A myroblyte (; 'whose relics produce

myron Myron of Eleutherae (480–440 BC) (; , ''Myrōn'' ) was an Athenian sculptor from the mid-5th century BC. Alongside three other Greek sculptors, Polykleitos Pheidias, and Praxiteles, Myron is considered as one of the most important sculptors ...

'; from

Byzantine Greek Medieval Greek (also known as Middle Greek, Byzantine Greek, or Romaic; Greek: ) is the stage of the Greek language between the end of classical antiquity in the 5th–6th centuries and the end of the Middle Ages, conventionally dated to the F ...

, , ; ; ; ka, მირონმდინარე) is a

Christian saint In Christianity, Christian belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of sanctification in Christianity, holiness, imitation of God, likeness, or closeness to God in Christianity, God. However, the use of the ...

from whose relics or burial place "an aromatic liquid with healing properties" or "holy water (very much like

myrrh Myrrh (; from an unidentified ancient Semitic language, see '' § Etymology'') is a gum-resin extracted from a few small, thorny tree species of the '' Commiphora'' genus, belonging to the Burseraceae family. Myrrh resin has been used ...

)", known as the

Oil of Saints The Oil of Saints, also known as the Manna of the Saints, is "an aromatic liquid with healing properties" or "holy water (very much like myrrh)" which "is said to have flowed, or still flows, from the relics or burial places" of certain Christian ...

, "is said to have flowed, or still flows", or from whose body emanates a scent known as the

odor of sanctity The odour of sanctity, according to the Catholic Church, is commonly understood to mean a specific scent (often compared to flowers) that emanates from the bodies of saints, especially from the wounds of stigmata. These saints are called myroblyte ...

. The exudation of the oil or scent itself is referred to as myroblysia (from Greek , ) or myroblytism. In the

Eastern Orthodox Church The Eastern Orthodox Church, officially the Orthodox Catholic Church, and also called the Greek Orthodox Church or simply the Orthodox Church, is List of Christian denominations by number of members, one of the three major doctrinal and ...

, some

icon An icon () is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, in the cultures of the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Catholic Church, Catholic, and Lutheranism, Lutheran churches. The most common subjects include Jesus, Mary, mother of ...

s are also believed to release the oil.

List of myroblyte saints

Orthodox

Nilus the Myrrh-streamer Saint Nilus the Myrrh-streamer, also known as Nilos/Nilus the Myrrh-gusher, Nilus of Kynouria, or Nilus the Myroblyte (; born , died 1651), was an Orthodox Christian ascetic who lived at Mount Athos. He was a monk at the Monastery of Great Lavra ...

, d. 1651 * Barbarus the Myroblyte *

Simon the Athonite Simon the Athonite (died 1287) was an Orthodox monk of the 13th century, later sanctified by the Eastern Orthodox Church as Saint Simon the Myroblyte. His feast day is 28 December. Date of birth Simon's date of birth is uncertain, but he has be ...

, d. 1287 * Walpurga: "Famous among the oils of saints is the Oil of Saint Walburga (''Walburgis oleum''). It flows from the stone slab and the surrounding metal plate on which rest the relics of Walburga in her church in

Eichstätt Eichstätt () is a town in the federal state of Bavaria, Germany, and capital of the district of Eichstätt. It is located on the Altmühl river and has a population of around 13,000. Eichstätt is also the seat of the Roman Catholic Dioce ...

in Bavaria. The fluid is caught in a silver cup, placed beneath the slab for that purpose, and is distributed among the faithful in small vials by the Sisters of Benedict, to whom the church belongs. A chemical analysis has shown that the fluid contains nothing but the ingredients of water. Though the origin of the fluid is probably due to natural causes, the fact that it came in contact with the relics of the saint justifies the practice of using it as a remedy against diseases of the body and the soul. Mention of the oil of Walburga is made as early as the ninth century by her biographer Wolfhard of Herrieden (''Acta Sanctorum'', Feb., III, 562-3 and "Mon. Germ. Script., " XV, 535 sq.)." *

Menas of Egypt Menas of Egypt (also Mina, Minas, Mena, Meena; ; ; 285 – c. 309), a martyr and wonder-worker, is one of the most well-known Coptic saints in the East and the West, due to the many miracles that are attributed to his intercession and prayers. ...

: "In 1905-1908, thousands of little flasks with the inscription: EULOGIA TOU AGIOU MENA (Remembrance of Menas), or the like were excavated by C.M. Kaufmann at Baumma (Karm Abum) in the desert of Mareotis, in the northern part of the Libyan desert. The present Bumma is the burial place of the Libyan martyr Menas, which during the fifth and perhaps the sixth century was one of the most famous pilgrimage places in the Christian world. The flasks of Saint Menas were well known for a long time to archeologists, and had been found not only in Africa, but also in Spain, Italy, Dalmatia, France, and Russia, whither they had been brought by pilgrims from the shrine of Menas. Until the discoveries of Kaufmann, however, the flasks were supposed to have contained oil from the lamps that burned at the sepulchre of Menas. From various inscriptions on the flasks that were excavated by Kaufmann, it is certain that at least some, if not all, of them contained water from a holy well near the shrine of Menas, and were given as remembrances to the pilgrims. The so-called oil of Menas was therefore in reality, water from his holy well, which was used as a remedy against bodily and spiritual ailments." *

Saint Nicholas of Myra Saint Nicholas of Myra (traditionally 15 March 270 – 6 December 343), also known as Nicholas of Bari, was an early Christian bishop of Greek descent from the maritime city of Patara in Anatolia (in modern-day Antalya Province, Turkey) dur ...

: "A fluid is said to emanate from the relics of Nicholas of Myra preserved at Bari in Italy since 1087. It is said to have also flowed from his relics when they were still in Myra." * Apostle

John the Evangelist John the Evangelist ( – ) is the name traditionally given to the author of the Gospel of John. Christians have traditionally identified him with John the Apostle, John of Patmos, and John the Presbyter, although there is no consensus on how ...

(according to

Gregory of Tours Gregory of Tours (born ; 30 November – 17 November 594 AD) was a Gallo-Roman historian and Bishop of Tours during the Merovingian period and is known as the "father of French history". He was a prelate in the Merovingian kingdom, encom ...

); * Apostle Saint

Andrew Andrew is the English form of the given name, common in many countries. The word is derived from the , ''Andreas'', itself related to ''aner/andros'', "man" (as opposed to "woman"), thus meaning "manly" and, as consequence, "brave", "strong", "c ...

(according to Gregory of Tours); * Antipas, Bishop of Pergamum, martyred under Emperor Domitian (''Acta Sanctorum'', " April, II, 4);" *

Babolenus Saint Babolen (or Babolenus, Babolin, Babolein; died ) was Abbot of Saint-Maur-des-Fossés Abbey near Paris. He may have been Scottish in origin. His feast day is 26 June. Monks of Ramsgate account The monks of St Augustine's Abbey, Ramsgate wrot ...

, Abbot of St-Maur-des-Fossés near Paris, d. in the seventh century (''Acta Sanctorum'', June, VII, 160);" * Candida the Younger of Naples, d. 586 (''Acta Sanctorum'', Sept., II, 230);" *

Demetrius of Thessalonica Saint Demetrius (or Demetrios) of Thessalonica (, ), also known as the Holy Great-Martyr Demetrius the Myroblyte (meaning 'the Myrrh-Gusher' or 'Myrrh-Streamer'; 3rd century – 306), was a Greek Christian martyr of the early 4th century AD. D ...

, martyred in 306 or 290 (''Acta Sanctorum'', Oct., IV, 73-8);" *

Polycarp Polycarp (; , ''Polýkarpos''; ; AD 69 155) was a Christian Metropolis of Smyrna, bishop of Smyrna. According to the ''Martyrdom of Polycarp'', he died a martyr, bound and burned at the stake, then stabbed when the fire failed to consume his bo ...

, bishop of

Smyrna Smyrna ( ; , or ) was an Ancient Greece, Ancient Greek city located at a strategic point on the Aegean Sea, Aegean coast of Anatolia, Turkey. Due to its advantageous port conditions, its ease of defence, and its good inland connections, Smyrna ...

, martyred in 156. * Eligius, Bishop of Noyon, d. 660 or soon after (Surius, ''De probatis sanctorum historiis'', VI, 678);" * Euthymius the Great, abbot in Palestine, d. 473 (''Acta Sanctorum'', Jan., II, 687);" * Fantinus, confessor, at Tauriano in Calabria, d. under Constantine the Great (''Acta Sanctorum'', July, V, 556);" * Felix of Nola, priest, died about 260 (''Acta Sanctorum'', Jan., II, 223);" *

Glyceria ''Glyceria'' is a widespread genus of Poaceae, grass family common across Eurasia, Australia, North Africa, and the Americas. ''Glyceria'' is known commonly as mannagrass in the United States, or, in the UK, sweet-grass. These are perennial Rhi ...

, martyred during the reign of Antoninus Pius (''Acta Sanctorum'', May, III, 191);" * John the Almsgiver, Patriarch of Alexandria, d. 620 or 616 (''Acta Sanctorum'', Jan., III, 130-1);" * John of Beverley, Bishop of York, d. 721 (''Acta Sanctorum'', May, II, 192);" * Luke the Younger, surnamed Thaumaturgos, a hermit in Greece, d. 945-6 (''Acta Sanctorum'', Feb., II, 99);" * Paphnutius, bishop and martyr in Greece, d. probably in the fourth century (''Acta Sanctorum'', April, II, 620);" * Paul, Bishop of Verdun, d. 648 (''Acta Sanctorum'', Feb., II, 174);" * Perpetuus, Bishop of Tongres-Utrecht, d. 630 (''Acta Sanctorum'', Nov., II, 295);" * Peter Thaumaturgus, Bishop of Argos, d. about 890 (''Acta Sanctorum'', May, I, 432);" * Rolendis, virgin, at Gerpinnes in Belgium, d. in the seventh or eighth century (''Acta Sanctorum'', May, III, 243);" * Reverianus, Bishop of Autun, and Companions, martyred about 273 (''Acta Sanctorum'', June, I, 40-1);" * Sabinus, Bishop of Canosa, d. about 566 (''Acta Sanctorum'', Feb., II, 329);" * Sigolena, Abbess of Troclar, d. about 700 (''Acta Sanctorum'', July, V, 636);" * Tillo Paulus, a Benedictine monk at Solignac in Gaul, d. 703 (''Acta Sanctorum'', Jan., I, 380);" * Venerius, hermit on the Island of Palamaria in the gulf of Genoa, d. in the seventh century (''Acta Sanctorum'', Sept., IV, 118);"

Roman Catholic

*Gundecar, Bishop of Eichstädt, d. 1075 (''Acta Sanctorum'', August, I, 184);" * William, Archbishop of York, d. 1154 (''Acta Sanctorum'', June, II, 140). * Franca, Cistercian abbess, d. 1218 (''Acta Sanctorum'', April, III, 393-4);" * Peter González, Dominican, d. 1246 (''Acta Sanctorum'', April, II, 393);" * Humilitas, first abbess of the Vallombrosian Nuns, d. 1310 (''Acta Sanctorum'', May, V, 211);"

Notes

References

{{reflist

List of myroblyte saints

Orthodox

Roman Catholic

See also

Notes

References

Further reading