Cook, Arthur B.: Zeus: a study in ancient religion (Band 2,1): Zeus god of the dark sky (thunder and lightning): Text and notes (Cambridge, 1925)

116 The Pillar of Light

A similar manifestation is recorded in the life of Saint Sabas
(Dec. 5), founder of the famous monastery near Jerusalem, who one
night saw a pillar of fire connecting earth with heaven and found
beneath it a cave well suited to serve as a church1. Sabas was a
Cappadocian by birth ; and it is perhaps more than a coincidence
that another Cappadocian, Saint Basil the Great, appeared in a
vision to Saint Ephraem the Syrian as a column of fire reaching to
the sky2. Accordingly Saint Basil (June 14) is sometimes repre-
sented in art with a column of fire near by and a dove at his head",
Saint Ephraem (Jan. 28 or Feb. 1 and July 9) with a pillar of light
before him4. In the case of Celtic and Saxon saints the said pillar
is almost a commonplace. When Saint Bridget of Kildare (Feb. 1)
received the veil from Bishop Maccail at Usny Hill, Westmeath, a
flame shaped like a column appeared above her5. So too when
Saint Brioc of Brittany (May 1), son of an Irish father by a Saxon
mother, was being ordained, a column of fire rose to the roof above
his head11: he is sometimes figured with this attribute7. A column
of fire likewise appeared on the head of Saint Cuthbert (March 20),
while he was abbot of Melrose8. A pillar of light was seen shining
over the thicket, where the body of Saint Kenelm (July 17 and

1889 viii. 287 ft- (P- 3°4i - ft- /ca' TVV ^v <t>uvT}v e£ avrov TjKOvev, to 8e /xeyedos rrjs 8o^tjs
avrov eftXeirev, arvXov ivvpbs arrb rrjs yrjs etos rod ovpavov, p. 315, 8 f. arvXop 5e rrapaxprj/J-a
rrvpbs a7rd yrjs ea>s avrov birjKovra ibeiv ovpavov nal (poivrjs eKeWev clkovctcu k.t.\.), G. Anrich
Die Anfange des Heiligenkults in der christlichen Kirche Tubingen 1904 p. 267.

1 Kyrillos of Skythopolis v. Sabae 17 in J. B. Cotelerius Ecclesice Graca: monumenia
Lutecise Parisiorum 1686 iii. 242c bpa...arvXov Trvpbs irreffrrjpiyixevov ev rrj yrj ov rj
KecpaXr] dcpiKvelro eis rbv ovpavov, 243 A—B dve/3r; fMera <p6j3ov /cat xaP&s P-eydXrjS, ev6a 6
orvXos rod wvpbs ioetxdv' Kai eiipe o-Trr)Xaiov fieya re teal dav/xdaiov, (KKXrjcrias deov eKrvTru/ua
exov.

- .-Ida Sanctorum edd. Bolland. Antverpiae 1658 Februarius i. 75 d (ex Vita S. Basilii
Magni | Auctore (ut vulgo creditur) S. Amphilochio) In extasi ergo factus, vidit
columnam ignis, cuius caput pertingebat ccelum, & vocem desuper dicentem audiuit :
Eftrem, Effrem, quemadmodum vidisti columnam istam ignis, talis est magnus Basilius.
Cp. Smith—Wace Diet. Chr. Biogr. ii. 138.

3 M. and W. Drake Saints and their Emblems London 1916 pp. 17, 175.

4 M. and W. Drake op. cit. pp. 41, 200, R. Pfleiderer Die Attribute der Heiligen
Ulm 1898 p. 139.

5 C. Cahier Caracte'ristiques des Saints dans tart populaire Paris 1867 i. 246 quoting
[J. E.] Nieremberg[ius] De [miris ef] niiraculosis \naturis in Europa Antverpice 1635]
lib. II cap. xi.

6 Vita S. Brioci 19 in the Analecta Bollandiana Paris-Bruxelles 1883 ii. 170 apparuit
super caput Brioccii, qui prope erat episcopo, quasi columna ignis, attingens ecclesire
laquearia.

7 C. Cahier op. cit. i. 245, R. Pfleiderer op. cit. p. 139, D. H. Kerler Die Patronate
der Heiligen Ulm 1905 p. 36 f., M. and W. Drake op. cit. pp. 21, 175, 200.

8 C. Cahier op. cit. i. 245. Cp. R. Pfleiderer op. cit. p. 139 (' Saule, gluhende, uber
ihm '), D. H. Kerler op. cit. p. 168 (' Gluhende Saule'), M. and W. Drake op. cit. pp. 3r,
200 ('pillars of light above him').