Ursula

Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)

2026 Editor's Note: This page uses language about other peoples, religions, or nationalities that was commonplace when the book was published and is offensive by today's standards. The text has been left exactly as it was printed, rather than cut or softened, so that the historical record — including how ordinary such language once was — is preserved. (Ed: ET 2026-07-22) ST. tiful and pious daughter named Ursula. She was sought in marriage by the heathen prince Holofernes. His suit was granted, but under the following conditions-the prince must become Christian, and wait for three years while the bride-elect went with her companions on a pilgrimage to Rome. The suitor was immediately baptized under the name of Etherius, and Ursula set out with 11 vessels, in each of which there were 1,000 companion virgins. The company crossed the sea and sailed up the Rhine as far as Basel, from thence they proceeded overland to Rome, where they were honorably received by Pope Cyriakus. The pious and gallant pontiff, along with a multitude of dignified ecclesiastics, accompanied his fair guests a great part of the return journey, and according to some accounts even shared in the final destruction that suddenly overtook the ban band; for as they were about to land at Köln they were set on by a horde of heathen Huns, by whom they were all slaughtered. Ursula was at first reserved as a bride for Etzel, the Hun king, and on her steadfast refusal of the offer she was transfixed by an arrow, and thus she is represented in mediæval art. But the bloody deed was the no sooner accomplished than 11,000 celestial warriors appeared, who completely routed the Huns and freed Köln. The citizens buried the unhappy maidens with pious care by the Rhine, held afterward sacred, and there too Clematius, a Greek pilgrim, built a church in their honor. The story excited suspicion even in a credulous age. But confirmations were not wanting. St. Elizabeth, abbess of the cloister Schönau, by Oberwesel, held spiritual communication with St. Verena, irgins, and saw the one of the murdered virg whole tragedy enacted as in a vision. Moreover, Egbert, brother of the abbess, and inspired by her, wrote down an explanation and defense of the story. In this several awkward inconsistencies were smoothed away. Thus there was no mention by Roman chroniclers of a Pope Cyriakus; but this (explained the narrator) was because the cardinals were angry at his leaving the city, and blotted out all mention of him from the records of the Church. If it was asked how the virgins made such excellent sailors, it was replied that King Deonatus had with prudent foresight concealed a number of mariners in the hold of each vessel, and so on. Later critics have striven to explain the vastness of the number. It has been ingeniously conjectured that the number, at first 11, became 11,000 by reading the letter M. (meaning martyred) as the Roman numeral 1,000. However this may be, it seems probable that some Christian maidens were really murdered by heathen invaders near Köln, and that the story has thus some basis of fact.