PATRON SAINT OF GUNNERS AND ARTILLERY; OF ITALIAN MARINES, MILITARY ENGINEERS AND FIREMEN; AND OF MINERS

In his Letter of 4 December 1951confirming St Barbara as the patron of Italian marines, military engineers and firemen, Pope Pius XII commented that she had been regarded as the patron of gunners at least from the early years of the sixteenth century. This tradition seems to stem from the story of her father being struck down by fire descending from heaven; but it was the suddenness of this event that caused Barbara to be invoked in the Middle Ages against disasters and calamities, and particularly against sudden disasters in mining.

'In the time that Maximian reigned there was a rich man, a paynim, which adored and worshipped idols, which man was named Dioscorus. This Dioscorus had a young daughter which was named Barbara, for whom he did make a high and strong tower in which he did keep and close this Barbara to the end that no man should see her because of her great beauty. Then came many princes unto the same Dioscorus for to treat with him for the marriage of his daughter, which went anon unto her and said: "My daughter, certain princes be come to me which require me for to have thee in marriage, wherefore tell to me thine intent and what will ye have to do." Then St Barbara returned all angry towards her father and said: "My father, I pray you that ye will not constrain me to marry, for thereto I have no will nor thought."... After this he departed thence and went into a far country where he long sojourned.

'The St Barbara, the handmaid of our Lord Jesu Christ, descended from the tower for to come to see [a bath-house which her father was having built] and anon she perceived that there were but two windows only, that one against the south, and that other against the north, whereof she was much abashed and amarvelled, and demanded of the workmen why they had not made no more windows, and they answered that her father had so com-manded and ordained. Then St Barbara said to them: "Make me here another window."... In this same bath-house wag this holy maid baptized of a holy man, and lived there a cerain space of time, taking only for her refection honeysuckles and locusts, following the holy precursor of our Lord, St John Baptist. This bath-house is like to the fountain of Siloe, in which he that was born blind recovered there his sight.... On a time this blessed maid went upon the tower and there she beheld the idols to which her father sacrificed and worshipped, and suddenly she received the Holy Ghost and became marvellously subtle and clear in the love of Jesu Christ, for she was environed with the grace of God Almighty, of sovereign glory and pure chastity. This holy maid Barbara, adorned with faith, surmounted the Devil, for when she beheld the idols she scratched them in their visages, despising them all and saying: "All they be made like unto you which have made you to err, and all them that have faith in you"; and then she went into the tower and worshipped our Lord.

'And when the work was full performed her father returned from his voyage, and when he saw there three windows he demanded of the workmen: "Wherefore have ye made three windows?" And they answered: "Your daughter hath commanded so." Then he made his daughter to come afore him and demanded her why she had to make three windows, and she answered to him and said: "I have done them to be made because three windows lighten all the world and all creatures, but two make darkness." Then her father took her and went down into the bath-house, demanding her how three windows give more light than two. And St Barbara answered: "These three windows betoken clearly the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, the which be three persons and one very God, on whom we ought to believe and worship." Then he, being replenished with fury, incontinent drew his sword to have slain her, but the holy virgin made her prayer and then marvellously she was taken in a stone and borne into a mountain on which two shepherds kept their sheep, the which saw her fly.... And then her father took her by the hair and drew her down from the mountain and shut her fast in prison.... Then sat the judge in judgement, and when he saw the great beauty of Barbara he said to her: "Now choose whether ye will spare yourself and offer to the gods, or else die by cruel torments." St Barbara answered to him: "I offer myself to my god, Jesu Christ, the which hath created Heaven and earth and all other things...."'

When she had been beaten, and comforted by a vision of our Lord in he prison, and again scourged and tortured, 'the judge commanded to slay he with the sword. And then her father, all enraged, took her out of the hands of the judge and led her up on a mountain, and St Barbara rejoiced in hastening to receive the salary of her victory. And then when she was drawn thither she made her orison, saying: "Lord Jesu Christ, which hast formed Heaven an earth, I beseech thee to grant me thy grace and hear my prayer for all they th have memory of thy name and thy passion; I pray thee, that thou wilt not remember their sins, for thou knowest our fragility." Then came there a voice down from Heaven saying unto her: "Come, my spouse Barbara, and rest the chamber of God my Father which is in Heaven, and I grant to thee that thou hast required of me." And when this was said, she came to her father and received the end of her martyrdom, with St Juliana. But when her father descended from the mountain, a fire from Heaven descended on him, and consumed him in such wise that there could not be found only ashes of all body. This blessed virgin, St Barbara, received martyrdom with St Juliana the second nones of December. A noble man called Valentine buried the bodies of these two martyrs, and laid them in a little town in which many miracles were showed in praise and glory of God Almighty.'

So is told in Caxton's version of the Golden Legend the story of one of the most popular saints of the Middle Ages. There is, however, considerable doubt of the existence of a virgin martyr called Barbara and it is quite certain that her legend is spurious, There is no mention of her in the earlier martyrologies, her legend is not older than the seventh century, and her cultus did not spread till the ninth. Various verions differ both as to the time and place of her martyrdom: it is located in Tuscany, Rome, Antioch, Heliopolis and Nicomedia.