Bienheuré
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Saint Bienheuré (Bié,[1] Beatus) is a semi-legendary saint of Vendôme. Tradition states that he lived in a cave near the town. Like Saint George,[2] he is said to have fought a dragon.[3][4] His legend was conflated with that of Beatus of Lungern.[5]
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Saint Bienheuré | |
|---|---|
Bust of Saint Beatus, église Saint-Béat Saint-Privat, Saint-Béat, Haute-Garonne, France. | |
| Died | 3rd century |
| Venerated in | Eastern Orthodox Church Roman Catholic Church |
| Feast | May 9 |
Legend
The legend states that Bienheuré fasted and prayed before fighting the dragon. According to the legend, the dragon was so large that when it went to drink from a river at some distance away, its tail still lay in its cave. It was also so large that it drained the Loir when it drank from it.[6] There are three versions of this combat: the first states that the dragon fled at the sight of Saint Bienheuré; the second version states that Saint Bienheuré defeated the dragon with one blow from his staff; the third states that the dragon strangled itself with its chain.[6]
