Wilgefortis, Saint (Legendary character)

LC control no.	no2016009262
Descriptive conventions	rda
Personal name heading	Wilgefortis, Saint (Legendary character) *Browse this term in* LC Authorities or the LC Catalog
Variant(s)	Uncumber, Saint (Legendary character) Kümmernis, Saint (Legendary character) Komina, Saint (Legendary character) Comera, Saint (Legendary character) Cumerana, Saint (Legendary character) Hulfe, Saint (Legendary character) Ontcommene, Saint (Legendary character) Ontcommer, Saint (Legendary character) Ontkommer, Saint (Legendary character) Dingefortis, Saint (Legendary character) Eutropia, Saint (Legendary character) Reginfledis, Saint (Legendary character) Livrade, Saint (Legendary character) Liberata, Saint (Legendary character) Librada, Saint (Legendary character) Débarras, Saint (Legendary character)
Associated country	Portugal
Associated place	Sigüenza (Spain)
Field of activity	Catholic Church
Found in	Die XX iulii Officium Sanctae Liberatae virginis, et martyris, patronae ecclesiae, & Diocesis Seguntinae, duplex secundae classis ..., 1682 : caption title (Sancta Liberata virginis, et martyris, patronae ecclesiae, & Diocesis Seguntinae) Catholic Encyclopedia online, viewed Jan. 22, 2016 (heading: Wilgefortis, a fabulous female saint known also as Uncumber, Kümmernis, Komina, Comera, Cumerana, Hulfe, Ontcommene, Ontcommer, Dingefortis, Eutropia, Reginfledis, Livrade, etc.; the legend makes her a Christian daughter of a pagan King of Portugal; in order to keep her vow of chastity, she prayed God to disfigure her body, that she might evade the command of her father to marry a pagan prince; God caused a beard to grow on her chin, whereupon her father had her crucified; the name Wilgefortis is usually derived from Virgo fortis, but recently Schnürer has shown that Wilgefortis is probably a corruption of Hilge Vartz (Vartz, Fratz, face), "Holy Face"; this would corroborate the opinion that the legend originated in the "Volto Santo"; the old English name Uncumber, as also the German Oncommer and their equivalents in other languages, rose from the popular belief that every one who invokes the saint in the hour of death will die "ohne Kummer", without anxiety; when the cult of St. Wilgefortis began to spread in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, her name found its way into various breviaries and martyrologies; her feast day was traditionally celebrated on July 20) <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15622a.htm> English Wikipedia, searched Jan. 22, 2016 (heading: Wilgefortis; a female saint of popular religious imagination whose legend arose in the 14th century, and whose distinguishing feature is a large beard. Her name is thought by some to derive from the Old German "heilige Vartez" ("holy face"), a translation of the Italian "Volto Santo"; others believe it to derive from the Latin "virgo fortis" ("strong virgin"). In England her name was Uncumber, and in Dutch Ontkommer (where her name means escaper). In German lands she was known as Kümmernis (where her name means "grief" or "anxiety"). She was known as Liberata in Italy and Librada in Spain (where her name means "liberated"), and as Débarras in France (where her name means "riddance"). In places such as Sigüenza, Spain, she was sometimes conflated with another Saint Liberata, the sister of Saint Marina of Aguas Santas, whose feast was also celebrated on July 20. She was venerated by people seeking relief from tribulations, in particular by women who wished to be liberated ("disencumbered") from abusive husbands; According to the narrative of the legend, sometimes set in Portugal, a teen-aged noblewoman named Wilgefortis had been promised in marriage by her father to a pagan king. To thwart the unwanted wedding, she had taken a vow of virginity, and prayed that she would be made repulsive. In answer to her prayers she sprouted a beard, which ended the engagement. In anger, Wilgefortis's father had her crucified) <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilgefortis>
Invalid LCCN	sh2001010484