Mad Dogs and Europeans: St. Hubert (November 3)

Hubert was the type of figure from Christian historiography that I admittedly do not admire. He felt compelled to raid the Ardennes (a heavily forested region in Europe that incorporates parts of present-day Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, and France) to destroy all pagan rituals and customs in the name of Christ. Frankly, I don’t feel that the attempted destruction of other religious practices in the name of Christ is ethically any different than the early attempts of the Roman Empire, et al., to destroy nascent Christian practices. It is hard for me to believe that god-by-whatever-name is glorified by the destruction of other people and their ways of worship and communion with god-by-whatever-name.

But it seems as though Hubert did serve one important use (and only after he died). As Butler reports:

The shrine of St. Hubert (near Liege in present-day Belgium) is resorted to by many pilgrims, and has been honoured by many miraculous cures, especially of persons bit by mad dogs.

Butler notes what a step-up pilgrimages to St. Hubert’s shrine was for those suffering from rabies over previous prescriptions like bathing in the salt-water sea.

So much (and not much more) for Hubert!

 

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