A sensational legend, prooved by modern Theologist to be a fact is the famous Great Martyr Barbara (Varvara as known in Slavonic realm) is of Bulgarian origin and her martyrdom has occured in country territory of contemporary Bulgaria.
Saint Barbara and her famous Tower where her father kept her imprisoned
From very ancient times Saint Barbara is highly venerated in both Eastern Church and Western Church. The Barbara is a common baby name till this very date, there are countless hospis and hospitals, and institutions all arount the world in her name. Her Living has been an inspiration for the civillized world for many centuries, she is
After the Church Schism in 1054, when Roman-Catholics seperated from the Church and the Pope started to claim rulership over the whole church heresy and many other erronous, believe slowly the great veneration for Saint Barbara, started to deteriorate especially in the early 20th century in Pan-Roman Calendar in the 1969 revision after the Second Vatican assembly although she remains on the list of saints of the Catholic Church, her veneration in Catholicism fade away with claims, there is not enough historical data to proove the living of the saint is not just a pious legend.
Saint Baraba is well known for being the protector of young Children and all people who are in danger of sudden and unexpected death.
Saint Barbara feast day is always celebrated on 4th of December.
For that reason, the representatives of the most risky professions like:
miners, gunners, firefighters, sappers, pyrotechnicians – celebrate December 4, when it is the feast of the Great Martyr, all over the world.
The personality of the saint is shrouded in mystery. Her appearance on the historical scene came too late, nearly five centuries after her martyrdom.
That is why it is not surprising that in our country a village keeps an ancient early Christian legend about the saint.
The old chapel place of St. Barbara and the rebuild chapel built on the site
Those legend tells us, she wandered the lands near Razlog, where she lived and where she was martyrdom.
There on those martyrdom place is built a chapel in honor of the saint and a miraculous spring called by local citizens for ages "the Myrrh".
It is believed that whoever washes with the medicinal water in it can be cured of any disease.
According to a fascinating study by famous Bulgarian Theologian researcher Doctor. Vencislav Karavalchev, St. Varvara was not born in Nicomedia (Bythinia) in the 3rd century, as her life dictates, but the actual location for that historical place is in the village of Eleshnitsa (near Blagoevgrad), which in ancient times was called Iliopolis (Ilioupoli). Her father Dioscorus was a high-ranking administrator. Because she was of fabulous beauty, out of jealousy he locked her in a tower. When he was away on state affairs,
Barbara (Varvara) converted to Christianity.
The martyr was sentenced to death by beheading by her father and the governor of the city. They cut off her head in front of the baths, and her blood turned into healing mineral water. Locals say that the water started gushing out where her blood soaked into the ground.
Today, the gushing spring has a temperature of 57-58 degrees. The Myrrh is lined with stones, and people come from all over the country and abroad for healing baths.
Church Akathist Service in honor of saint Barbara in her Chapen , who is honored in Eleshnica on the fourth day after Easter.
It is assumed that there was a pagan sanctuary near the healing spring, which later grew into a Christian shrine. It can be seen near the built chapel. The entire area has long been known by the name of St. Barbara. Large stones can be seen above, piled up like a herd.
It is assumed that these are the remains of the tower in which the saint stood, who paid with her head for the acceptance of the Christian faith.
It is believed that the legend that Varvara was born here started from a Russian monk from Mount Athos, who was treated in the spring near the village of Eleshnitsa. In 1856 in Moscow, the memories and notes of monk Parthenius were published in several volumes, who, as he himself wrote, did so at the request and with the blessing of Bishop Athanasius. In four voluminous volumes, Parthenius set forth what he saw and heard during his travels and residence on the Holy Mountain, as well as in Russia, Moldavia, Turkey, Jerusalem, and the Holy Land. The fourth volume of these memories contains the information that confirms the legend of St. Barbara living in Eleshnica.
Here is what the Russian Monk Parthenius writes back then:
"I will announce something else, which for us, Russians, is very important, but its credibility has not yet been proven, it has not been investigated, and therefore causes confusion in me. And this thing is the following: the Bulgarians affirm that the great martyr Varvara was more Bulgarian by birth, Slavic by language, from the Macedonian side. That's what Bulgarian monks told me in our Russian monastery on Mount Athos, not one and not two, but more than twenty people.And they received this tradition from ancient times and from their forefathers.
They say thus: In Macedonia there is a city of Nevrokop, six days' journey from the Athonian woods; and from the city of Nevrokop there is a village one day's journey, in Bulgarian called Leshnitsa (Eleshnitsa – b.r.), and in Greek – the former Iliopolis. In this village there is a bathhouse, next to the bathhouse flows a strong source of hot water, which has healing powers, and when it cools, it becomes sweet and delicious like milk. This bath is called Dioskorova, after the father of St. Barbara; and it would be better to say – banya sv. Varvara. On the day in which the memory of the saint is celebrated, a large number of people, Bulgarians, gather here, and a prayer is performed and a great celebration takes place, and they drink from the water and bathe there in the font. There is also a ruined tower in the same village; they say that St. lived there. Barbara and that the tower was built by her father'.
According to the official biography, these events took place in Nicomedia.
The belief says that God's retribution overtakes Varvara's father and the governor of the city – they are both struck by lightning.
The young woman was buried by the Christian Valentine, and her tomb became a source of miracles of faith. In the 6th century, the relics of Saint Barbara were transferred to Constantinople. In the 12th century they were moved to the Mikhailovsky Zlatoverkh Monastery by Svyatopolk II, and from 1930 rest in the Patriarchal Cathedral "St. Vladimir" in Kyiv. Fragments of the miraculous relics of the saint can be found in the Transfiguration Church in Sofia. In the Troyan monastery "Assumption", along with the miraculous icon "The Virgin of Troeruchitsa", relics of St. Varvara.
The saint is of the Order of the United States State Artillerymen.
Protectors for Artillery man and Gunners
Every year on December 4, artillerymen in the armies of a number of Christian countries honor their patron – the holy great martyr Barbara. In the French Army, this day has been celebrated since 1671. during the reign of Louis XIV with the creation of the Regiment of Royal Fusiliers, the first commander of which was the King himself. In the West, the saint is called Barbara. In the US Army, this day is usually accompanied by an official military dinner with the solemn presentation of orders established in the name of St. Varvara. Orders can be awarded not only to military personnel, but also to civilians for services to the artillery corps. The saint was called upon to assist in accidents resulting from the explosion of the first samples of artillery guns. That is why, at the dawn of artillery, the ancient gunners, addressing their prayers to St. Varvara, they accepted her as their patron. The history of the cult of the saint goes back to the time when China invented gunpowder. As expected, the first cannons began to be produced soon. They made their way from Asia to Europe, and the fear of the new weapon proved just as sinister as the fear of the wrath of St. Varvara. The cannon killed suddenly and from a distance like the lightning that pierced the murderers of the Christian martyr. But there was something else. In the initial period of its development, fire artillery was very far from perfection. The first guns were made of iron. When fired, it was distorted in the body, and some of the elements of the projectiles were soldered to the channel of the cannon. A frequent phenomenon under these conditions was instead of firing the projectile, its spraying, which struck not the enemy, but its own soldiers. In such cases, the artillerymen looked for hope, protection and protection in such misfortunes from St. Barbara, patroness of lightning and thunder. Over time, the artillerymen had the feeling that they were always under the protection of the saint. Miners in Poland, the Czech Republic and Germany celebrate the saint's day. Even in faraway Australia, miners honor her with an annual parade.
Since ancient times, a feast assembly is held in the area of St. Varvara, near Razlog (Razlozhko).
Cities and early Medicine tranquility Pills bear name in her honour
Barbiturates, one of the oldest sedatives group of medicines used in medical practice, are named after the saint known in the West as Barbara.
The story goes that in the distant 1864 the chemist Adolf von Bayer entered a tavern. He had just discovered a group of substances acting on the central nervous system in a wide range from sedative to anesthetic.
An artilleryman celebrated his holiday there. In his honor (knowing saint Barbara is protector of artillerists), for providence reason the chemist decided to named his discovery after the saint.
Many cities and temples all over the world bear her name. Today, part of the California coast, now occupied by the city of Santa Barbara, is named after the saint. It was named in 1602 after the sea explorer Sebastian Vizcaino survived a storm at sea just before her feast day. Other Spanish and Portuguese settlements named Santa Barbara were established in Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Honduras, Mexico, Venezuela, and the Philippines.
Source of Research prooving Saint Barbara of (Bulgarian origin):
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