Naslov
Cult of St. Blasius, patron saint of throat sufferers and of otolaryngologists, in Croatia

Autori
Škrobonja, Ante ; Muzur, Amir ; Jurdana, Stanko

Izvornik
International journal of pediatric otorhinolaryngology (0165-5876) 69 (2005); 301-304

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Radovi u časopisima, članak, znanstveni

Ključne riječi
Croatia; history of medicine; folk medicine; medicine in art; otolaryngology; religion; St. Blasius; foreign body; throat

Sažetak
In the introductory part presented is a short hagiography of St. Blasius, and the legend of miraculous healing of a child in whose throat a bone had stuck, threatening to choke the child. Thanks to that legend, St. Blasius has become the traditional patron of the laryngeal diseases, and, since recently, the patron of the otolaryngologists, too. The second part of the paper is dedicated to the cult of St. Blasius, which is present in Croatia since the 10th century until present. Venerated all over the country, St. Blasius has been ‘‘elected’’ the heavenly protector of 10 parish communities, as well as of the city and the dioceses of Dubrovnik. Beside pilgrimage and prayers, among many traditional forms of folk piety, a ritual called ‘‘grlicˇenje’’ has been preserved–—a curative and preventive blessing of the throat with crossed candles on the Saint’s Day. In more recent times, the same day has been remembered among Croatian otolaryngologists and the societies of laryngectomized persons, who chose St. Blasius for their patron, too.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Temeljne medicinske znanosti

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