Old McDonald Knew a Saint Trivia Quiz

Answer: Saint Brigit of Kildare

Saint Brigit -- also called Saint Brigid -- is responsible for quite a lot of farm animals, but also for chicken - and chicken farmers. She lived about 451-525 in Ireland. Her mother was a slave and she was the property of a druid. Brigid couldn't take food from this man because of his impurity. Therefore a cow was to sustain her. This may be the link to the farm animals.

Catherine was from Sweden and Beatrice an Italian lady. Saint Cunigunde of Luxembourg -- well you might have guessed it -- once called Luxembourg her home. She is the patron saint of Luxembourg.

Answer: Perpetua and Felicity

It happened in the third century. Perpetua was a lady living in the Roman province of Carthage. Felicity was her slave.
They were arrested for their faith and ended up in the show program for Emperor Geta's birthday. The wild cow who should have killed the two didn't do her job properly, so the sword had to do the gruesome rest.

The ladies are also patron saints for butchers -- if the cow doesn't recover, a butcher might have prayed at the same time. And after the traumatic experiences with a cow, a vote against the cow might be easily understood.

Well, the other ladies are not that saintly. They may be found on TV or in your record collection.

Answer: Saint Anthony the Great

Saint Anthony is one of the more important saints of the Roman church. He is one of the best known ascetics. Living in Egypt around 251-356 he is said to have been a swineherd at one time. Another story deals with his temptations by Satan. A wild and energetic pig made its appearance. Anthony kept cool and the animal changed into a peaceful one. Well, if a beautiful woman didn't tempt Augustine -- why should an ancient Miss Piggy be successful? Kermit the frog is said to pray that this wonder will happen to his Miss Piggy, without success so far.

The other saints were also hermits of some importance. Benedict -- the one responsible for the Order of St. Benedict -- is patron saint of agriculture workers.

Answer: Martin of Tours

Martin of Tours lived from 316 until 397. He entered the Roman imperial horse guard. While he was stationed in what is now France he met a beggar near the gates of the town of Amiens. Martin, just eighteen, divided his cloak and gave half to the beggar. After this he turned to Christianity and some time later he entered an abbey.

What about the geese? Well, in 371 he was appointed to be the bishop of Amiens. He was too modest and hid between the geese. As you might expect the geese betrayed him with their noise. So he couldn't avoid being a bishop for long.

Saint Martin's day is November 11. In my part of Germany, the Rhineland, around this day you can watch processions of lanterns carried by little children, accompanied by brass bands and a Saint Martin on horseback. After this the children go singing from door to door and get sweets. And the poor geese end their lives roasted on a dish in company with a fried apple, boiled red cabbage and a dumpling.

There is a connection between Saint Martin and the other three you could have chosen as an answer. They are all patron saints of France.

Answer: Saint Anthony of Padua and Saint George

Saint Anthony of Padua lived from 1195 until 1231. One miracle attributed to him is that a horse refused to eat until he adored the blessed oracle (the host) held by Anthony. The horse even knelt down.

Saint George (born around in the second half of the third century, died in the year 303), the one with the dragon, did fight on horseback. He is usually painted riding a white one.

Another saint you might ask is Eligius of Noyon. Saint Joseph, husband of Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, is patron to many, but horses are not his trade. Brendan, an Irish saint, can be asked to help whales.

Answer: George

He is also, among other countries and towns, the patron of Georgia. But this clue would have been too easy.

Saint George was said to have been a soldier, best known for his supposed fight with and killing of the dragon who wanted a princess for a light snack (they seem to attract dragons). He didn't marry the girl, but asked for a mass baptism.

Later he met his fate in the person of Diocletian, a Roman emperor. Theodotus, a fifth century bishop of Ancyra, said George was tortured for seven years and regained life after being already dead three times, and only then did he take his last breath. But he never lost faith. Well, maybe the good bishop exaggerated a bit.

Where do the sheep come in? It might be because the dragon first fed with two sheep a day, than he changed to humans as a meal. The princess had luck: she met good George.

Answer: Saint Cuthbert

Cuthbert was born around 635 in Scotland. In 651 he entered a monastery, and later he worked as a prior in Ripon and Lindisfarne. He then decided to become a hermit and lived on a small island. Between 685 and 687 he was bishop of Lindisfarne.

While living on his lonely island as a hermit he protected the birds and especially the eider ducks by setting up rules for how to treat them.

He may not be the official patron especially for ducks -- but he cared for them so McDonald will be doing all right praying to him.

All the other saints lived and suffered more than a millennium after St. Cuthbert's times.

Answer: Saint Hubertus of Liège

Hubertus was born around 656 and lived until 727. He was of a noble family.
When his wife died in childbirth he retired to the Ardennes, a beautiful area notable for widespread forests, where he spent his time hunting. One day he did this on Good Friday at church time. As the legend says, he encountered a stag, hunted it down and noticed a crucifix standing between the antlers. A voice told him to change his ways. His new life led to an appointment as bishop of Maastricht in later years. He was responsible for founding the basilica in Liège and was the first bishop there.

The connection between Hubertus and dogs is easily seen. He needed the dogs as a hunter and is usually depicted with some. Hubertus is more commonly known as the patron of huntsmen. The stag with the cross appears on a famous German digestif brand called Jaegermeister.

Another legend is that the angels visited Hubertus and gave him a special stole with the power of healing rabies, an illness which can be transmitted by infected dogs.

The other named saints are from around the same time, but none of them came to such celebrity as Hubertus. They are more or less local heroes.

Answer: Saint Ambrose of Milan

Around the year 330 Aurelius Ambrosius was born in Trier (today in Germany) into a Roman family of Christian faith.

The legend encounters that infant Ambrosius lay in his bed, when a swarm of bees settled on his face. To his good luck they didn't harm him but left a drop of honey on his face. Some versions even say the bees nourished him with honey. Therefore he is saint to bees, beekeepers, candle makers and wax refiners.

In his later life he made a career as bishop of the important Italian town of Milan. He involved himself deeply in theology -- as expected -- and in politics.

He died in 397.

The other mentioned saints were clerics and doctors of the church just like Ambrose. But they are all connected with what is today France.

Answer: Yes

Saint Gertrude of Nivelles is the patron saint of cats.

Even if the church sometimes suspected cats being in league with witches and the devil, they were needed to stop rats and mice from getting too much of the precious corn.

Saint Gertrude of Nivelles is also the saint to help you against mice and rats. Just in case your cat is indisposed at the moment. Or doesn't hunt them, like mine.

Gertrude lived in the seventh century and was born in Belgium. Her mother had established a monastery, which Gertrude entered at a young age. Later she founded one herself, in Nivelles were she died in 659.

One legend tells -- but I only found one source for it -- that Gertrude once prayed that the mice would leave when they were destroying the crops in the area. The mice left. Gertrude is usually depicted with mice around her, running up her staff or even her clothes. You may also find a cat or cats. I guess she preferred a cat as a company in her monastery. Who wouldn't?