Hugh of Lincoln, Little Saint
- Hugh of Lincoln, Little Saint
-
▪ English martyr
born 1245, Lincoln, Lincolnshire, Eng.
died Aug. 27, 1255, Lincoln; feast day August 27 [suppressed]
legendary English child martyr who was supposedly murdered by members of the local Jewish community for ritual purposes. There was little basis in fact for the story, but the cult that grew up around Hugh was a typical expression of the
anti-Semitism that flourished in Europe after the year 1000.
The victim of an anonymous murder, Hugh, a 9-year-old boy, was found dead in a well. His friends came forth with the accusation that a Jew named Koppin had imprisoned the child for more than a month, torturing and finally crucifying him. According to rumour, the body had been thrown into the well because the earth had refused to receive it. More than 90 Jews were subsequently arrested and charged with practicing ritual murder. Koppin, who allegedly confessed, was executed along with 18 others.
Miracles began to be attributed to Hugh as soon as the body was discovered. The story, although lacking any evidence, grew both in detail and in popularity over the years and, like others of its kind, reinforced the nearly universal sentiment of anti-Semitism and provided additional fuel for anti-Jewish acts. The legend of Hugh's martyrdom was a popular subject in medieval literature, notably in Chaucer's
Prioress's Tale. His name does not appear in the standard
Butler's Lives of the Saints (1998).
* * *
Universalium.
2010.
Look at other dictionaries:
Saint Hugh of Lincoln — St. Hugh of Lincoln † Catholic Encyclopedia ► St. Hugh of Lincoln Born about the year 1135 at the castle of Avalon, near Pontcharra, in Burgundy; died at London, 16 Nov., 1200. His father, William, Lord of Avalon, was sprung from one… … Catholic encyclopedia
HUGH OF LINCOLN° — (c. 1246–1255), alleged victim of ritual murder. His body was found in a well in the Jewish quarter of lincoln by his mother, about Passover time 1255, near the house of a Jew named Copin. Under torture, Copin stated that he had killed the child… … Encyclopedia of Judaism
Little Saint Hugh of Lincoln — This article is about the boy known as Little Saint Hugh of Lincoln, who was the subject of a Medieval blood libel in 1255. For information about the adult saint, see Hugh of Lincoln . Hugh of Lincoln (1247 August, 1255) was an English boy, whose … Wikipedia
Hugh of Lincoln — Infobox bishopbiog name =Hugh of Avalon religion =Catholic See =Diocese of Lincoln Title = Bishop of Lincoln Period = 1186 ndash;1200 Predecessor = Walter de Coutances Successor =William de Blois ordination = bishops = post = Prior of Witham… … Wikipedia
Hugh of Lincoln — 1) (Little St Hugh) (d. 1255) Martyr. As a child of nine, Hugh was murdered in the town of Lincoln and his body was thrust into a well. His murderer was unknown, but it was rumoured that a wealthy Jew named Koppin had conspired with… … Who’s Who in Christianity
Hugh of Lincoln — (1247–55) Al leged blood libel victim. In 1255 the dead body of Hugh, an eight year old child, was found in a cesspool in the Jewish quarter of Lincoln, near the house of a Jew named Copin. The latter was promptly arrested, and under torture… … Who’s Who in Jewish History after the period of the Old Testament
Lincoln, Lincolnshire — Infobox UK district name = City of Lincoln location map|United Kingdom label= position=center width=115 lat= 53.232 long= 0.538 caption= float= status = City region = East Midlands admincounty = Lincolnshire area = Ranked 328th 35.69 km² adminhq … Wikipedia
Lincoln, England — City of Lincoln City Borough Castle Square, Lincoln … Wikipedia
Saint Hugh — may refer to:* Hugh of Champagne (d. 730), archbishop of Rouen and bishop of Paris and Bayeux * Hugh of Cluny (1024–1109), influential eleventh century monastic * Hugh of Grenoble (Hugh of Châteauneuf) (1052–1132), bishop of Grenoble * Hugh of… … Wikipedia
Lincoln (England) — Lincoln † Catholic Encyclopedia ► Lincoln ANCIENT DIOCESE OF LINCOLN (LINCOLNIENSIS). This see was founded by St. Theodore, Archbishop of Canterbury, in 678, when he removed the Lindiswaras of Lincolnshire from the Diocese of… … Catholic encyclopedia
