This evening I was wondering which traditional saint would best act as the patron of shaving. While we have many modern saints here on B&B, associating shaving with a historical saint appeals to me. So I have assembled a short list of candidates for your consideration.
Note: this is a potentially inflammatory topic, and I apologize in advance if I offend anyone. I do not intend to show disrespect to the personal beliefs of anyone, whatsoever. Instead, the intended butt of any jokes in this post is the B&B community itself - and I know that we can take it.
That said, here is the list. If there is enough interest and the conversation doesn't go off the rails, I may start a poll.
1. The most obvious candidates are the patron saints of barbers. Saints, plural? Yes - Cosmas and Damian are twins. They are really the patrons of barbers as surgeons (along with physicians and dentists). So they might not be interested in shaving, but we shavers do sometimes perform surgery on ourselves, and we can use all the help we can get with the healing process. Their martyrdom included beheading, which also has some appeal.
2. Peregrine of Auxerre is invoked against snake bites. Yes, this is a stretch. He was tortured (perhaps with an early version of the M3?) and beheaded. He was born in Rome and lived in France, which could appeal to fans of Proraso, Omega, Provence Sante, etc.
3. Olaf II of Norway, or Olaf the Holy, is the patron saint of carvers and has been known to help those with difficult marriages. He could help you with SWMBO. He is usually depicted with a beard, and carrying an axe. Perhaps he is preparing to shave?
4. Hugh of Cluny, or Hugh the Great, is invoked by those suffering from fever. Could this stretch to razor burn, or perhaps even to the fever of acquisition disorder? Hugh was from France, for fans of French soaps and scents.
5. Gangulphus of Burgundy could be our man for SWMBO and acquisition disorder. He was a courtier who renounced his wealth, left his wife, and became a hermit. I suspect this was so he could devote himself to getting a good lather from Williams soap. Unfortunately he and his wife were already mixed up in a love triangle, and he was stabbed to death by the third party.
6. Anthony the Great is the patron saint of brushmakers, butchers, amptutees, and hogs. He is invoked by those suffering from skin diseases and those who have lost items of value. There's a lot of good material here.
7. Nicholas, or "Saint Nick" isn't directly associated with shaving, but his name suggests a connection. He is the patron saint of sailors (VanDerSpice?), merchants, and pharmacists. According to legend, he resurrected three boys who were butchered, so perhaps he can help with the odd slice and cut as well. He is also well-known for his PIFs.
8. Florian is the patron saint of soap makers, and is invoked against fire. He was a Roman officer, killed on active duty. Besides the connection with soap, I like his name.
Note that I wanted to include Saint Charles, for Saint Charles Shaving. But the company seems to be named for St Charles, MO and the city is apparently named for Charles Borromeo. Sadly he had an awful five o'clock shadow in his portrait by Figino, and seems to be the patron saint of intestinal disorders. Anyway he lived 1538-1584, which is a little too modern for my objectives in this post.
Did I miss a previous discussion on this topic? Did I miss your favorite saint? Do you have a favorite from this list? Do you think torture and beheading is too good for me? Let's hear about it.
Note: this is a potentially inflammatory topic, and I apologize in advance if I offend anyone. I do not intend to show disrespect to the personal beliefs of anyone, whatsoever. Instead, the intended butt of any jokes in this post is the B&B community itself - and I know that we can take it.
That said, here is the list. If there is enough interest and the conversation doesn't go off the rails, I may start a poll.
1. The most obvious candidates are the patron saints of barbers. Saints, plural? Yes - Cosmas and Damian are twins. They are really the patrons of barbers as surgeons (along with physicians and dentists). So they might not be interested in shaving, but we shavers do sometimes perform surgery on ourselves, and we can use all the help we can get with the healing process. Their martyrdom included beheading, which also has some appeal.
2. Peregrine of Auxerre is invoked against snake bites. Yes, this is a stretch. He was tortured (perhaps with an early version of the M3?) and beheaded. He was born in Rome and lived in France, which could appeal to fans of Proraso, Omega, Provence Sante, etc.
3. Olaf II of Norway, or Olaf the Holy, is the patron saint of carvers and has been known to help those with difficult marriages. He could help you with SWMBO. He is usually depicted with a beard, and carrying an axe. Perhaps he is preparing to shave?
4. Hugh of Cluny, or Hugh the Great, is invoked by those suffering from fever. Could this stretch to razor burn, or perhaps even to the fever of acquisition disorder? Hugh was from France, for fans of French soaps and scents.
5. Gangulphus of Burgundy could be our man for SWMBO and acquisition disorder. He was a courtier who renounced his wealth, left his wife, and became a hermit. I suspect this was so he could devote himself to getting a good lather from Williams soap. Unfortunately he and his wife were already mixed up in a love triangle, and he was stabbed to death by the third party.
6. Anthony the Great is the patron saint of brushmakers, butchers, amptutees, and hogs. He is invoked by those suffering from skin diseases and those who have lost items of value. There's a lot of good material here.
7. Nicholas, or "Saint Nick" isn't directly associated with shaving, but his name suggests a connection. He is the patron saint of sailors (VanDerSpice?), merchants, and pharmacists. According to legend, he resurrected three boys who were butchered, so perhaps he can help with the odd slice and cut as well. He is also well-known for his PIFs.
8. Florian is the patron saint of soap makers, and is invoked against fire. He was a Roman officer, killed on active duty. Besides the connection with soap, I like his name.
Note that I wanted to include Saint Charles, for Saint Charles Shaving. But the company seems to be named for St Charles, MO and the city is apparently named for Charles Borromeo. Sadly he had an awful five o'clock shadow in his portrait by Figino, and seems to be the patron saint of intestinal disorders. Anyway he lived 1538-1584, which is a little too modern for my objectives in this post.
Did I miss a previous discussion on this topic? Did I miss your favorite saint? Do you have a favorite from this list? Do you think torture and beheading is too good for me? Let's hear about it.
If the people at B&B aren't lost causes, I'm not sure what is.
