Re: [tied] Eh, Catherine!

The modern view is that just about everything associated with St.
Catherine of Alexandria is, at best, a pious fiction. As I recall, she
has been dropped from the Roman calendar (like St. Christopher), but
my memory may be defective.

The (old) Catholic Encyclopedia gives a good overview of the problem:
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03445a.htm

--- In cybalist@..., "Sergejus Tarasovas" <S.Tarasovas@...> wrote:
> --- In cybalist@..., "Piotr Gasiorowski" <gpiotr@...> wrote:
>
> >Her original name was Marta Skavronska (a Livonian/Latvian version
> of what is certainly a Polish surname).
> I've read the authenticity if this name is disputed, do I prefered
> not to mention it.
>
> >Presumably an adaptation of Greek Aikaterine was found suitable for
> her -- there _is_ a saint with that name -- St. Catherine of Sinai
is
> worshipped as Aikaterine in the Greek Orthodox Church, AFAIK.
>
> Vasmer writes that <Jekaterina> was probably first mentioned in the
> middle of the 15th c. in a description of a pilgrimage to Jerusalem.
> Considering the fact that I can't find any traces of this name in
Old
> and Middle Russian sources, the name most likely was used in
relation
> to St. Catherine (Gr. Aikateri'ne:) of Alexandria (her 'full
> designation' in orthodox tradition , = St. Catherine of Sinai). The
> most likely this name was a bookish exotic one for the Russians up
to
> the 18th c. It's characteristic that St. Catherine of Alexandria is
> _the only_ Catherine in the orthodox church calendar (in contrast to
> more that a dozen in the catholic one).
> As for Greek Aikateri'ne: < aei` kathari'na 'always pure', Vasmer
> refers as far back as to Pape's Wo"rterbuch der griechischen
> Eigennamen (1863-1870), where. I suppose, this rather non-standard
> development is explained.
>
> Sergei