The Daily Register of The Times informs me that today is the Feast of St Perpetua, patron saint of cows. As a good smells and bells Anglican and general cow enthusiast, I was rather charmed by this, even if her qualifications for taking heavenly responsibility for all things bovine remain something of a mystery. A 22 year old Roman noblewoman martyred in 203, she was slain by the sword after sustaining injuries from a wild bull set on her in the gladiatorial arena, perhaps indicating that God has a sense of irony. Her heavenly vision of the paradise that awaited her after martyrdom did, however, include sheep.
Unfortunately, I couldn't find a picture of her with an actual cow, so this late antique mosaic from Carthage will have to do instead. You have to imagine the cow.
1 comment:
If you want to read about St Perpetua, her Passio is available in the UL (Passio sanctarum Perpetuae et Felicitatis, ed. J. W. Halporn et al. (Bryn Mawr, 1984)). She had a vision of her brother in the afterlife, it's quite interesting! :o) Really not sure where the cows come from though, but the Passio might tell you...
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