Reading Notes: Women Saints, Part A - Saint Margaret

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Saint Margaret of Antioch

Notes:

I just want to preface all of this by saying that I'm not particularly religious myself, but I respect all faiths and will try to show that here. That being said, I lived in Mexico, a majority-Catholic nation, for a year, and my boyfriend and his entire family are part of that faith, so I do have a closer connection to the Catholic religion on that level. I've always found the stories behind the different religions to be fascinating, and the saints of Catholicism especially, since I'm named after one (keep an eye out for Part B to see my notes on Saint Cecilia). Obviously, these stories are all centered around these individuals being prepared to endure incredible suffering and die for their faith. Being a martyr, according to Merriam-Webster, is "a person who voluntarily suffers death as the penalty of witnessing to and refusing to renounce a religion." The term martyr is often linked to sainthood and canonization, though martyrs do not always becomes saints, as the process of canonization requires that the deceased individual who is being recommended as a recognized saint a miracle, not necessarily death because of their faith. It's all complicated, but my point is that people like Margaret had immense dedication to their beliefs, in a time when the norm was not necessarily Christianity, and it was often made a crime to practice anything but the dominant pagan religion, as Margaret's story shows.

I was drawn to this particular story in part because of Margaret's battle with the demon/dragon. It just seemed like a very Xena (as in the show, Xena: Warrior Princess) thing to do. Whether or not you agree with her beliefs, you do have to admit that Margaret showed some crazy dedication. They beat her and tortured her and tried to kill her, and she held onto her faith the whole time. When the dragon (demon, I guess) tells her that it would all be so much easier for her if she just gave in, she literally throws him to the ground and stands on his neck. That whole moment gave me very Xena/Eowyn (LOTR fans?) vibes. It was a really interesting story to read, more action-packed than I had expected for a story about saints from thousands of years ago.


Saint Margaret owning this demon. (Source: Catholic All Year)



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