The Four Holy Marshals (Vier Marschälle Gottes or just Vier Marschälle) are four saints venerated in the Rhineland, especially at Cologne, Liège, Aachen, and Eifel. [1] They are conceived as standing particularly close to throne of God, and thus powerful intercessors. [2] Their joint veneration is comparable to that of the Fourteen Holy Helpers, who are also venerated in the Rhineland.
They are considered “ marshals of God” and were invoked against diseases and epidemics during the Middle Ages.
Evidence of this devotion is testified by documentation dating from 1478; however, the joint devotion of these four saints may have existed earlier. [2] [3] The devotion reached its high point in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries and diminished by the seventeenth. [1] There were churches dedicated to them at Hüngersdorf, Schleiden, and in the Mariwald. [4]
The four saints are:
Name (Alternate) | Feast day | Patronage |
---|---|---|
Quirinus of Neuss (Quirin) | March 30, April 30 | Against smallpox and goiter |
Hubertus (Hubert) | November 3 | Against rabies and dog bites |
Cornelius | September 16 | Against cramps and epilepsy |
Saint Anthony the Great (Antonius, Antony) | January 17 | invoked against the plague |
In terms of protection over animals, Anthony is the patron of pigs, Cornelius cattle, Hubertus dogs, and Quirinus horses. [1] In addition, each saint has its own particular place of special veneration: Anthony was venerated at Cologne, Hubertus at St-Hubert in the Ardennes, Cornelius at Aachen, and Quirinus at Neuss. [3]