Original scientific paper
ST. CATHERINE OF ALEXANDRIA IN THE CATHOLIC TRADITIONAL HERITAGE OF CROATS
Marko Dragić
orcid.org/0000-0002-0585-3390
; Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Split
Abstract
St. Catherine of Alexandria is one of fourteen God’s assistants. She is the
heavenly bride of Christ. She is venerated as a saint and martyr in Western
and Eastern Church. She is worshiped by the Anglicans and Lutherans.
Dying a martyr’s death she witnessed the faith of Christ in the year
307 during the Emperor Daie II. St. Catherine is the patroness of girls and
women, philosophers, theologians, educators, students, book publishers,
colleges and libraries. Catholic Croats highly worship St. Catherine. This
is evidenced by the modern: prayers to this saint, verified legends, and
Catherine’s lamentations. The paper quotes some fifteen examples which
are published for the first time. During the Turkish occupation the Croats
were married on the feast of St. Catherine. On that day in one place on
some occasions about sixty boys and girls would be married. This custom
was introduced due to the right of the first wedding night, and Croatian
tradition preserved this custom to the 60s of the twentieth century.
Keywords
St. Catherine of Alexandria; prayers; verified legends; Catherine’s lamentations
Hrčak ID:
229835
URI
Publication date:
7.12.2011.
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