MYSTICS

Saint Podcast season 02 explores mystics: saints who had transcendental experiences with God. Many had divine visions and ecstatic visitations. A chosen few experienced stigmata, the wounds of Christ appearing miraculously on their bodies. Through their faith, some of these saints had the power to exorcise demons from the possessed, heal the sick - raise the dead!

016 Saint Clare the Mighty Abbess in the Shadows

Episode five in the Mystics series is about a saint who was devoted to Saint Francis’ rule to live in absolute poverty. She defied her aristocratic family, powerful bishops, and several popes to do just this. This saint is the first female founder of a monastic order. She was a celebrity in life and played a role in defining 13th-century European politics – all while confined within the walls of a monastery. She’s also the patron saint of television. This is the story of Saint Clare the Mighty Abbess in the Shadows.

Illustration of a 14th-century battle between the militias of the Guelf and Ghibelline factions in the Italian commune of Bologna, created by an unknown artist c. 1400 from the Croniche of Giovanni Sercambi of Lucca written by Giovanni Sercambi

Clare’s sister Catherine dragged away by their uncle Monaldo, painted by António de Oliveira Bernardes, 1697; Igreja de Santa Clara in Évora

Pope Innocent III, an illustration is from *The Lives and Times of the Popes* by Chevalier Artaud de Montor, originally published in 1842.

A likely fictional scene of Clare and Francis and their followers having super at San Damiano, painted by Antoni Viladomat, 1723-33; Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya

Pope Gregory IX (formerly Cardinal Hugolino) by Raffaello Sanzio, 1510-11; Stanza della Segnatura at the the Vatican Museums

Contemporary carving of King Premysl Otakar I from the Saint George Convent in Prague

The seal of Duke Leopold VI reproduced in a publication from 1891

Saint Elizabeth of Hungary painted by Simone Martini,1322-26; Basilica of Saint Francis

14th-century manuscript depicting the excommunication of Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II by Pope Innocent IV; author unknown; Bodleian Library

Clare repelling attackers with the eucharist; Isodoro Arredondo, 1693; Museo del Prado

Bishop Guido hands Clare a palm frond on Palm Sunday, painted by an unknown German artist, c. 1360; The Met

A group of Poor Clares, painted by Ambrogio Lorenzetti, c. 1336-40; National Gallery

12th-century edition of the Rules of Saint Benedict from the *Necrology from the Benedictine Abbey of St Gilles*; British Library

Saint Agnes of Prague gives the Grandmaster a model of the church, painted by Nikolaus Puchner, 1482; Saint Vitus Cathedral

Bust of Holy Roman Emperor, Frederick II, by an unknown artist, c. 13th century; Museo Provinciale Campano

Henry VII of Germany shown here receiving homage from Würzburg in 1234, from the 16th-century Bishop's Chronicle by Lorenz Fries

Conrad of Marburg from a 13th-century church window at Elisabeth Church, Marburg

A portrait of Pope Celestine IV from the 1911, *The Lives and Times of the Popes* by Chevalier Artaud de Montor

The body of Saint Clare inside a wax effigy at the Basilica of Saint Clare. The skeleton can be seen from the other side, accessible only by the Poor Clares themselves.

Saint Clare rescuing sailors from a storm, painted by Giovanni di Paolo, c. 1455

Francis tonsures Clare at Portiuncula. Note the crucifix. Painted by Giovanni di Paolo, 15th century

A page from Matthew Paris' *Chronica Maiora*, written about 1255, showing the Fathers of the Fourth Lateran Council of 1215 and stating the number of Archbishops, Bishops and Abbots present.

Pope Honorius III painted by Leandro Bassano in the 16th century, Santi Giovanni e Paolo

Clare mourning the death of Francis, a fresco painted by Giotto in 1300 at the Basilica of Saint Francis

Queen Constance of Bohemia on the portal of the 13th-century Cistercian Abbey of Porta Coeli in Moravia

Contemporary prayer card of Saint Hedwig of Andechs

King Wenceslaus I of Bohemia from the 15th-century Codex Gelnhausen

Copy of a portrait of Brother Elias, also known as Elias of Cortona, by the painter Giunta Pisano, from a biography in the *Magazzino toscano d'instruzione e di piacere*, 1744

The death of Clare painted by the Master of Heiligenkreuz, c. 1400/10; National Gallery of Art

Saint Clare (top right) stopping a wolf from attacking a girl, painted by Giovanni di Paolo, 1453/62. Photographed at the National Gallery exhibition Saint Francis of Assisi.

Resources

Books and articles used for research and/or referenced in this episode:

Clare of Assisi and the 13th-century Church by Catherine M. Mooney
The Privilege of Poverty: Clare of Assisi, Agnes of Prague, and the Struggle for a Franciscan Rule for Women by Joan Mueller
St. Clare of Assisi and St. Agnes of Prague: Their Lives Intertwined by the Four Letters by Wenyu Cai
Clare of Assisi: Gentle Warrior by Wendy Murray

014 Saint Francis the Wayward Stigmatic Parts I & II

Episode four in the Mystics series is about a saint who was born in the year 1181. He was a middle-class party boy who aspired to the upper-class sex, drugs, and rock and roll lifestyle of an aristocrat until a chance encounter with a leper changed him. His love for nature is commonly referenced, as are the bloody stigmata he bore on his body. The saint we know today, however, bears superficial resemblance to the man pieced together from historical evidence. This is Part I of the story of Saint Francis of Assisi the Wayward Stigmatic.

A map of internal divisions within the Holy Roman Empire during the time of Saint Francis

Francis giving away his mantle, a fresco by Giotto from 1295; Basilica of Saint Francis

Francis turning his back on the pursuit of material wealth and power - and renouncing his earthly father by Sasetta, 1437-44; National Gallery, London

Saint Benedict admitting Saints Maurus and Placidus into the Benedictine Order; Lorenzo Monaco, 1407-07, National Gallery London

19th-century print of Bernard of Quintavalle by an unknown artist

The Humiliati accepting the Rule of Saint Benedict, painted by Simone di Crocifissi, c. 1200; Pinacoteca Nazionale Bologna

Pope Innocent III and Francis meeting, a still from Franco Zeffirelli’s *Brother Sun Sister Moon*, 1972

Saint Francis preaching - to humans and birds - painted by Benozzo Gozzoli, 1452; Museo di Montefalco

Francis casting out demons, painted by Benozzo Gozzoli, 1452; Museo di Montefalco

Saint Clare of Assisi, detail from a fresco by Simone Martini, 1322-26; Basilica of Saint Francis

Illustration of Frederick II meeting Sultan al-Kamil, from the 14th-century *Nuova Cronica*; Vatican Apostolic Library

The mystical marriage of Saint Francis with allegorical figures of Chastity, Poverty, and Obedience, 1437-44; Musée Condé

Giotto’s depiction of Francis receiving the stigmata with Brother Leo on the right. Painted before 1337 in the Basilica of Saint Francis.

An unusual painting by Bernardo della Gatta showing Brother Leo aware of the seraph - and an owl on the left. Painted around the year 1487, Church of Sant'Angelo al Cassero.

Saint Francis painted by Rubens, c. 1615; Art Institute Chicago

Saint Francis painted by Carlo Crivelli in 1476 for a polyptych at San Domenico. Note the raised, nail-like stigmata wound on his hand. National Gallery London.

Saint Francis points to the figure of Death, painted by Giotto before 1337 in the Basilica of Saint Francis.

Contemporary mural of Father Junipero Serra, an 18th-century Franciscan and priest who founded many of the missions in Mexico and California. His canonisation met with fierce controversy.

14th-century image of German troubadours, artist unknown; Archiv für Kunst und Geschichte

14th-century Spanish translation of a French-Italian edition of the Song of Roland; Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana

Medieval depiction of a leper by an unknown artist. The man is Job, who sits on a dungheap while tormented by the Devil, an allegory of the disease and its cause: sin.

Fresco likely by Giotto showing Francis at San Damiano, 1296-98; Basilica of Saint Francis

Giotto’s fresco depicting Saint Francis renouncing his worldly goods, including his clothes; 1295, Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi

Poster for Franco Zeffirelli’s *Brother Sun, Sister Moon*, 1972

Francis before Pope Innocent III, Giotto, c. 1296-98; Basilica of Saint Francis

The vision of Pope Innocent III, painted by Fra Angelico, c. 1395–1455; Yale University Art Gallery

Pope Innocent III accepting the rule from Francis, painted by Sassetta, c. 1337-44; National Gallery London

Jan Siberechts’ Francis preaching to the animals, 1666; Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp

Saint Francis meeting the young aristocrat, Chiara - and her transformation into Clare - in the 1997 Marvel comic book, *Francis, Brother of the Universe: His Complete Life’s Story*

Saint Francis with Saint Clare painted by a follower of Federico Barocci, c. late 1500s-early 1600s

The trial by fire painted by Domenico Ghirlandaio, 1482-85; Cappella Sassetti

Giotto’s painting of Lady Poverty with Francis (in black) and Christ between them, c. 1330; Basilica of Saint Francis

The incorrupt remains of the Blessed Thomas of Celano at the Church of Saint Francis in Tagliacozzo.

Francis receiving the stigmata by the Master of Staffolo, c. 1420; Philadelphia Museum of Art. Brother Leo is on the right.

Saint Francis and the seraph painted by El Greco, c. 1585-60; The Walters Art Museum

Saint Francis supported by an angel, painted by Orazio Gentileschi, c. 1607; Museo del Prado.

Saint Francis in prayer by Zurbarán between 1640-45; Museum of Fine Arts Boston

The contemporary image of Saint Francis, a handsome young man with animals

The death of Saint Francis, painted by Giotto, c. 1325; Basilica of Santa Croce

14th-century Italian silk damask swatches

Text page from *Lancelot*, English, 2nd half of the 13th century: British Library

Francis’ vision of glory from a fresco by Giotto, 1295; Basilica of Saint Francis

Detail of the burning of lepers, at the beginning of chapter 7 of the French ‘Philip V' book. Attributed to the Follower of the Virgil Master, 13th-14th century; British Library.

The crucifix at San Damiano said to be the very one that spoke to Francis, created by an unknown Umbrain artist c. 1100; Basilica of Saint Clare

Bishop Guido covering up a naked Francis, painted by Benozzo Gozzoli, 1452; San Francesco, Montefalco

Interior of Portiuncula, Papal Basilica of Saint Mary of the Angels in Assisi

Trailer for Brother Sun, Sister Moon; Franco Zeffirelli, 1972

Legendary 12th-century missal consulted by Francis, Peter, and Bernard

Pope Innocent III from a mid-13th-century fresco at the Monastery of Sacro Speco of Saint Benedict

Pope Innocent III’s dream (left), Francis and his brothers before Innocent III (right). painted by Benozzo Gozzoli, 1452; Museo di Montefalco.

Francis preaching to animals, painted by an unknown artist, 1626

Saint Francis and Saint Clare having dinner at San Damiano, painted by Antoni Viladomat i Manalt, c. 1724-33; Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya

Saint Francis meets Al-Kamil, painted by Benozzo Gozzoli, 1452; Museo di Montefalco. Note the embers Francis stands on.

Giotto’s painting of the trial by fire, 1295; Basilica of Saint Francis

Saint Francis before Pope Honorius III, painted by Giotto, before 1337 at the Basilica of Saint Francis

Historiated capital featuring Pope Gregory IX aka Hugolino. From manuscript M III 97, 122rb, ca. 1270; Universitätsbibliothek Salzburg.

Saint Francis receiving stigmata by Jan van Eyck, c. 1430-32; Galleria Sabauda. Note the wounds on Francis’ feet. Brother Leo is asleep.

Engraving by Cornelis Cort after Girolamo Muziano, 1567; The Met

Caravaggio in ecstacy, painted by Caravaggio in 1594; Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art

The death of Saint Francis by an unknown 16th-century Flemish painter

Canticle of the Creatures or Canticle of the Sun

Most High, all-powerful, good Lord,
Yours are the praises, the glory, the honor, and all blessings.

To You alone, Most High, do they belong,
and no man is worthy to mention Your name.

Praised be You, my Lord, with all your creatures;
especially Brother Sun, who is the day, and through whom You give us light.

And he is beautiful and radiant with great splendor,
and bears a likeness to You, Most High One.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars;
in heaven You formed them clear and precious and beautiful.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Brother Wind,
and through the air, cloudy and serene,
and every kind of weather through which You give sustenance to Your creatures.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Water,
which is very useful and humble and precious and chaste.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Brother Fire,
through whom You light the night;
and he is beautiful and playful and robust and strong.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Mother Earth,
who sustains us and governs us and who produces
varied fruits with colored flowers and herbs.

Praised be You, my Lord,
through those who give pardon for Your love,
and bear infirmity and tribulation.

Blessed are those who endure in peace
for by You, Most High, they shall be crowned.

Praised be You, my Lord,
through our Sister Bodily Death,
from whom no living man can escape.

Woe to those who die in mortal sin.
Blessed are those whom death will find in Your most holy will,
for the second death shall do them no harm.

Praise and bless my Lord,
and give Him thanks,
and serve Him with great humility.

Resources

Check out Stephen Vesecky’s music on SoundCloud, as well as Louie Stowell’s website. And here is a link to the National Gallery in London’s upcoming exhibition about Saint Francis.

Books and articles used for research and/or referenced in this episode:

Reluctant Saint: Life of Saint Francis of Assisi by Donald Spoto
St. Francis of Assisi by G.K. Chesterton
The Legend of the Three Companions by unknown
Francis of Assisi: The Life and Afterlife of a Medieval Saint by Andre Vauchez
Sacred Views of Saint Francis by Cynthia O. Ho, Kathleen W. Peters, John McClain, J. Ross Peters
The Lady Poverty: A XIII Century Allegory by unknown
Francis of Assisi: The Essential Writings by Jon M. Sweeney

013 Saint Hildegard of Bingen the Mystical Polymath

Episode three in the Mystics series is about a 12th-century author composer, theologian, naturalist, and exorcist. She began life as an oblate, a child who was donated irrevocably to the church by her wealthy parents, sealed up in a cell for life. How she emerged to become one of the most sought after advisors to bishops, kings, and popes is incredible, especially so given the stringent restrictions that greatly narrowed the possibilities open for women. This is the story of Saint Hildegard of Bingen the Mystical Polymath.

Engraving of Guibert of Gembloux, an aristocrat, soldier, hermit and founder of a monastery at Gembloux

Perceval meets with his anchorite aunt in an illumination from Prose Tristan, c. 1450-1460, via Initiale, Catalog of Illuminated Manuscripts. Note the anchorite’s cell with barred windows.

An illustration of various Benedictine habits from a 1780 print

18th-century engraving of Pope Eugenius III from the Mary Evans Picture Library

Engraving of Elisabeth of Schonau from the Austrian National Library

13th-century illustration showing Hildegard of Bingen recording a vision on a wax tablet with Volmar to her left and the beloved Richardis to her right; Biblioteca Statale, Lucca

An example of rubrication: red lettering in Medieval manuscripts

A selection of contemporary performances of Hildegard of Bingen’s music

20th-century copy of an image of The Exit of the Soul from Scivias, reproduced in Hildegard von Bingen: A Journey into the Images by Sara Salvadori

20th-century copy of an image of The End Times, reproduced in Hildegard von Bingen: A Journey into the Images by Sara Salvadori

Contemporary postcard of an engraving showing the monastery at Rupertsberg

An image of Theodoric of Echternach from the book, *Kulturgeschichte Europas - Von der Antike bis zur Gegenwart* by Georg Westermann

Saint Benedict hands his Rule binding all monks in his order to Saint Maurus, from a 12th-century manuscript at the British Library

Contemporary piece depicting a young Hildegard meeting Jutta, Eibingen Abbey

Hannah Herzsprung as Richardis in Margarethe Von Trotta’s 2009 film *Vision: From the Life of Hildegard von Bingen.*

Gold bust of Frederick I, c. 1160, from the Capenberg Monastery

15th-century illustration showing the expulsion of the Cathars from Carcassonne during the Albigensian Crusade in southern France; British Library

Modern Roman-style wax tablet and stylus

A playlist of contemporary performances of Hildegard of Bingen’s music

2016 performance of Ordo Virtutum at Saint John’s Cathedral in Los Angeles

20th-century copy of an image of Synagogue from Scivias, reproduced in Hildegard von Bingen: A Journey into the Images by Sara Salvadori

The enclosure of an anchoress by a bishop from an illumination from the Pontifical (MS 079), p.200, c. 1400-1410; The Parker Library, Corpus Christi College, Cambridge

The oldest surviving copy of the *Rule of Saint Benedict*, from the 8th-century, Bodleian Library

A print of The Lactation of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux by the Master I. A. M. of Zwolle, c. 1480-85

15th-century illustration of Pope Alexander III from the *Nuremberg Chronicle*, c.1493

14th-century illustration of a scribe from the *Roman de la Rose* manuscript

Artist Miho Kuroyanagi uses traditional methods to apply gold leaf to illustrations. Follow MedievalPainter on Instagram. And here is a link to Miho's website.

A Medieval copy of Hildegard of Bingen’s secret language, lingua ignota

20th-century copy of an image of Hildegard and Volmar from the introduction of Scivias, reproduced in Hildegard von Bingen: A Journey into the Images by Sara Salvadori

20th-century copy of an image of The End Times from Scivias, reproduced in Hildegard von Bingen: A Journey into the Images by Sara Salvadori

20th-century copy of an image of The Five Virtues from Scivias, reproduced in Hildegard von Bingen: A Journey into the Images by Sara Salvadori

Resources

Check out Tania Donald’s You Tube Channel, Tengy Talks TV and Movies here.

Books and articles used for research and/or referenced in this episode:

Sister of Wisdom: St. Hildegard's Theology of the Feminine by Barbara Newman
Hildegard of Bingen: A Visionary Life by Sabina Flanagan
Hildegard of Bingen: A Woman of Her Age by Fiona Maddocks
Hildegard von Bingen: A Journey into the Images by Sara Salvadori
Hildegard of Bingen by Honey Meconi
St. Hildegard, Doctor of the Church, and the Fate of Feminist Theology by Barbara Newman
Acercamiento a las emociones medievales: dos cartas de Hildegard de Bingen by María Eugenia Góngora
“For God Distinguishes the People of Earth as in Heaven”: Hildegard of Bingen’s Social Ideas by Sabina Flanagan
Hildegard von Bingen's Physica: The Complete English Translation of Her Classic Work on Health and Healing by Priscilla Throop
Book of Divine Works and Letters: With Letters and Songs by Matthew Fox
A Theophany of the Feminine: Hildegard of Bingen, Elisabeth of Schönau, and Herrad of Landsberg by Ann Storey

012 Saint Peter of Verona the Exorcist

The second episode in the Mystics series is about a 13th-century Dominican friar. Although not strictly speaking a mystic, many miracles are attributed to this saint. He’s a divine healer of sickness. He’s brought the dead back to life. He controls the weather. And it’s said that he cast out numerous demons from the bodies of the possessed. This is the story of Saint Peter of Verona the Exorcist – and a history of exorcism in the Catholic Church.

14th-century altarpiece of Saint Peter of Verona painted by an unknown artist; Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya

15th-century illustration of the expulsion of the Cathars from Carcassonne during the Albigensian Crusade in southern France; British Library

An illustration of the death of Mani from a 1315 copy of the Demotte Shahnameh, artist unknown; Riza Abbasi Museum

Engraving of Bologna University from the Hulton Archive

Saint Dominic painted by Claudio Coello, c. 1685; Museo del Prado

Saint Peter and the miracle of the cloud from a fresco by Vincenzo Foppa, c. 1468; Basilica of Sant'Eustorgio

Bust of Frederick II, king of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, Kingdom of Naples, and Germany, Holy Roman Emperor, c. 13th century; Museo Provinciale Campano, Capua

The martyrdom of Saint Peter of Verona and Father Dominic, painted by Giovanni Bellini, c. 1505-07; National Gallery

A portrait of Friar Angelo Ferretti as Saint Peter of Verona, painted by Lorenzo Lotto in 1549; Harvard Art Museums

Giorgio Vasari’s 1570 martyrdom of Saint Peter of Verona featuring Carino and his assistant Poro (aka Il Magnifico’) dressed as Roman centurions; Kunsthistorisches Museum

14th-century fresco of Christ exorcising demons by an unknown artist, Visoki Dečani Monastery

Contemporary illustration of the exorcism of Madeleine Bavent

Frontispiece and incipit from an 8th-century edition of the Gelasian Sacramentary from Germany; Vatican Apostolic Library

Title page in the 1727 edition of Girolamo Menghi’s Flagellum Daemonum

The extent of the Holy Roman Empire (demarcated by the red line) in Saint Peter of Verona’s lifetime

Franciscan Friars witness a Cathar Consolamentum, a baptism rite, in horror; 2nd half of the 13th century, Bibliothèque Nationale de France

13th-century Chinese painting of Jesus Christ as a Manichaean prophet. The figure can be identified as a representation of Jesus Christ by the small gold cross that sits on the red lotus pedestal in His left hand.

Andfrea di Bonaiuto’s 14th-century allegory of the triumph of the Church and the Dominican order. Saint Peter of Verona appears several times in the fresco along with Saints Dominic and Thomas; Santa Maria Novella

Galileo standing before the Inquisition in Rome, painted by Joseph-Nicolas Robert-Fleury in 1847; Louvre

Antonio Vivarini’s painting showing Saint Peter performing a miraculous healing, 1450s; The Met

Saint Peter of Verona with the Madonna and Child and a donor, painted by Lorenzo Lotto in 1503; Museo di Capodimonte

Ambrogio Bergognone’s Saint Peter of Verona with a kneeling donor, painted c. 1485; Louvre

Carino dispatching Peter while Father Dominic attempts escape, painted by Domenichino in the 17th century; Pinacoteca Nazionale Bologna

The falcastrum wielded by Carino; Santuario di San Pietro Martire di Seveso

6th-century mosaic of the exorcism of the Gerasene demoniac from the Basilica of Sant'Apollinare Nuovo

Witches presenting wax dolls to the devil, featured in *The History of Witches and Wizards* (1720); Wellcome Library

15th or 16th-century woodblock print of the exorcism of Nicole Aubrey

Engraving of the exorcism of Madeleine Bavent in Louvier

Clip from The Exorcist, 1973

Fresco created between 1366-67 depicting Dominican friars combating heresy, likely confronting Cathars; Cappellone degli Spagnoli, Santa Maria Novella

13th-century Chinese Manichaean silk painting depicting the sermon on Mani's Teaching of Salvation, artist unknown; Museum Yamato Bunkakan

Dominican Blesseds from an altarpiece made for the high altar of San Domenico, Fiesole, by Fra Angelico, c. 1423-24; National Gallery

Pope Gregory IX in a manuscript miniature c. 1270; Universitätsbibliothek Salzburg

Saint Peter of Verona exorcising a statue of the Madonna and Child; from a fresco by Vincenzo Foppa, c. 1468, Basilica of Sant'Eustorgio

Pope Innocent IV sends Dominicans and Franciscans on a mission to convert the Tartars, from Vincent of Beauvais’ 15th-century *Le Miroir Historial (Vol. IV)*, illustrated by the Master of the Cité des Dames; Bibliothèque Nationale de France

Carlo Crivelli’s Saint Peter of Verona, 1476; National Gallery

The skull of Saint Peter of Verona is kept at the Basilica of Saint Eustorgius in Milan, where it’s on view on the Sunday closest to his feast day, 29 April.

The body of Carino is kept under this contemporary sculpture at Chiesa di San Martino

19th-century woodcut of the Gerasene demoniac from ‘Volks-Bilderbibel Oder Die Ganze Heilige Schrift : Des Alten Und Neuen Testaments, Nach Der Uebersetzung’ by Martin Luther, published in 1853

Witch pictured feeding her familiars with blood, in *A Rehearsall both Straung and True, of Hainous and Horrible Actes Committed by Elizabeth Stile* (1579); British Library

19th-century print of the exorcism of Nicole Aubrey

The horoscope of the Persian Timurid ruler Iskandar Sultan, 1411; Wellcome Collection

Resources

For more music by Stephen Vesecky, check out his SoundCloud page here. And click here for Fahrenheit Press’ website.

Books and articles used for research and/or referenced in this episode:

Angels and Demons: The Teaching of the Lateran by Paul M. Quay
The Devil Within: Possession and Exorcism in the Christian West by Brian Levack
Discerning Spirits: Divine and Demonic Possession in the Middle Ages by Nancy Mandeville Caciola
Exorcism and Enlightenment: Johann Joseph Gassner and the Demons of Eighteenth-Century Germany by H. C. Erik Midelfort
The Assassin-Saint: The Life and Cult of Carino of Balsamo by Donald S. Prudlo
A History of Exorcism in Catholic Christianity by Francis Young
The Golden Legend by Jacobus de Voragine

011 Saint Anthony of Egypt the Mystic in the Desert

The first Mystics episode is about a saint called the Father of Monks. He’s one of the first Desert Fathers, hermits who lived solitary lives in the harsh deserts of Egypt. Throughout his life he was attacked and tempted by the Devil in the guises of a beautiful woman, unimaginable riches, terrifying demons, and a centaur. He’s the patron saint of butchers, gravediggers, animals, skin diseases, and Rome. This is the story of Saint Anthony of Egypt the Mystic in the Desert.

The other Anthony, Saint Anthony of Padua. Painted by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, c. 1660; Museo de Bellas Artes.

Paul Delaroche’s Temptation of Saint Anthony, painted c. 1832; The Wallace Collection

Anthony of Egypt attacked by the Devil and demons, from the Limbourg Brothers’ Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry manuscript, c. 1412-16; Musée Condé

Demons tormenting Anthony from a manuscript c. 1490-1521

Saint Anthony tempted by a pile of gold, painted by fra Angelico, c. 1435-40; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

Classical porphyry bust of Emperor Galerius Valerius Maximianus by an unknown artist, Egyptian Museum

Serapion of Antioch by Andrés López, 1786; Iglesia del Carmen

Replica of of the Psalter of Basil II depicting Emperor Basil II aka The Bulgar Slayer

The skull and leg bone of Saint Anthony at the Church of Saint Trophime

Saint Paul the Hermit painted by Carlo Dolci, before 1648; National Museum in Warsaw

Anthony meeting a centaur, painted by Francesco Guarino, 1642

Anthony and the centaur - or maybe satyr - from a page in John Mandeville, Voyages. Paris, c1410-1412; Bibliothèque nationale de France

Illustration of Saint Anthony of Egypt’s travels as a hermit, including a centaur with an ape’s torso and head; created by Vincent de Beauvais, 1463

Francisco Camilo’s depiction of the death of Saint Paul the Hermit, c. 1649; Museo del Prado

Bronze of Emperor Constantine by Philip Jackson, 1998, in York

First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea depicted in a 1590 fresco by Speranza in the Sistine Chapel

Left panel of Hieronymus Bosch’s Temptation of Saint Anthony triptych, c. 1500-1525; Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga

Saint Anthony of Egypt in Antonine robes with a tau-topped cross in a 1460s woodcut from the University Library of Salzburg, artist unknown

Close-up of stained glass at Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Lhor, showing Saint Anthony of Egypt’s pig

Icon of Athanasius of Alexandria by an unknown artist, Varna Museum of Archaeology

Félicien Rops, The Temptation of St. Anthony, 1878, Royal Library of Belgium

Another painting of Anthony tormented by demons; Cenni di Francesco, 14th century, Getty

Contemporary icon showing a more accurate depiction of the demons in animal form as described in Life of Anthony

God coming to the rescue from a c.1470 edition of the Golden Legend at the British Library

Anthony tempted by gold, the Master of the Osservanza Triptych, c. 1435; The Met. The gold was depicted in gold paint at the bottom left.

Painting of Saracens and Crusaders in the style of Théodore Chassériau, c. 1846; Art Institute

The death of Saint Anthony of Egypt, painted by Antonio Viladomat Y Manalt; Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest

The Beggars by Pieter Bruegel the elder,1568; Louvre. The beggars in this painting may be victims of ergotism or Saint Anthony’s Fire.

An illustration entitled, 'Egypt' from Secrets de l'histoire naturelle (c. 1480-1485), illustrated by Robinet Testard; Bibliothèque nationale de France

Benedetto di Montagna’s 16th-century painting of Anthony and the centaur

Jan Wellens De Cock’s painting of Saint Anthony of Egypt and Saint Paul the Hermit, c. 1520; National Museum in Warsaw

A panel by Vitale da Bologna, c. 1340, that shows Anthony meeting Saint Paul the Hermit. Note the centaur at top. Pinacoteca Nazionale di Bologna.

Anthony and Paul painted by Diego Velázquez, c. 1634; Museo del Prado. Note Paul’s death in the background to the left with lions in attendance.

Pope Alexander of Alexandria from a 1675 book, Chronologia Summorum Romanorum Pontificum, by Giovanni Giacomo de' Rossi; The British Museum

8th-century fresco at Santa Maria Antiqua

Central panel of Hieronymus Bosch’s Temptation of Saint Anthony triptych, c. 1500-1525; Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga

Detail from the central panel of Hieronymus Bosch’s Temptation of Saint Anthony triptych, c. 1500-1525; Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga. Note the city on fire in the background.

A painting by a follower of Bosch showing Saint Anthony’s demon-fighting pig and the Greek letter tau on his cowl; 1500-25, Museo del Prado

16th-century painting of Saint Anthony with his pig, painted by Jan Wellens de Cock

Saint Anthony of Egypt, the Father of Hermits, painted by Francisco de Zurbarán, c. 1640. Note the Greek letter tau at top left, one of the saint’s attributes.

Louis Gallait’s Temptation of St. Anthony, 1849; Royal Collection Trust

Anthony attacked by demons, painted c. 1520 by an unknown artist from the Upper Rhine; Wallraf-Richartz-Museum

God coming to Saint Anthony of Egypt’s rescue, painted by Annibale Carracci, c. 1598-1600; National Gallery

Saint Anthony of Egypt tempted by a cup held by a claw-foot demon. The miniature is part of a 15th-century book of hours created by Lieven van Lathem.

Saint Amun or Ammon’s death with Saint Anthony at the right foreseeing Amun’s soul rise to Heaven. The miniature is from a book dating to 985 CE at the Vatican Library.

Temptation of Saint Anthony from the Isenheim Altarpiece by Matthias Grunewald, 1512-16; Unterlinden Museum. The man at the bottom left has symptoms of ergotism, commonly called Saint Anthony’s fire.

Jusepe de Ribera’s painting of Saint Paul the Hermit, also known as Saint Paul of Thebes, in his cave, 1640; Museo del Prado

Belles Heures of Jean de France, duc de Berry, 1405–1408/9, by Herman, Paul, and Jean de Limbourg French; The Cloisters

Saint Anthony of Egypt asking the centaur for directions, illustrated by Palma Il Giovane

Anthony meeting the satyr, a detail from a manuscript kept at the Skete of Saint Demetrius at the Vatopedi Monastery

An engraving of Anthony discovering Paul is dead and being lead to Heaven by angels, Bernardino Passeri, 1582

More frescos from the Santa Maria Antiqua church in Rome

A medieval book of hours likely created for the De Grey family of Ruthin, c.1390; National Library of Wales

Contemporary prayer card of Saint Anthony the Great aka Anthony the Abbot. Note the presence of his pig.

Resources

Books and articles used for research and/or referenced in this episode:

Antony's Letters and Nag Hammadi Codex I: Sources of Religious Conflict in Fourth-Century Egypt by
Lance Jenott and Elaine Pagels
The Temptation of Saint Anthony by Gustave Flaubert
Life of Antony as Narrative of Athanasian Theology by Paul van Geest
Life of Antony by Athanasius
Early Christian Mystics: The Divine Vision of Spiritual Masters by Bernard McGinn
The Foundations of Mysticism: Origins to the Fifth Century by Bernard McGinn
The Lisbon Temptation of St. Anthony by Jerome Bosch by Charles D. Cuttler
Solitude: the Hermits by Charles Kingsley
St Antony Abbot and the Hazards of Asceticism: an Analysis of Artists’ Representations of the Temptations by RW Medlicott
Between Carnival and Dream: St. Anthony, Gustave Flaubert, and the Arts in Fin de Siècle Europe by Nancy Davenport
Desert Father: A Journey in the Wilderness With Saint Anthony by James Cowan
The Translation of St. Antony from the Egyptian Desert to the Italian City by Dennis Dutschke

Season 02 Introduction

Christian mysticism has its roots in contemporaneous Jewish traditions, which itself was influenced by ancient Greek practices. The introduction episode to Saint Podcast season 2, Mystics, provides some context and background to the ten episodes to follow and includes a discussion of a modern saint and mystic, Padre Pio.