1st October
St Mylor’s Day
Saint Melaire in Chapelle Saint Brieuc. Source: Wikipedia
Today is St Mylore’s Day. Mylore (or Melar or Melaire) was a little known early sixth century Breton saint, who was also venerated in Amesbury Abbey, of which he was the patron saint, in Wiltshire. His lack of biography gave the Breton monks license to in effect invent a predictably gory back story for Mylore. Under the most common account, Mylore is a Breton prince whose father was murdered in time-honoured fashion by his uncle Rivoldus, who then sought to dispense with his nephew too. A council of bishops then intervened and placated the usurper king by decreeing although Mylore should not die, he should have his right hand and left foot cut off and be sent to live a life of contemplation in a monastery. This the long-suffering lad did and found, miraculously, that his prosthetic silver hand and bronze foot worked just as well as flesh and blood. Rivoldus was not satisfied with this turn of events and so had the young saint decapitated. Rivoldus died three days later. Mylore’s head was taken over the Channel to the abbey at Amesbury where it remained, protected by the belief that if anyone attempted to remove the relic, they would meet the same fate as Rivoldus.
The legend is almost entirely made up, but does correlate with the treatment of deposed Eastern Roman Emperors in medieval times who would frequently be mutilated and forced into holy orders to disbar them from the imperial throne.
It is claimed that Amesbury church was founded by Queen Guinevere, who retired there in disgrace after her affair with Lancelot. She is allegedly buried under the building.