A Brief History
On this day, September 25th, Catholics remember the death of Spanish Saint Fermin, the first bishop of Pamplona, in 303 A.D…and the miracles that followed!
Digging Deeper
Saint Fermin is mostly associated with the well-known “Running of the Bulls”, which actually occurs as part of a seven day festival in honor of the saint. Yet, his actual martyrdom has nothing to do with bulls chasing people!
Saint Fermin lived during the Roman Empire’s transition period from the persecutions of Christians by Emperor Diocletian before the toleration of Christianity by Emperor Constantine the Great. As such, Fermin converted to Christianity at a time when doing so meant risking harassment by pagan authorities. As with many Christian martyrs under Diocletian’s bloody reign, Fermin also succumbed to this intolerance. After preaching the gospel in Amiens in what is today France, Fermin was beheaded.
What made him a saint actually concerns what happened with his corpse rather than what occurred during his life. Although dead, according to those familiar with his relics, his remains caused various miraculous events to occur. Allegedly, a sweet odor that arose from his grave somehow managed to not only cause ice and snow to melt, bringing about some sort of miraculous spring, but flowers to grow, the sick to be cured, and even trees to inclined reverently toward what remained of Fermin.
Over the centuries afterward, numerous locations in France and Spain, and possibly Anglo-Saxon England, establish long-running festivals to commemorate the saint’s life, martyrdom, and the miracles associated with his relics.
Question for students (and subscribers): Have any of you ever been to Spain? If so, have you ever participated in the Running of the Bulls? Please let us know in the comments section below this article.
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Historical Evidence
As will always be the case with saints, whether you believe the story of the miracles of course rests upon your own faith. Nevertheless, you can see his festival alive and well today by visiting the official Running of the Bulls website and maybe planning your own trip to partake in the (DANGEROUS!!) festivities! You can also visit a website dedicated exclusively to the saint here.
The featured image in this article, St Firmin’s body being exhumed and translated to its final resting place, has been released into the public domain by theoliane, the copyright holder of this work, who has granted anyone the right to use this work for any purpose, without any conditions, unless such conditions are required by law.
<span class="dsq-postid" data-dsqidentifier="104 http://crackedhistory.com/?p=104">58 Comments
Interesting article! It seems kind of weird and kind of a miracle for the people I guess that that sort of thing happened (Not for Fermin)
Kinda cool that Fermin was the first bishop of Pamplona. Awesome for the people, but obviously unfortunate for Fermin.
Good for the people, but bad for Fermin.
Very interesting how the odors from his grave caused snow and ice to melt. Also a little gross that odors were coming from his grave after he died.
People just want a reason to celebrate. — DAVID WARDLE
I can not imagine that I will be going anywhere that attempts to call letting bulls run loose, a festival. I do think it is somewhat impossible that anyone’s dead body made flowers grow, and smelled wonderfully.
Miracles of his relics sounds like fodder for a horrible children’s story. I’m still amazed how people are so easily goaded into believing such things. The running of the bull is simply a way for slow people to get trampled.
its bizarre to imagine that his corpse had a smell and melted snow and would make flowers grow…
I never knew that the running of the bulls was part of a religious celebration.
This article reminds me of the movie clip we watched in class where King Henry VIII’s coffin’s lid popped off because of the gases of his decaying body.
Have these people never seen spring before? This just seems like a mythological story to create an explanation for spring.
Kinda weird that there was odor coming out of his grave.
This article really makes me question why he is celebrated with people being chased by bulls. It is interesting however that his sainthood did not come from things that he did during his lifetime, but instead things that his corpse brought to the world. They say it’s not what you take with you but what you leave behind right?
After reading this article, I’m slightly confused why Saint Fermin is now associated with chasing bulls and also why the smell from his grave caused spring to occur. Nevertheless, this article was very interesting!
I do not understand how Fermin is now-a-days celebrated by chasing bulls. It was also very interesting that the fumes that came from his grave caused spring. Very interesting!
I am kind of surprised that I have never heard of this Saint before! I have heard of the “running of the bulls” but I had no idea it had something to do with a Christian Saint. The fact that people associated him with the warming of Spring is very interesting, especially because explanations for weather were often associated with the zodiac or even paganism.
As N Sword stated, I am also very shocked that he is associated with springtime. I found this article to be very interesting and I always think learning about various miracles is also interesting.
I would like to know why Saint Fermin is associated with running of the bulls or what the connection is to the event and himself.
I already read this story before but after re-reading this it is unfortunate he got punished for standing up for what he believes in.
I think the background story is extremely sad that Fermin died a martyr, but I am extremely confused what springtime has to do with the running of the bulls. It doesn’t make a lot of sense, unless the bulls have to do with springtime
The accounts of Fermin’s remains are interesting sympathetic nature makes for some cool visual imagery. I have to wonder where exactly he was buried and what the surroundings would look like to lend itself to that interpretation.
I never knew there was a saint associated with the running of the bulls
That would have been interesting to see
It would have been cool to see his burial site during the winter just suddenly blooming flowers.
To hear that there is a saint associated with the running of the bulls is cool! Also, it would have been cool to see flowers blooming in the winter!
i like to see that there is a saint associated with this madness, the running of the bulls is just crazy.
I think its cool to see that there a saint tied to the running of the bulls. Also I bet it be something to see flowers and such blooming in the winter back then
I not sure how a saint whose death caused spring in winter leads to being chased by bulls.
I must say, I am skeptical about the events occurring at the burial site. Does it still happen today? I was unaware that a saintly festival was associated with the running of the bulls
Never knew about this, great article
I’ve never heard of remains causing snow to melt? very interesting
“Allegedly, a sweet odor that arose from his grave somehow managed to not only cause ice and snow to melt, bringing about some sort of miraculous spring, but flowers to grow, the sick to be cured, and even trees to inclined reverently toward what remained of Fermin.” Something also happened to St. Bernadette
Very interesting
It’s interesting to hear about the beginning of certain famous festivals.
This seems little crazy to me, I don’t really see where the bulls come in to all of this. Is this still a thing that happens in today’s society? I am Catholic and have never heard anything about this so it was very interesting to read.
it is weird that the reason he became a saint was because of his corpse…
I enjoyed reading about the early stages of famous festivals
I liked hearing about the famous festivals. It was very ingesting and knowledgeable.
Festivals like these have the most WTH origins ever. It’s so weird to think people actually thought these kinds of reasons are legitimate.
Had no idea running with the bulls was part of a religious society.
Is that Dan Hennessey from JCU??? /// But id love to go to crazy foreign festivals.
Interesting a Saint was named because of his corpse, especially since it had to do with his odor.
It is interesting to see that he was made a saint because of the odor from his corpse, but I guess a miracle is a miracle and can of course come about after death.
I question why the running of the bulls became incorporated into this saint’s festival.
Names in older times come from some odd roots. Glad this has since changed.
The historical evidence really helps out here!
As soon as I saw the title, it reminded me of Demeter, the goddess of the seasons. I would always fear doing the running of the bulls because you could trip and fall and then there is nothing you could do but be trampled by a pack of bulls. Ouch.
I think the fact that his “smell” alone could cure sick people, make snow and ice melt, ect. is crazy and doesn’t really make much sense to me, but I guess that is the purpose of faith
its pretty weird that his scent did all these things
A dead corpse giving off a sweet odor that changed the season from winter to spring is interesting concept to say the least.
Never knew the history of this event, very interesting!
crazy how people thought the world used to work
It’s a very interesting concept. The title of the article really drew me in.
It’s cool that he was made a saint just based on the things that happened after his death.
were these made up stories of what happened with his body after death or were these real accounts? makes one wonder.
This is something that I knew nothing about so it was really interesting to learn. I thought the Running of the Bulls was just some random tradition that people did.