St Eulalia

10^th December is the saint’s day for Eulalia, a 4^th century Spanish martyr.

The story of Eulalia is complicated by the fact that there were two Spanish St Eulalias – Eulalia of Merida and Eulalia of Barcelona. Both were young girls who died during the persecution of Emperor Diocletian, and their stories are confusingly similar, even to the extent that they may be one and the same person despite the large geographical distance between Merida, which is close to Portugal, and Barcelona. However, it is Eulalia of Merida who is celebrated on this day.

Even though only aged about 12, she knew that it was her duty to abide by her faith whatever the consequences. She therefore faced down the local judge when he tried to bribe local Christians into reverting to paganism. The punishment, as she well knew, was an unpleasant death.

She was forced to strip naked and her flesh was hacked away with sharp hooks before she was burned with torches. When her long hair caught fire she was smothered by the smoke.

It is not a pleasant story, although it has been given some extra touches down the centuries. These include a dove flying out of her mouth as she died – a symbolic representation of her soul flying to Heaven. As the dove flew, a miraculous fall of snow covered her naked body.

Whatever the truth of the story, it attracted much attention across Europe – even Bede, writing in Northumberland some 400 years later, knew her story and referred to it in his work.

© John Welford