Junian of Saint-Junien
Encyclopedia
Saint Junian was a 5th century Christian
hermit
at the location later named after him, Saint-Junien
. According to tradition, he was the son of the Count of Cambrai and was born in 486, during the reign of Clovis I
. This tradition states that Junian and Saint Leonard
were baptized at the same time.
At the age of 15, Junian journeyed to the Limousin
, a region that had a reputation for austerity and also for the many saints and hermits who had resided there. One of these saints was Saint Amand
, and Junian wished to become his disciple. Amand lived in a small hermitage
at the confluence of the Vienne
and Glane Rivers, at a place called Comodoliac, which had been offered to him by Ruricius
, bishop of Limoges.
According to tradition, is said that, very late at night, Junian knocked on the door of Amand, who did not answer, fearing that it was a demon. Junian had to sleep outside during a violent snowstorm, but the snow miraculously fell around rather than on him during the night.
Junian trained with Amand, and after the passing of his master, Junian lived where the collegiate church stands nowadays.
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
hermit
Hermit
A hermit is a person who lives, to some degree, in seclusion from society.In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a Christian who lives the eremitic life out of a religious conviction, namely the Desert Theology of the Old Testament .In the...
at the location later named after him, Saint-Junien
Saint-Junien
Saint-Junien, , is a commune in the Haute-Vienne department in the Limousin region in west-central France. Its sister city is Charleroi, Belgium.-History:...
. According to tradition, he was the son of the Count of Cambrai and was born in 486, during the reign of Clovis I
Clovis I
Clovis Leuthwig was the first King of the Franks to unite all the Frankish tribes under one ruler, changing the leadership from a group of royal chieftains, to rule by kings, ensuring that the kingship was held by his heirs. He was also the first Catholic King to rule over Gaul . He was the son...
. This tradition states that Junian and Saint Leonard
Leonard of Noblac
Leonard of Noblac or of Limoges or de Noblet , is a Frankish saint closely associated with the town and abbey of Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat, in Haute-Vienne, in the Limousin of France.-Traditional biography:According to the romance that...
were baptized at the same time.
At the age of 15, Junian journeyed to the Limousin
Limousin (région)
Limousin is one of the 27 regions of France. It is composed of three départements: Corrèze, Creuse and the Haute-Vienne.Situated largely in the Massif Central, as of January 1st 2008, the Limousin comprised 740,743 inhabitants on nearly 17 000 km2, making it the second least populated region of...
, a region that had a reputation for austerity and also for the many saints and hermits who had resided there. One of these saints was Saint Amand
Saint Amand
Saint Amand or Amandus was a French Christian saint, one of the great Christian Saints of Flanders.-Biography:...
, and Junian wished to become his disciple. Amand lived in a small hermitage
Hermitage (religious retreat)
Although today's meaning is usually a place where a hermit lives in seclusion from the world, hermitage was more commonly used to mean a settlement where a person or a group of people lived religiously, in seclusion.-Western Christian Tradition:...
at the confluence of the Vienne
Vienne River
The Vienne is one of the most important rivers in south-western France, a significant left tributary of the lower Loire. It supports numerous hydro-electric dams, and it is the main river of the Limousin region and also of the eastern part of the Poitou-Charentes region.Two French départements are...
and Glane Rivers, at a place called Comodoliac, which had been offered to him by Ruricius
Ruricius
Ruricius I , a Gallo-Roman aristocrat and bishop of Limoges from ca.485 to 510. He is one of the writers whose letters survive from late Roman Gaul depicting the influence of the Visigoths on the Roman lifestyle...
, bishop of Limoges.
According to tradition, is said that, very late at night, Junian knocked on the door of Amand, who did not answer, fearing that it was a demon. Junian had to sleep outside during a violent snowstorm, but the snow miraculously fell around rather than on him during the night.
Junian trained with Amand, and after the passing of his master, Junian lived where the collegiate church stands nowadays.