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MINING HISTORY - SAINT BARBARA - MINING’S MATRON SAINT

BY HAROLD HOUGH

What does the patron saint of mining, Saint Barbara, and an upcoming Disney movie have in common? A lot more than you think. Saint Barbara was born to a wealthy aristocratic family about 300 AD in Asia Minor. According to tradition, she was an intelligent and beautiful woman who attracted a lot attention from young men. In order to dissuade any suitors, her father, Dioscurus, a cruel man, decided to keep her locked up in a tower.

During her imprisonment, she was influenced by a Christian deacon Valentinus and converted from paganism to Christianity. Valentinus, who had a soft spot for young lovers, would later become a bishop and a martyr, and become known to the world as St. Valentine. Unfortunately for her, it soon became obvious to her father that she had abandoned her pagan upbringing. When he confronted her, she turned the tables on him and tried to convert him. In his anger he threatened to kill her. But, thanks to her prayers, an opening in the tower wall appeared and she was able to escape. She hid from her father and remained free until a shepherd betrayed her. Barbara was imprisoned and tortured so she would recant her faith. But she refused to deny Jesus Christ and her wounds were miraculously healed every night. Finally, a Roman magistrate condemned her to death and ordered her father to carry out the beheading herself. Dioscurus took Barbara into the mountains and killed her. However, according to the story, he was struck dead by lightning afterwards.

Saint Barbara’s Legend

Saint Barbara’s association with lightning has defined her. During the Middle Ages, she becomes the patron saint for mining, gun makers, and artillery. People would also pray to her during storms. The Feast of Saint Barbara on December 4th was also seen as the beginning of the Christmas season in Austria and Catholic parts of Germany. A cherry branch would be cut from a tree and placed in water in a warm room. If the sprig blossomed on Christmas Day, it was a sign of a good future.

Although she was one of the most popular saints in the Middle Ages, her popularity as a patron saint took a serious blow in 1969, when the Roman Catholic Church dropped her from the list of saints. According to scholars, there are serious questions about her authenticity. They note that there was no mention of her until about 300 years after her death. Nor was she mentioned in the early lists of martyrs. However, that hasn’t stopped the cult of Saint Barbara. The Orthodox churches still recognize her and some Roman Catholic parishes still hold local events to correspond with the Feast of Saint Barbara. But, the story of Saint Barbara extends beyond religious feasts and into popular culture.

When the Grimm Brothers wrote their fairy tales, two hundred years ago, they took the story of Saint Barbara and rewrote it so she could “live happily ever after.” In their story, a beautiful woman, Rapunzel, was kept in a tower by an evil stepmother (The Grimms must have liked their father and decided to change the sex of the bad guy). However, a prince hears her singing and manages to get into the tower when she lets down her hair. Of course, the evil stepmother finds out and makes sure they are separated. Eventually, they find each other and live happily ever after.

Which brings us to Disney. According to reports, Disney is working on an animated movie of Rapunzel that is scheduled for release in 2009. Saint Barbara may be a myth, but the story of the girl in the tower continues to strike a cord in the hearts of children and adults alike.