The ancient Greeks and Romans often linked meteorological events to the action of the various divinities and turned to them to obtain an intercession, despite the first studies on the meteorology of Aristotle and his followers. With the spread of Christianity and the end of polytheism and the consequent disappearance of the gods who dealt with meteorological events, the ordinary people often tended to attribute the responsibility for bad weather to the devil. The Church could not accept these beliefs because in contrast to monotheism and therefore from the sixth century it took a position stating that the power to cause meteoric events belongs only to God. The Church (particularly the Catholic one), however, accepted over time, with various beatifications and sanctifications, the "specialization" of saints and blessed, in intercessions with the Eternal Father, for meteorological miracles and graces. In the agro-pastoral field, by changing Latin traditions (such as robigalia), rogations were celebrated for centuries in order to protect crops from adverse weather events. Over the centuries, therefore, it was witnessed the birth and spread of these devotions, so much so that the Pantheon of Meteorophile Saints, includes those in charge of obtaining rain (the most numerous) or to stop it, those against hail, storms, lightning, floods, drought etc. The rites associated with meteo-providential saints span several centuries and are part of the intangible european tradition. Although devotion in most of Europe has grown less and often only a few manifestations remain at the folkloristic level, the mass media, still today, report some processions or rites, held in some area of our continent, to obtain divine intercession to combat drought or to stop the rains. The feasts of some saints, moreover, are linked to both popular meteorological sayings and weather-climatic events such as Ice Saints, as "Estate di San Martino" in Italy or Été de la Saint-Martin in France, (lit. Summer of Saint Martin) etc.
Weather and Religion in Europe in the Vulgar Era: The Meteo - providential Saints
Matteo De Vincenzi;Gianni Fasano
2021
Abstract
The ancient Greeks and Romans often linked meteorological events to the action of the various divinities and turned to them to obtain an intercession, despite the first studies on the meteorology of Aristotle and his followers. With the spread of Christianity and the end of polytheism and the consequent disappearance of the gods who dealt with meteorological events, the ordinary people often tended to attribute the responsibility for bad weather to the devil. The Church could not accept these beliefs because in contrast to monotheism and therefore from the sixth century it took a position stating that the power to cause meteoric events belongs only to God. The Church (particularly the Catholic one), however, accepted over time, with various beatifications and sanctifications, the "specialization" of saints and blessed, in intercessions with the Eternal Father, for meteorological miracles and graces. In the agro-pastoral field, by changing Latin traditions (such as robigalia), rogations were celebrated for centuries in order to protect crops from adverse weather events. Over the centuries, therefore, it was witnessed the birth and spread of these devotions, so much so that the Pantheon of Meteorophile Saints, includes those in charge of obtaining rain (the most numerous) or to stop it, those against hail, storms, lightning, floods, drought etc. The rites associated with meteo-providential saints span several centuries and are part of the intangible european tradition. Although devotion in most of Europe has grown less and often only a few manifestations remain at the folkloristic level, the mass media, still today, report some processions or rites, held in some area of our continent, to obtain divine intercession to combat drought or to stop the rains. The feasts of some saints, moreover, are linked to both popular meteorological sayings and weather-climatic events such as Ice Saints, as "Estate di San Martino" in Italy or Été de la Saint-Martin in France, (lit. Summer of Saint Martin) etc.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
