--Marquise du Deffand, [commenting on the legend that St. Denis walked six miles with his head in his hand], letter to d'Alembert, July 7, 1763.
The quote sounds like A journey of a thousand miles starts with one step. But what's this "six miles" business? Is it Lytton Strachey's (Hey, his name is familiar) interpretation? The eleventh edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica says it was a miraculous walk of two miles. And why was his head in his hands?
All You Ever Wanted To Know About Saint Denis by Jacqueline Donnelly:
Denis and his companions, through their energy and sincerity, managed to convert a significant number of inhabitants of Lutece, a.k.a. Paris, a phenomenon which was not well received by the local authorities.She also recommends a visit to the basilica Saint-Denis.
Governor Sisinnius Fesceninus ordered the trio to appear before him to recant and submit to Roman authority.
Like all heroes of old, the three refused and were imprisoned and tortured not far from the present flower market n the Ile de la Cite. Frustrated that these Christians were steadfast in their religious commitment, the governor ordered their execution at the temple of Mercury at the summit of the highest hill in Paris.
The legionnaires set out with the condemned, and in their zeal, if not perhaps fatigue, decided to dispatch Denis halfway up the mountain. "Who's to know?" was undoubtedly their reasoning.
Unfortunately, Denis had no intention of cutting the trip short. Once decapitated, he picked up his head and continued up the hill for a distance of 6 kilometers! At 9 Rue Yvonne-le-Tac, he washed his bloody head in a spring and finished his trek.
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