Vampires

[Thomas]

Hi Phil –

There's a rich Christian alternative to the tale of the Centurion who pierced the side of Christ at the Crucifixion.

In Christian mythology he is Longinus the Spearman, supposedly serving with his legion on police duties because he was going blind from cataracts.

The spearthrust was akin to 'the legionnaire's cut' in which a comrade would despatch a mortally wounded compatriot, to avoid further suffering, by a swift thrust through the ribs to the heart.

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Legend has it that a drop of fluid ran down the shaft, and at its touch his sight was healed. Legend also holds he kept possession of the spear, a Hebraic symbol of temple authority (and not a Roman pilium, if memory serves), and this was the Spear of Destiny ...

Longinus converted to Christianity, as did the whole of his cohort. Later, when the Romans were reinstating the cult of the emperor, Longinus refused to offer sacrifice, and so did his men ... in the end the whole legion was executed.

The story is conflated with that of St Maurice, who was the commander of the Theban Legion, so named because raised in Thebias in Egypt, and Christian to a man. The Theban Legion was called by the Emperor Maximian to undertake a persecution of Christians in Gaul in 286AD, but they refused.

As a result, following normal practice, one man in 10 was selected by lot for execution, and killed. The remainder still refused. Another 10% were executed. Now the Thebans complained to Maximian, who was enraged and ordered a general execution. The legend says the entire legion, 6,666 men, were put to the sword.

The death of Maurice, a Christian legionnaire, I think is authentic. The execution of the legion is possible (not beyond belief, the emperors were terrified of army revolts and would have dealt harshly with any refusal). The area of Thebias is the area of the Desert Fathers, hard-core Christian, but the story itself is apocryphal, so there is no supporting evidence.

Thomas - off topic again!

[pfw]

maybe off topic but its an interesting (and vaugly related) story- I had been aware of it before just didn't mention it because it wasn't 'vampy' enough. Just one quick question, is there a book (or collection of books) that relate tales such as Longinus and the other storys that have sprung up around the crucifixion?

[Thomas]

Not that I know of, but I'd be interested myself if there was such a thing! I'll have a nose round my resources, and if anything comes up, I'll let you know.

There are books about the 'Spear of Destiny' as the lance was called - and plenty of stuff on the internet.

I can add to the mythology myself, I had a book called "The Spear of Destiny" which I am convinced was not the Ravenscroft book, but pre-dated it, and from which Ravenscroft drew his information. I had it, and lent it to a friend, and never got it back ... and now I don't know it's title nor its author.

Thomas