Those aren't bells...

I know.

Margaret, I think you're dead right on the HP thing.

I'm a Cahill fan, so Desire of the Everlasting Hills is not a bad book for early Christianity, Hil

Thanks, guys. That documentary looks pretty interesting -- I'll check the library.

While in Italy, I tried buying a book about the saints, but it was a cheap one and mostly gave "Born in Russia in 1642, martyred in 1682, preserved her virginity through many trials, performed many miracles" or similar for most of them, which didn't really answer many of my "Why is she always wearing a necklace and holding a spoon?" or whatever questions. (The only two saints I was consistently able to identify in pictures were St. Christopher and St. Nicholas, but then I realized that St. Zachary was always wearing a pointing hat and holding a twisty cane, which was what I'd been using to identify St. Nicholas, so then I got confused.)

The Cahill book looks pretty good. Thanks. I've read a few of his others before and liked them.

Oxford Guide to Saints (not sure if that's the real title) should tell you what their various symbols are.

edit: [link] is a big website at catholic.org that will overwhelm you with stuff. Go to the Patron Saint section, and you'll find a spreadsheet with various causes and their saints. Somewhere in there you should be able to find their symbols.

ION, saints are cool.

Reposted here - where I meant to:

Somebody just asked on WX if The Song of Fire and Ice is appropriate for a 16 year old.

What do you guys think?

OK I'll bite:

"Who is that woman and why is she carrying two bells on a plate?"

And what are those if they aren't bells?

And what are those if they aren't bells?

Her breasts, of course. Don't you know your bizarro saints?

Hil, I've got that documentary on VHS, if you'd like to borrow it. (Profile addy is good.)

Her breasts, of course. Don't you know your bizarro saints?

The poor thing was tortured to death, but everyone either didn't want to think of the ickyness of her carrying them around on the platter so it was assumed they were bells, and that's how she became the patron of bellmakers.

Can't think of her name, though.

There's also a patron of mad dogs. The Lord wanted to make him patron of young girls, but he said, "All they'll do is annoy me with prayers for husbands! I'd rather be patron of mad dogs!"

Not St. Agnes?