Talk:Margaret the Virgin
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[edit] Needs to be merged into article.
Saint Margarita, virgin and martyr, is celebrated by the Church of Rome on July 20, but her feast formerly fell on the 13th, and her story is almost identical, even in the proper names, with that of the Greek St. Marina (July 17). She was of Antioch (in the Greek story, Antioch of Pisidia), daughter of a priest Aedesius. She lived in the country with a foster mother, scorned by her father for her Christian faith, and keeping sheep. Olybrius the "praeses Orientis" sees her, and offers her his hand as the price of renunciation of Christianity. Her refusal leads to her being cruelly tortured, and after various miraculous incidents, in which a heavenly dove plays a prominent part, she is put to death.
Women prayed to St. Margarita for easy deliverance. It has been shown by H. Usener (Legenden der heiligen Pelagia, Bonn, 1879) that this legend belongs to a group of various narratives which all have their root in a transition of the Semitic Aphrodite into a Christian penitent or saint. Of these legends that of St. Pelagi is perhaps the most important. Marina is a translation of Pelagia, and both are epithets of Aphrodite as she was worshipped on the coasts of the Levant. Pelagia in the legend has Margarita as her second name. The association of the marine goddess with the pearl is obvious, and the images of Aphrodite were decked with these jewels.
From the 9th edition (1883) of an unnamed encyclopedia.
See also: Saint Margaret the Virgin
[edit] Olybrius
The article links to Olybrius, who was Emperor for 3 months before dying in 472. Whereas, it also says, Margaret died in 304. Both can't be "right"; we should get the legend straight. Johnbod 16:11, 9 June 2007 (UTC)
[edit] The python stuff
I recommend deleting it. Pythons make sure their prey is dead before they start swallowing. That's what all the strangling is for. David Marjanović (talk) 00:59, 22 November 2007 (UTC)
Maybe you're right. I enjoyed it as a splendid rearguard action, but ... Johnbod (talk) 01:06, 22 November 2007 (UTC)
- Preserved for posterity: "If Margaret has been a historical person, an explanation for the dragon could be a rock python (Python sebae), which can grow to length of up to 6 m (20 ft). It was known to Romans, and often seen in circuses. Rock pythons are known to have attacked and even swallowed humans, and if Margaret had been of smallish stature, the snake could well have devoured her and later vomited."
It's the "could well" I like! Johnbod (talk) 01:08, 22 November 2007 (UTC)
[edit] The Word Cult
I do believe using the word cult to describe groups that took to Saint Margaret of Antioch is unnecessary. The word cult carries negative connotations that this article does not need. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Jewellertman (talk • contribs) 08:12, 1 May 2008 (UTC)
