Royal Artillery Association UBIQUE

The Legend of Saint Barabara

Patron Saint of All Artillerymen

According to legend, Saint Barbara was the extremely beautiful daughter of a wealthy heathen named Dioscorus, who lived near Nicomedia in Asia Minor. Because of her singular beauty and fearful that she be demanded in marriage and taken away from him, he jealously shut her up in a tower to protect her from the outside world. Barbara had heard of the teachings of Christ, and while her father was gone spent much time in contemplation.

 

From the windows of her tower she looked out upon the surrounding countryside and marvelled at the growing things; the trees, the animals and the people. She decided that all these must be part of a master plan, and that the idols of wood and stone worshipped by her parents must be condemned as false. Gradually she came to accept the Christian faith. When her father returned, he was enraged to acknowledge that she was a Christian.

 

He dragged her before the perfect of the province, which decreed that she be tortured and put to death by beheading. Dioscorus himself carried out the death sentence. On this way home he was struck by lightening and his body consumed. Saint Barbara lived and died about the year 300 A.D.  She was venerated as early as the seventh century.

 

The legend of the lightning bolt, which struck down her persecutor, caused her to be regarded as the patron saint in time of danger from thunderstorms, fires and sudden death. When gunpowder made its appearance in the Western world, Saint Barbara was invoked for aid against accidents resulting from explosions—since some of the earlier artillery pieces often blew up instead of firing their projectile; Saint Barbara became the patroness of the artillerymen. Saint Barbara is usually represented standing by a tower with three windows, carrying the palm of a martyr in her hand.

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Often, too, she holds a chalice and a sacramental wafer and some times a canon are displayed near.  St Barbara is patron saint of all Artillerymen and women and it is tradition to celebrate the feast of St Barbara on December 4th and is traditionally recognised by a formal parade or Church service by Artillerymen and women around the world.