Who was Saint Lucy?

The legend of Lucy

According to legend, she was a devout Christian who gave her dowry to the poor of Sicily after her mother had recovered from a serious illness. When she donated her dowry, the man who was to marry her became so enraged that he denounced her to the authorities, for Christianity was not yet accepted.

As punishment, she was to be sent to a brothel, but no force could move her from the spot. A fire was then lit around her, yet the flames did not harm her. In the end, a Roman soldier thrust a dagger or sword through her throat.

Italy’s most popular saint?

Lucy quickly became a popular saint throughout Italy. Relics of her, including her eyes, were preserved in Naples, while the rest of her remains are in Venice, originally housed in a church that was later demolished to make way for the railway station. She is often depicted holding her eyes on a plate. According to the legend, her eyes were either gouged out before her death, or she plucked them out herself.

Lucy in Sweden

In medieval Sweden, 13 December was celebrated as her feast day, though few medieval depictions of Lucy survive. Among those that do are embroidered images on a chasuble dating from the fifteenth century. A chasuble is a liturgical garment worn by priests during the Eucharist. A Flemish embroidered chasuble from Torskinge Church in Småland is unique in Sweden, as it is the only one to depict the full story of Lucia’s martyrdom.

Lucy’s fate, to be killed for her Christian faith, has no connection with the Swedish Lucia traditions. These did not arise until the nineteenth century. However, as long as the Julian calendar was in use, the winter solstice fell on 13 December. Lucia therefore came to be seen as a harbinger of brighter times and longer days. She is also regarded as the patron saint of the blind.