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160:Émile Nourry counted no less than 134 examples of cephalophory in French hagiographic literature alone. Given the frequency with which relics were stolen in medieval Europe, stories like this, in which a saint clearly indicates their chosen burial site, may have developed as a way of discouraging such acts of
378:
is at pains to discredit talking heads' stories and establish the physical impossibility of the windpipe severed from the lung. "Moreover," he adds, "among the barbarians, where heads are chopped off with great rapidity, nothing of the kind has ever occurred." Aristotle was doubtless familiar with
289:
at his martyrdom "stretched forth his neck, and so was beheaded. And as soon as the head was from the body, it said: Jesus
Christus! which had been to Jesus or Christus, or both, fifty times." When the head was recovered and was to be rejoined to the body as a relic, in response to a prayer for
102:
asserted that the severed head of a martyr was more terrifying to the devil than when it was able to speak. "He then compared soldiers showing their wounds received in the battle to martyrs holding their severed head in their hands and presenting it to Christ." The other source was the
Western
236:
accounts, Aphrodisius was accompanied by his camel. As he was preaching, a group of pagans pressed through the crowd and beheaded him on the spot. Aphrodisius picked up his head and carried it to the chapel he had recently consecrated at the site. It is identified today as
64:
in this circumstance offers a unique challenge for the artist: some put the halo where the head used to be, and others have the saint carrying the halo along with the head. Associated legends often tell of the saint standing and carrying their head after the beheading.
206:. After the child had been beheaded by Roman soldiers, his father and brother found the corpse sitting with his head in his lap. Giving the head to his father, Justus asked him to carry it to Auxerre, so that his mother, Felicia, might kiss it.
429:
515:
542:
1024:"Kephalophoroi saints, of whom there were a hundred or so in Western tradition, usually performed this prodigy in order to indicate the emplacement of the shrine where their relics should be venerated" (
297:
stood up after her execution, picking up her head like Denis of Paris and other cephalophoric martyrs and walking with it in her hands to the door of a local convent before collapsing there. Similarly,
1137:"The stories of St. Edmund, St. Kenelm, St. Osyth, and St. Sidwell in England, St. Denis in France, St. Melor and St. Winifred in Celtic territory, preserve the pattern and strengthen the link between
210:
1180:
387:'s image of heads severed so rapidly they seemed still to be speaking, and Latin examples could be attested. A link between Latin poets and the Middle Ages in transmitting the
666:
711:
312:
is often depicted with his head on his neck/shoulders and carrying a second head in his hands. However, he is not a cephalophore. The second head is that of Saint
654:
479:
689:
570:
980:
192:("My soul is attached unto dust") (verse 25), he was decapitated. After his head had fallen to the ground, Nicasius continued the psalm, adding,
1048:
Scott B. Montgomery, "Mittite capud meum... ad matrem meam ut osculetur eum: The Form and
Meaning of the Reliquary Bust of Saint Just Mittite",
1088:
497:
788:
249:
and, after collecting his head, climbed on horseback. He rode to meet his uncle, a bishop, on a small mountain before he finally died.
1176:
449:
904:
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1258:
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confirmation that this was indeed the right head, the body of Paul turned to rejoin the head that had been set at its feet.
464:
988:
503:
414:
Some modern authors link the legends of cephalophores miraculously walking with their heads in their hands to the
355:
121:, the best-known beheaded saint, is not considered a cephalophore, since he did not hold his head in his hands.
1311:
530:
952:
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61:
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659:
198:("Revive me, Lord, with your words"). The theme of the speaking head is extended in the 8th-century
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114:
346:, carrying his severed head in his hand, slung by its hair, like a lantern; upon seeing Dante and
153:
694:
156:. Although St Denis is the best known of the saintly head-carriers, there were many others; the
1306:
983:
observed "il n'y a que le premier pas qui coûte", "it's only the first step that matters"; her
557:
843:
313:
898: – Practice of hunting a human and collecting the severed head after killing the victim
976:
623:
8:
886:
628:
440:
148:, miraculously preached with his head in his hands while journeying the seven miles from
701:
253:
895:
783:
778:
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578:
522:
471:
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of the speaking head was noted by
Beatrice White, in the Latin poem on the Trojan War,
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20:
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602:
367:
133:
110:
89:
30:
1300:
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334:
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281:
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68:
The term "cephalophore" was first used in a French article by Marcel HĂ©bert,
49:
41:
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874:
803:
706:
257:
246:
137:
57:
52:, this was usually meant to signify that the subject in question had been
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233:
232:, where his name was inserted at the head of the list of bishops. In the
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26:
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113:, founder of the see of Paris, who was identified in the text with
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reveals how universal is the anomaly of the talking severed head.
265:
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183:
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tells that at the moment of his execution, Nicasius was reading
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95:
53:
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Thus, an original and perhaps the most famous cephalophore is
798:
436:
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329:
273:
141:
45:
552:, who holds his severed head as blood gushes from his neck.
343:
1005:
Les saints céphalophores. Étude de folklore hagiographique
48:
who is generally depicted carrying their severed head. In
338:(Canto 28) the poet meets the spectre of the troubadour
213:
Saint
Aphrodisius, a martyr of Alexandria, venerated at
1268:
White, Beatrice (Summer 1972). "A Persistent
Paradox".
935:
933:
900:
Pages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
891:
Pages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
71:"Les martyrs céphalophores Euchaire, Elophe et Libaire"
1224:
930:
741:
Laureanus of
Hungary (Seville, Spain; Vatan, France)
439:companions showing him polite concern; portal from
169:
889: – Total separation of the head from the body
1250:The Warrior Saints in Byzantine Art and Tradition
455:Saint Denis has two halos in the coat of arms of
276:(Cartagena was the centre of this saint's cult).
1298:
302:carried her severed head away to her confessor,
525:presents her head to her bishop and confessor,
353:The speaking severed head appears memorably in
877:– a Hindu goddess holding her own severed head
268:. The head was carried by sea to the coast of
264:, he picked up his head and threw it into the
1181:Commentaries from the Dartmouth Dante project
379:the story of the singing disembodied head of
187:
193:
75:
69:
406:
195:"Vivifica me, Domine, secundum verbum tuum"
1065:France pittoresque: coutumes et traditions
488:'s illustration of the scene from Dante's
1133:
1131:
590:
208:
123:
25:
1089:"Saint Ginés de La Jara (Getty Museum)"
905:With Her Head Tucked Underneath Her Arm
1299:
1246:
1025:
953:"Denis, the first cephalophore saint?"
939:
924:
401:whirls in the air the severed head of
1267:
1230:
1146:
1128:
1162:E quei mirava noi, e dicea: "O me!".
1160:Pesol col mano, a giusa di lanterno:
1158:"E'l capo tronco tenea per le chiome
1116:: The Life of Saint Paul the Apostle
443:(probably 19th century replacements)
411:, "Where is Achilles , my avenger?"
98:on Saints Juventinus and Maximinus,
94:can be traced to two sources. In a
83:
13:
975:In the rational atmosphere of the
435:St. Denis (second from right) has
77:Revue de l'Université de Bruxelles
14:
1323:
1009:Revue de l’Histoire des Religions
883: – Motif of medieval romance
789:Nicasius, Quirinus and Scubiculus
1253:. London: Taylor & Francis.
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170:Examples of cephalophoric saints
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356:Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
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531:Church of St. Michel des Lions
372:Motif-Index of Folk Literature
272:, where it was venerated as a
239:Place Saint-Aphrodise, BĂ©ziers
189:"Adhaesit pavimento anima mea"
186:). When he reached the verse
1:
1282:10.1080/0015587X.1972.9716461
1145:", Beatrice White observes. (
910:
504:Saints Victoricus and Gentian
316:, who was buried with him at
245:is said to have survived his
16:Depiction of a martyred saint
1247:Walter, Christopher (2003).
350:, the head begins to speak.
342:in the eighth circle of the
293:In legend, the female saint
7:
863:
10:
1328:
957:Seine-Saint-Denis Tourisme
724:Justinian of Ramsey Island
421:
174:A cephalophoric legend of
60:. Depicting the requisite
18:
993:Correspondance littéraire
256:states that after he was
252:A legend associated with
70:
44:for "head-carrier") is a
144:, who, according to the
115:Dionysius the Areopagite
19:Not to be confused with
1177:Longfellow translation
1121:June 29, 2007, at the
407:
217:
194:
188:
129:
76:
33:
1312:Christian iconography
1203:De partibus animalium
1175:, Canto 28, 121-123.
1055:.1 (1997), pp. 48–64.
667:Ferreolus de Besançon
591:List of cephalophores
548:The martyrdom of St.
397:by Joseph of Exeter.
314:Oswald of Northumbria
212:
127:
29:
1077:Passio di San Gemolo
1038:San Nicasio di Reims
808:Principin (Auvergne)
738:Lambert of Saragosse
416:Celtic cult of heads
408:"Ultor ubi Aeacides"
1015:(1929), p. 158-231.
887:Celtic decapitation
712:Hilarian d'Espalion
655:Ferjeux de Besançon
629:Domninus of Fidenza
441:Notre Dame de Paris
228:was transferred to
896:Celtic headhunting
844:Valerie of Limoges
784:Nicasius of Rheims
779:Nectan of Hartland
769:Minias of Florence
751:Lucian of Beauvais
729:Justus of Beauvais
523:Valerie of Limoges
472:Cathedral of Reims
300:Valerie of Limoges
218:
204:Justus of Beauvais
182:(Psalm 118 in the
176:Nicasius of Rheims
130:
34:
1260:978-1-84014-694-3
1192:Copenhagen, 1957.
1169:The Divine Comedy
1114:The Golden Legend
848:Vitores de Cerezo
690:GĂ©nitour du Blanc
584:Peter Paul Rubens
562:Lampaul-Guimiliau
405:, which whispers
243:Himerius of Bosto
154:his burying place
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747:Livier de Marsal
744:Libaire de Grand
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702:Ginés de la Jara
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650:Felix and Regula
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508:Amiens Cathedral
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395:De Bello Troiano
340:Bertrand de Born
318:Durham Cathedral
287:Paul the Apostle
270:Cartagena, Spain
254:Ginés de la Jara
197:
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119:John the Baptist
84:Possible origins
80:, v. 19 (1914).
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1149:, p. 123).
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1123:Wayback Machine
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714:
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577:The Miracle of
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506:West entrance,
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470:Cephalophore,
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100:John Chrysostom
86:
24:
21:Headless priest
17:
12:
11:
5:
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1276:(2): 122–131.
1265:
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1233:, p. 123.
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995:, 15 May 1764.
981:Mme du Deffand
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944:
942:, p. 143.
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881:Beheading game
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624:Denis of Paris
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603:Alban of Mainz
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368:Stith Thompson
325:
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220:The legend of
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111:Denis of Paris
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31:Denis of Paris
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940:Walter (2003)
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934:
927:, p. 143
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925:Walter (2003)
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527:Saint Martial
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335:Divine Comedy
331:
324:In literature
321:
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304:Saint Martial
301:
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282:Golden Legend
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146:Golden Legend
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50:Christian art
47:
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39:
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28:
22:
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1241:Bibliography
1231:White (1972)
1226:
1218:
1217:10.457, and
1214:
1210:
1202:
1197:
1188:
1172:
1154:
1113:
1108:
1097:. Retrieved
1093:the original
1083:
1072:
1060:
1052:
1049:
1044:
1033:
1020:
1012:
1008:
1004:
1000:
992:
984:
971:
960:. Retrieved
956:
947:
923:As noted by
919:
875:Chhinnamasta
579:Saint Justus
576:
489:
486:Gustave Doré
413:
394:
388:
371:
363:
361:
354:
352:
333:
327:
308:
292:
280:
278:
260:in southern
251:
247:decapitation
238:
234:hagiographic
219:
199:
173:
161:
138:patron saint
131:
104:
90:
87:
67:
38:cephalophore
37:
35:
1201:Aristotle,
1026:Walter 2003
989:Baron Grimm
814:(Quitterie)
715: [
693: [
670: [
658: [
615:de Larboust
608:Aphrodisius
258:decapitated
222:Aphrodisius
163:furta sacra
128:Saint Denis
1301:Categories
1147:White 1972
1099:2007-08-21
962:2018-02-13
911:References
833:Theonistus
818:Reverianus
619:Chrysolius
362:The motif
226:Alexandria
158:folklorist
150:Montmartre
40:(from the
1011:(Paris),
852:Winefride
823:Saturnina
403:Patroclus
376:Aristotle
202:of Saint
180:Psalm 119
58:beheading
1290:11614481
1270:Folklore
1143:folklore
1119:Archived
864:See also
840:Tréphine
812:Quiteria
734:Juthwara
646:(Orosia)
639:Emygdius
634:Eliphius
310:Cuthbert
54:martyred
1221:22.329.
1219:Odyssey
1173:Inferno
837:Trémeur
828:Solange
759:Maurice
681:Gaudens
644:Eurosia
613:Aventin
558:Passion
556:of the
554:Retable
535:Limoges
490:Inferno
457:Krefeld
437:angelic
422:Gallery
381:Orpheus
344:Inferno
279:In the
230:BĂ©ziers
215:BĂ©ziers
184:Vulgate
1288:
1257:
1139:legend
857:Wyllow
794:Noyale
764:Miliau
685:Gemolo
678:Frajou
550:Miliau
399:Hector
348:Virgil
295:Osgyth
262:France
200:Passio
96:sermon
1215:Iliad
1205:3.10.
1050:Gesta
799:Osyth
774:Mitre
719:]
697:]
674:]
662:]
598:Alban
390:trope
385:Homer
330:Dante
274:relic
266:RhĂ´ne
142:Paris
134:Denis
91:topos
74:, in
46:saint
42:Greek
1286:PMID
1255:ISBN
1141:and
1067:1908
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