Page:A Dictionary of Saintly Women Volume 2.djvu/94

82 82 ST. MAXIMA a nnnnery, of which she eventually became abbess. In their new abode Martinian and his brothers preached Christianity to hundreds who until then had never heard of it : they made many converts. Capsur sent an account of their proceedings to Genseric, who ordered them to be seized and each tied by the feet to the tail of a wild horse which was then made to gallop through thorns and tiiickets and over rough ground until they were killed. Maxima has a special worship at the church of the Peiits Augtutins at Paris. These five martyrs are commemorated with St. Deogratias. Eibadeneira gives this story with an account of the unbounded charity and self-immolation of the aged Bishop Deogratias and his exertions for the relief of the sufferers after the capture of Rome by Oenseric. B.M. Baillet, from Victor de Vite's history of the persecu- tion of the Church of Africa by the Vandals. St Maxima (8), May 16, V., sup- posed to have been the superior of the nuns among whom she lived, in a country house at Calliano or Calidiano, in the diocese of Friuli. She died in peace, distinguished by many virtues. B.M. AA.SS. SS. Maxima. Besides the above, about twenty martyrs of the same name appear in the calendars, at various places and on different days. AA.SS. St. Maximilla, Feb. 19, one of twelve martyrs in Africa. AA.SS, St. Maximiliana, mentioned by Pope Alexander III., in 1173. Guerin. St. Mayot, Mazota. Forbes. St. Mayra, July 28, V. M., occurs in a book of Spanish antiquities; but as no account of her exists and she is not mentioned by the Spanish hagiolo- gists, she is supposed to be the same as Meba. AA.SS.y Prseter, St. Mazachia, V. M. with Ba- HUTA. St. Mazota, Mayot, or Maeie, Dec. 23. Perhaps 8th century. Mochoat is probably the same. The most dis- tinguished of the nine holy maidens who came from Ireland to Scotland Mrith Brigid (3) when, by the invitation of Graverdus, king of the Picts, Brigid settled at Abernethy on the Tay. Mazota and her companions remained at this place for the rest of their lives and were buried there. Mazota ex- celled them all in sanctity, and many miracles were performed at her grave. Bishop Forbes, from the Aberdeen Breviary, Dempster, who gives Boethius as his authority, says the nine maidens were the daughters of St. Donald, the first Scottish anchorite, who brought up all his children to the same ascetic lifa Several holy men joined Donald and they lived at Ogilvy. After his death Mazota and her sisters obtained from King Granard an estate near Abernethy. Mazota was buried at the foot of a great oak, c. 717, and the place was much frequented by pilgrims. St. Mechtild, Matilda. St. Mechtund or Monkgund. (See CUNBQUND n).) St. Medana (l), Nov. 19, an Irish V. who fled from a soldier lover to Eyndis in Galloway, Scotland, accom- panied by two maids. They lived in poverty by their labour. The soldier followed them. They floated thirty miles on a stone to a place called Fames. The soldier still pursuing Medana, passed her house without see- ing it, but his attention was called to it by the crowing of a cock. Medana climbed a tree to get away from him. Finding that her eyes were what en- chained the heart of the soldier, she plucked them out; he repented. As she came down from the tree, a fountain sprang from the earth and in it she washed her eyes. She died Oct. 31, but her day is the " 2nd of the Octave " of St. Martin. She is perhaps the same as Midhnat. Mr. Skene says she is possibly Modwenna, who was called Edana. Forbes. St. Medana (2), March 7, V. of Tuain, mentioned in the Irish Mar- tyrologies, is perhaps the same as Mbdana (1) or perhaps to be identified with one of the SS. Medan, Middan, or Modan, who preached among the Picts and Scots about 800, and who seem to be men. Forbes, " Modan,"