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Saints & Martyrs |
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The Story of Martin and Saint Gall Around the year 613, a young man called Gall, the son of a wealthy Irish family, founded a hermitage near the shore of Lake Constance with the help of his companion, a bear named Martin. He had left Ireland with twelve missionaries to spread the word of the Christian God to the Pagans of the mountainous regions of northern Europe. When the others left for a winter trip to Italy, Gall remained behind because of illness. By the spring of 611, he had recovered his health and attracted a single disciple, whose name history has not recorded. They set out to travel to the Alps in search of Pagans they might convert. Before they encountered any Pagans, they stopped along the road for a simple lunch of bread and sausages. Suddenly a terrifying bear stumbled out of the forest and tried to snatch their food. Gall stopped the bear with a raised hand and instructed him to return to the woods to gather more firewood. Against all odds, the bear did as instructed. With the fire blazing, Gall cooked more sausages and invited the bear to join them. When the bear had eaten his fill, Gall instructed him to pick up the luggage and follow, saying “I’ll call you Martin if that’s OK.”
This painting is one of a group exploring the inclusion of Pagan bear worship into early Christian mythology. The story is a modern telling of the Catholic Church’s story of St Gall. |
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