According to legend, St. Barbara was the daughter of a high official, the pagan Dioscurus of Nicomedia. She was endowed with extraordinary beauty, which caused many of the most illustrious young men to vie for her hand. Wanting to protect her from unwanted rivals and keep her from Christianity, her father built a high tower in which he locked the girl. It was this care and timidity of Dioscurus, who forbade all but servants and teachers to enter the tower, that spurred Barbara to think deeply about God. Without her father's knowledge, she was baptized and took a vow of lifelong chastity as the bride of Christ.
Upon hearing this, the father, wanting to save his job and life in the city, tried to force his daughter to renounce her faith and marry. She, however, was adamant. Enlisting the help of bricklayers who had converted to Christianity, she managed to escape from prison. According to legend, a mountain parted before the girl pursued by her father, giving her temporary refuge. However, she was soon captured and tortured. During this time she showed great bravery, never stopped praying and praising God. At the moment of her death, when the executioners cut off Barbara's head with a sword, her father, returning home, was struck by lightning from a serene sky.
The cult of St. Barbara has always been alive in Poland. The earliest traces associated with the celebration of her figure come from Krakow's Wawel Cathedral. The first mention of the liturgical commemoration of the saint, under the date of December 4, is found in the "Prayer Book of Gertrude," the daughter of Mieszko II. In the 13th and 14th centuries, the figure of St. Barbara appeared in sermons that emphasized her heroic deeds. A description of the martyr's life was presented in the pages of "Lives of the Saints." Soon she became the heroine of many church and so-called grandfather songs and legends. Many churches, shrines and altars were built in her honor. The oldest temple under her name was built in 1262 in Bożygniewo near Środa Śląska. The expression of veneration for the Saint also became the church bells cast from bronze, founded by steelworkers, miners and workers of various trades.
St. Barbara was considered the patron saint of good death, virtuous brides and family life, protector during fires, thunderstorms, plague patients and cemetery chapels. She was revered primarily by those whose occupations exposed them to unexpected sudden death, such as miners, metallurgists, sailors, fishermen, soldiers, masons, prisoners, masons, artillerymen, carpenters, blacksmiths, rocket makers and sappers.
The miners chose her as their special patron saint because a rock closed over her too, according to legend. Images of St. Barbara were probably found in every mine, both outside and in the galleries "below." Her protection was especially recommended to miners going down to work underground. It was believed that those who turned to her in prayer would experience protection during misfortune. In case of straying, she would lead them to the right path, protect them from misfortune, and help the dying receive the Blessed Sacrament. The cult of St. Barbara was also manifested in the daily lives of mining families. Requests for her intercession were present in the formulas of "farewells" and "greetings" of men going to work in the mine.
The day destined for St. Barbara, called Barborka, the miners celebrated with great solemnity. It began with a mass, which they attended in beautiful gala uniforms. Then, to the accompaniment of a miner's orchestra, they went to the mine. There, they were given the rank of foreman and handyman, known as "liberations," during which the young apprentice was ceremoniously inducted into the mining state. The most important moment of this ritual was jumping over a flap of leather, or the so-called "patch," on which one rode down the adits to the mine's pit. The ceremony was followed by a communal party combined with refreshments.
St. Barbara was also considered the patron saint of fishermen. From Oskar Kolberg's descriptions, we know that in 19th century Warsaw, it was a tradition to build boats that had to have the image of St. Barbara. On December 4, solemn services were held at the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Powisle, attended by fishing families with their journeymen, bringing with them the fish they caught, which were then distributed to the poor as alms. In Pomerania, rafters, fishermen and sailors prayed to St. Barbara, asking for protection, abundant fishing and a happy return home.
In some areas, it was believed that St. Barbara protected against violent storms and lightning strikes, that a good death could be asked from her, and that she would help a dying person pass peacefully into eternity.
The underground Polish underground had a special devotion to St. Barbara, praying for independence during the war and occupation. In Polish tradition, St. Barbara was also revered by maidens and their brides. Young people offered prayers to God and to the Saint, asking for a deferment of military service for their fiancé. Fiancées who were already in service gave their fiancées over to the protection of St. Barbara, thus wishing to protect them from the dangers that threatened them.
In many regions of Poland, a branch from a cherry tree was placed in water on St. Barbara's Day - it should bloom on Christmas Day. From this growth, the abundance of fruit harvest in the next year was predicted. On this day, the girls augur the future from them. If the branch bloomed on Christmas Day, it meant a quick marriage.
Many meteorological proverbs were connected with St. Barbara, such as: "St. Barbara on the water - Christmas on the ice", "If on St. Barbara the goose walks on the pond, then on Christmas it will swim on the pond", "When on St. Barbara liquids, it will delay winter", "When on St. Barbara frost, put the sledge on the stove", "When on St. Barbara frost, put the sledge on the stove", "On St. Barbara frost, it is for winter". Barbara frost, put the sleigh on the stove", "When it's frosty on St. Barbara, it's a wagon for winter", "When it's frosty on St. Barbara, get the sleigh ready quickly", "Barbara frosts, Santa drives the ice"; "On the feast of Barbara the best tarka", "Let everyone remember, what Barbara, such a holiday".
Text: Joanna Radziewicz
Photo: polona.pl - public domain
Sources:
1. Ferenc E: Polish Christmas traditions. Poznan, 2010.
2. Kupisinski, Z.: The cult of Saint Barbara in Polish folk religiosity. Yearbooks of Fundamental Theology and Religiology, 2012, vol. 4, pp.
