The Cult of Saints in Late Antiquity

On the Death and Burial of Foillan / Nivelles Supplement on Foillan (De obitu et sepultura sancti Foilani / Additamentum Nivialense de Fuilano, BHL 3211, CPL 2102)

The short text relates how, after the death of *Fursey (monk and missionary in Britain and Ireland, ob. c. 649, S02398), his patron King Anna [of the East Angles] was driven out by pagans, and his monastery looted and his monks taken into captivity. His brother Foillan avoided capture, and after the pagans had retreated, he organised the monastery's flight to Francia, carrying relics (of unspecified saints):

[...] Monachis enim de captivitate redemptis, sanctis quoque inventis reliquiis, sacro altaris ministerio et libris in navi oneratis, ipse postremum Francorum petivit terras, atque in eodem loco, quo beatus Furseus sepultus est [...]

'... With the monks redeemed from captivity, the holy relics found, with the holy implements of the altar and books having been loaded on a ship, they then sought the land of the Franks and then the place where blessed Fursey was buried [Péronne]...'


Foillan and his monks were received, then expelled, by the patricius Erchinoald, but then taken in by Iduberga/Itta and her daughter Gertrude. Grimoald built them a monastery at the villa Bebrona [Fosses]. One day, however, Foillan was killed while on a journey taken on the monastery's behalf, on the feast of *Quintinus (martyr of Saint-Quentin, S00379):

[...] die vigiliarum sanctissimi martyris Quintini missarum sollempnia in Nivialensi ecclesia decantans, senioribus supplicans fratribus, ut corpus illius, sicubi inter via mori contigisset, a fratribus [...] requiereretur [...] Eademque nocte a quodam iniquo homine per devia ductus, atque ad cuiusdam villule inhabitaculum iniquorum hominum domicilium intrantes, cum fallaci suscepti sunt humanitate [...] Finitis vero matutinis laudibus, allocutus blande incolis, cum se sopori dedisset post orationem, suis alloquens, nec de ullo hominum malum aliquod suspicassent, surgentes viri diabolici cum aliis secum aliunde adductis, sanctum interfecerunt virum; comites quoque illius pariter necarunt [...]

'...He sang the solemnities of the mass on the day of the vigils of the most holy martyr Quintin in the church at Nivelles, beseeching the older brothers that his body, if he should happen to die anywhere on the way, should be sought out by the brothers... On the same night, having been led off the path by a certain evil man, and entering a small dwelling of evil men near a small villa, they were received by false kindness... With matins completed, having spoken kindly to the locals, when, after prayer, he had given himself to sleep, telling his own men not to suspect any evil of any of them, the diabolical men, rising up along with others who had been added to them from elsewhere, killed the holy man; his comrades also they likewise killed...'


The men beheaded Foillan and secretly buried the four bodies in a ditch in a neighbouring swine pen. After the saint failed to attend a public assembly (placitum), Gertrude fasted, prayed and sent out a search party, who found the bodies after 77 days - the same day of the year that Fursey had died. The bodies were taken to Nivelles, then Fosses:

[...] Suscepta vero corpora cum cereis ac facellarum luminibus, cum antiphonis et canticis spiritalibus a clero et populo per totam noctem ad monasterium Nivialcham honorifice humeris deportata sunt. Cumque ibidem vir venerabilis Dido Pictavensis episcopus atque inluster vir Grimaldus maiorem domus locorum sanctorum visitandi gratia ipso adventantes die, uterque eorum de adventantibus a Domino ammonetur corporibus. Nam quiescens episcopus post matutinis laudibus, interrogatus in somnis, quid ageret, iubetur quantotius in occursum beati Jaelyae properare. Qui ilico surgens, et quid ageretur, ministrum inquirens, audivit ab eo, quod veneranda ei aderant corpora. Moxque vir venerabilis in occursum pergens, multisque perfusus lacrimis, oracione completa laudem Domini exorsus, venerandi corporis onus una cum reverentissimo supradicto patricio suscipientes, propriis devexerunt humeris.

Atque in monasterium sanctarum virginum susceptus, reliquiis ab eo sumptis, veneranter cum psalmis et canticis ad proprium deportatur monasterium. Viris unique nobilibus in obviam concurrentibus ac propriis gestantibus humeris, cum omni honore constitutus in loco est celeberrimo, nominato alio nomine Fossa; ubi prestantur beneficia orationum, adiuvante Domino nostro Iesu Christo, qui cum Patre et Spiritu sancto vivit et regnat Deus per omnia secula seculorum. Amen.

'... The bodies were taken up and, with candles and torches and with spiritual antiphonies and canticles, were carried with honour by the clergy and people on their shoulders through the whole night to the monastery at Nivelles. And there the venerable man, Dido, Bishop of Poitiers, and the mayor of the palace, Grimoald, a man of illustrious standing, arrived that very day in order to visit the holy places, and each of them was informed of the arriving bodies by the Lord. For the bishop, resting after matins, was asked in a dream what he was doing and was immediately ordered to hasten to meet blessed Elijah. And he, arising instantly and asking a servant what was happening, heard from him that the venerable bodies were present. And straightaway the venerable man went forth to meet them, pouring out many tears and raising up the praise of the Lord in full prayer, along with the above-mentioned patricius; taking up the burden of the venerable body, they carried it on their own shoulders.

And having been received into the monastery of holy virgins, with relics taken from it, he was carried reverently with psalms and canticles to his own monastery. And when noble men had flocked from all sides to meet him and carried him on their own shoulders, he was established with every honour in the most famous place called Fosses by another name, where the blessings of prayer are performed, our Lord Jesus Christ aiding. Who with the Father and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns as God for ever and ever, amen.'


Text: Krusch 1902, 449-51.
Translation: Fouracre and Gerberding 1996, 327-9.
Summary: B. Savill.

Service for the saint
Eucharist associated with cult
Procession
Chant and religious singing

Saint’s feast
Dating by saint’s festival

Cult building - independent (church)
Cult building - monastic
Burial site of a saint - unspecified

Vigils
Fast
Composing and translating saint-related texts
Ceremonies at burial of a saint

Miracle after death
Unspecified miracle

Bodily relic - entire body
Discovering, finding, invention and gathering of relics
Transfer, translation and deposition of relics

Women
Ecclesiastics - bishops
Ecclesiastics - monks/nuns/hermits
Pagans
Relatives of the saint
Aristocrats

Source

Discussion

Bibliography