Saint Gall

[Hrefn]

These two spoons were listed on eBay.  Not knowing much about them, but curious, I placed a bid on them.  I guess no one else was interested in them, because my bid won.

 

Born approximately AD 550 in Ireland, Saint Gall accompanied Saint Columbanus on his missionary trip to the wilds of Switzerland to convert the pagans there.  Columbanus journeyed on to Italy, but Gall was too ill to travel onward.  He and several companions established a hermitage near the shores of Lake Constance.  Legend has it that Saint Gall was warming his hands by a fire when his party was menaced by a bear.  Saint Gall admonished the beast, which then made amends by bringing wood for the saint’s fire.  The bear became Saint Gall’s constant companion.  The hermitage would become the Monastery of Saint Gallen and the nucleus for the Canton by that name.  The Monastery was and is renowned for its library, and in medieval times for its scriptorium.  

The coins which became the bowls of these spoons are 15 kreuzers of 1737 and 1738.  

Say hello to Saint Gall’s tame bear.   Please list any interesting saint’s legends or coins of St. Gallen.

 

[TheTrachyEnjoyer]

Saint Seraphim of Sarov - another pious saint with a bear. He lived during and after the period those coins were minted in

[Al Kowsky]

11 hours ago, Hrefn said:

These two spoons were listed on eBay.  Not knowing much about them, but curious, I placed a bid on them.  I guess no one else was interested in them, because my bid won.

 

Born approximately AD 550 in Ireland, Saint Gall accompanied Saint Columbanus on his missionary trip to the wilds of Switzerland to convert the pagans there.  Columbanus journeyed on to Italy, but Gall was too ill to travel onward.  He and several companions established a hermitage near the shores of Lake Constance.  Legend has it that Saint Gall was warming his hands by a fire when his party was menaced by a bear.  Saint Gall admonished the beast, which then made amends by bringing wood for the saint’s fire.  The bear became Saint Gall’s constant companion.  The hermitage would become the Monastery of Saint Gallen and the nucleus for the Canton by that name.  The Monastery was and is renowned for its library, and in medieval times for its scriptorium.  

The coins which became the bowls of these spoons are 15 kreuzers of 1737 and 1738.  

Say hello to Saint Gall’s tame bear.   Please list any interesting saint’s legends or coins of St. Gallen.

 

Great score ☺️! Impressive silver work & interesting story of Saint Gall.

[Ursus]

Nice! If I had seen these on ebay you would have had competition...

Here ist St. Gall without his bear:

Abbey of St. Gall, under Ulrich IV von Tegerfelden, AR bracteate, 1167-1199 AD. Obv: +MONETA•SANCTI•GALLI; bearded bust of St. Gall, with tonsure, facing. Rev: negative design (bracteate). 23mm, 0.46g. Ref: Berger 2568–9; HMZ 1-463; Slg. Bonhoff 1817–8; Slg. Wüthrich 272–5.

[Hrefn]

Today, the 16th of October, is the traditional feast day of St. Gall, born in Ireland about AD 550.   Justinian the Great would have been emperor, though Ireland was well outside the imperial frontier.  Since by history, Gall was a thoroughly admirable man, I trust Forum members will indulge me in bumping this discussion.  ( I realize that when your biographies are literally hagiographies, they probably will emphasize your good qualities.  But it is hard to find fault with St. Gall ).  How can one not admire a man who lived very simply, clearly loved animals, and devoted himself to the service and instruction of others.   St Gall so inspired his companions that his modest hermitage and library became the nucleus of an abbey, the scriptorium of which was critical to the preservation of Classical learning for over a millennium.  I find that amazing.  

Please post coins related to monks and scriptoria, St. Gall or the canton of St. Gallen.   Here are the siblings Benedict and Scholastica, both renowned for their learning.  

Borrowed (OK, stolen) photo.   But I do have the coin.

[Restitutor]

Lovely write up! St. Gall really did, to say it in modern terms, live his best life. Had the good fortune of visiting the Abbey of St. Gall back in Jan of 2020 (talk about lucky, with the impending pandemic rearing its ugly head not but a month later) as part of a trip that included Strasbourg and other Swiss/Germanic cities. It was so empty and peaceful, and the library itself within the Abbey contained so many spectacular treasures. Itching to get back... 

(I did ask permission to take this photo inside the library, it was just my husband and I so they were kind enough to make an exception)

 

[El Cazador]

14 hours ago, Restitutor said:

Lovely write up! St. Gall really did, to say it in modern terms, live his best life. Had the good fortune of visiting the Abbey of St. Gall back in Jan of 2020 (talk about lucky, with the impending pandemic rearing its ugly head not but a month later) as part of a trip that included Strasbourg and other Swiss/Germanic cities. It was so empty and peaceful, and the library itself within the Abbey contained so many spectacular treasures. Itching to get back... 

(I did ask permission to take this photo inside the library, it was just my husband and I so they were kind enough to make an exception)

 

Great shots!