steoringen (in the area between Weser and Hunte) in the village of Ganderkesee , a woman named Herimod had been deaf for two years and her hearing was restored.
- Two women from Falldorf in Lara (see above): Hathaburch was crippled from crippling and Marcswid was blind - “both came home healthy and happy”.
- A girl from Weyhe had been weakened in all limbs for a long time and had no more strength in her whole body - she was "restored to a completely healthy body".
- A woman by the name of Gerswid from Eitze in Sturmi (area from the Allerm estuary to the northeast to roughly the upper reaches of the Wümme) was given her eyesight again after suffering from blindness for a long time.
- A woman from Stendorf was healed after a long period of blindness with the help of the saint "after she lay down and prayed".
- The blind Meinrad from the Frisian village Westanko (situation unclear) received "enlightened by heavenly grace, his eyesight back".
- Reinmuod from Kirchhatten , who had been blind for nine years, regained his sight.
- A man from Misselwarden in Wigmodien had been paralyzed by the hand for many years and "was healed there by the grace of the Lord".
- "Also from Wigmodien in the village of Westerbeverstedt (now Lunestedt) came a woman named Thiatgardis, who was blind for a long time and was able to see again there."
- In Sturmi in the village of Eitze, “a certain Akko has been unable to use his arm for many years” (after an injury) - he received “a gift of grace from heaven: He felt an excruciating pain in his arm for a long time, but was finally healed and put out his right hand. Everyone thanked God for his healing. "
- "A certain Hruodwig" from Steimke , who had been silent for three years, went in silence and asked the saint for help and suddenly he began "to proclaim the great deeds of the Lord".
- In Rechtenfleth a woman could not even turn over in bed for a long time and from the grave of the saint "she rushed into the middle of the church and sang praises to the Lord". She went back undaunted on her own two feet the way she had been driven.
- In the village of Büchten in Loinga (area on the lower reaches of the Aller tributaries Leine and Böhme) a woman by the name of Siberin was weakened in all limbs - her health was "completely restored".
- In Lara in the village of Eggersen (second village center of Magelsen north of Hoya , place name was later lost), a woman from childhood had no use for her hand - "she clapped her hands and cheered the Lord in heaven".
- A maid of Count Heriman came from Lesum , whom he had weaving in Heesen (northwest of Hoya). She “was struck by the loss of language” - as she “hurried to the church door, she immediately felt that God's mercy was coming towards her ”- when she entered,“ the ligament of her tongue was suddenly loosened ”.
- A girl from Bremen (named Wige) “regained her language and the service of all her members through the merits of the saint”.
- Tethildis from Upriustri (between the Lower Weser and today's Jade Bay) was paralyzed on the right side from birth and was "cured with God's help".
- Ida from the village of Medemahem (location unknown, possibly Neuenkirchen ) in Wigmodien was “given the bright light of her eyes” after nine years of blindness.
- Ms. Dislith from Schmalenfleth in Riustri regained her sight in both eyes after being blind in one eye for eleven months.
- Mrs. Egilmarc from the village of Tadinghem (location unknown) returned home on her own two feet - before that she was paralyzed for four years.
- A woman from Utrothe (location unknown) had "been deprived of sight for a year and a half when she regained her health through the intercession of the saint".
- Ms. Hrotgardis from Lesum walked into the Bremen Cathedral on two sticks - "and when she was able to walk again with her foot, which had been lame for many years," she noticed that she was healed.
- "In addition, many [...] were healed on the way." - They turned back on the way and hurried home full of joy.
Bishop Ansgar concludes the list of miraculous healings with the words:
“So that my story doesn't get too rambling and burdensome for the readers, I […] have left out a lot more. […] The body of St. But Willehad, who had already been moved from his resting place to another place, was picked up there in the presence of a very large crowd of believers and innumerable clergy, laid on a stretcher and under the loud hymns of the assembled [...] on his day Burial [8. November] in the new cathedral that I had inaugurated at that time. After resting here in honor, he continued to gain fame through innumerable evidences of his miraculous powers, and day by day many miraculous signs increased there through the merits of the saint. "
Importance of the reports
In a time without modern medicine, in many cases of illness, infirmity and infirmity, only prayer helped. Clergymen urged believers to turn to God with their concerns.
“But the clergymen promised the people visible signs of God's grace most likely where heavenly intercessors were physically present. Saints or their body parts were therefore regarded in churches as venerated relics with direct access to divine assistance. "
In Bremen, however, there was a lack of “really powerful relics”, which is why a miracle was urgently needed on the Weser around 860. The collection of reports on the miraculous healings was authenticated by the precise indication of the places of origin of the healed. The stories of Ansgar thus became a kind of factual report - "a text that was unique in this form in the early Middle Ages!"
The text is of great importance for local history research because it documents many places between the Elbe and Ems for the first time. So places like Lunestedt, Weyhe, Eitze u. a. on the miracles recorded by Ansgar at the grave of St. Willehad when they celebrated their - at least - 1150th anniversary in 2010 . Bremen “cannot look back on the oldest evidence of everyday and social history in Bremen without pride. This 'wonderful' text is not only important for the Bremen region, but a document of national standing that is unique in northern Germany. "
literature
- Andreas Röpcke (ed.): Willehad: the life of St. Willehad, Bishop of Bremen, and the description of the miracles on his grave. Schünemann Verlag, Bremen 1982, ISBN 3-7961-1738-4 .
- Konrad Elmshäuser: Seven miraculous healings in one day . 1150 years ago: Mute people speak at the grave of Bishop Willehad in Bremen, and cripples can walk again. In: Weser-Kurier , May 22, 2010, p. 24
Individual evidence
- ↑ The document is written in Latin, for a translation see: Andreas Röpcke (Ed.): Willehad: das Leben des hl. Willehad, Bishop of Bremen, and the description of the miracles on his grave . (see literature)
- ↑ Emesga is an area across the Ems between Emden and Leer, see the map of the Duchy of Saxony around 1000
- ↑ Andreas Röpcke (ed.): Willehad: the life of St. Willehad, Bishop of Bremen, and the description of the miracles on his grave . P. 84
- ↑ Andreas Röpcke (ed.): Willehad: the life of St. Willehad, Bishop of Bremen, and the description of the miracles on his grave . P. 85
- ↑ Andreas Röpcke (ed.): Willehad: the life of St. Willehad, Bishop of Bremen, and the description of the miracles on his grave . P. 87
- ↑ Andreas Röpcke (ed.): Willehad: the life of St. Willehad, Bishop of Bremen, and the description of the miracles on his grave . P. 89
- ↑ Andreas Röpcke (ed.): Willehad: the life of St. Willehad, Bishop of Bremen, and the description of the miracles on his grave . P. 89f
- ↑ Andreas Röpcke (ed.): Willehad: the life of St. Willehad, Bishop of Bremen, and the description of the miracles on his grave . P. 91
- ↑ Andreas Röpcke (ed.): Willehad: the life of St. Willehad, Bishop of Bremen, and the description of the miracles on his grave . P. 92
- ^ Adolf E. Hofmeister: The Holler colonization and the state communities Land Kehdingen and Altes Land . Lax, 1981, pp. 407, 447 pages
- ↑ Andreas Röpcke (ed.): Willehad: the life of St. Willehad, Bishop of Bremen, and the description of the miracles on his grave . P. 93
- ↑ a b Konrad Elmshäuser: Seven miraculous healings in one day . 1150 years ago: Mute people speak at the grave of Bishop Willehad in Bremen, and cripples can walk again. In: Weser-Kurier , May 22, 2010, p. 24