Agria 42. (Az Egri Múzeum Évkönyve - Annales Musei Agriensis, 2006)

Császi Irén: „Óvd a vésztől jószágunkat”. Szent Vendel Heves megyei kultusza

Irén Császi "Protect Our Flock From the Plague" The Cult of Saint Wendel in Heves County October 20th, St Wendel'

s Day, celebrating the patron saint of shepherds and keepers of livestock, was a red-letter day in the herding communities, particularly among shepherds. In the case of the plague or any other animal illnesses it was to him that people would look for intercession. Folk statues were put up to provide a defence against epidemics, or in gratitude for having been relieved of the plague. The adoption of the cult of St Wendel in Hungary is first evident from the mid18th century. An important factor in its spread was the arrival of a significant number of German settlers into areas left depopulated following the Turkish occupation. The main propagator of the cult was the Roman Catholic church. In the diocese of Eger it was Ferenc Barkóczy (1744-1761) who was most active in this respect. In Heves County the cult of St Wendel began in the mid-18th century, becoming widespread by the beginning of the 20th century. With the help of fieldwork and archive research this study shows the forms the cult took (the name day as day of rest, the procession to the statue, the litany, the use of publications referring to Wendel's devotion, the giving of votive gifts and waxen images at the statue). It has been possible to discover a number of sayings relating to his life. In those southern parts of Heves County bordering on the Great Plain next to the Jászság one can find a large number of statues dedicated to Saint Wendel, the patron saint of animals. At the end of the study we include descriptions of 19 Wendel statues present in the county. 447