Page:A Dictionary of Saintly Women Volume 2.djvu/309

ST. WALBURGA 297 w St. Walburga (l), Feb. 25, May 1 (in French AuBOuiS, Avangour, Avon- oouBO, Falboubo, Gaubourg, Gualbourg, GuiBOB, Perohe, Valburg, Valpurge, Vaubouer, Vaubourg, Walbourg; in Greek Eucharis ; in German Walpurd, Walpurgib, Warpurg), abbess of Heiden- beim in Thnringia, + c. 780. Patron against hydrophobia and of Eichstadt, Oudenarde, Fnmes, Antwerp, Groningen, Weilburg and Zntphen. Eepresented (1) in a nun's dress, with a little bottle, as a myroblite ; an abbess's crook, a crown at her feet, as a king's daughter ; (2) in Switzerland, in a group with St. Philip and St James the less, and St. Sigismnnd, king of Burgundy, because she was canonized on May 1, the festival of those three saints; (3) carrying an ear of com. She was the daughter of *' St. Bichard, king of the Engli^," whose territory is supposed to have been part of Devon- shire. Her mother was Wtmna, Unno- heid or Bona, supposed to be a sister or niece of St. Boniface. Her brothers were St. Wunibald, abbot of Heidenheim, and St. Willibald, bishop of Einstettin or Eichstadt in Franconia. Walburga was bom between 700 and 712, in the reign of Ina, king of Wessex, whose sister St. Cdthburga founded and ruled the double monastery of Wimbnm (now Wimbome), and there it is probable that Walburga was brought up. She is said in some of the legends to have gone to Rome and Palestine with her brother, bat it seems more likely that she and her mother lived at Wimbome when St. Richard and his two sons set off on a pilgrimage to Rome. Richard died at Lucca on the way. About 748 Walburga was sent from Wimbome by the abbess Tetta, at the request of St. BonifiEkce, with a party of nuns, to assist him in establishing nun- neries and schools among his new con- verts in Germany. (Compare Lioba). They went first to Mayence, where they were received by Boniface and Willi- bald, and very soon Boniface sent them to Wunibald, who was building his monastery at Heidenheim. As soon as it was fimshed he and his monks built a nunnery near it for Walburga. Both communities were governed by Wuni- bald. After his death in 761, by some accounts Walburga ruled over both, but this is not specified in the earliest Lives. The place was called by her name for centuries. One evening Walburga had stayed late in the church praying. She bade the sexton light her to her cell. He refused, and i^e meekly went without a light and without her supper as the common meal was finished. In the night the nuns were aroused by a super- natural brightness shining from Wal- burga's cell, it lighted all the dormitory They watched in fear and wonder tmtil the matin bell, and when Walburga appeared they told her what they had seen. She thanked Qod Who had ac- cepted her humility and turned it to honour, and she ascribed the miracle to the' prayers of her departed brother Wunibald. Another time she was di- vinely guided to the house of a neigh- bouring baron, whose daughter lay dying. She did not venture to announce her rank and enter the house, but stood in her poor clothes at the door among the fierce wolf hounds. The baron see- ing her there, in danger of being torn by his dogs, asked rather roughly who she was and what she wanted. The saint replied that he need not fear, for He Who had brought her safely there would take her safely home, that she had come as a physician to his house and would heal his daughter if he believed in the great Physician. She added that the dogs would not touch Walburga. The baron started on hearing her well-known and honoured name, and asking why so noble a lady and so great a servant of G^ stood outside his door, he led her into the house with the greatest respect. The girl was at the point of death, but Walburga spent the night beside her, in prayer, and in the morning restored her i