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Vitus, St
Vitus, St (d. c.300), Christian martyr, said to have been martyred during the reign of Diocletian. He was invoked against rabies and as the patron of those who suffered from epilepsy and certain nervous disorders, including St Vitus's dance. He is traditionally regarded as one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers. His feast day is 15 June.
St Vitus's dance an old-fashioned term for Sydenham's chorea, a neurological disorder in children characterized by jerky involuntary movements; it is so named because appealing to St Vitus was believed to alleviate the disease. |
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ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "Vitus, St." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "Vitus, St." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-VitusSt.html ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "Vitus, St." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-VitusSt.html |
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Saint Vitus
Saint Vitus , 4th cent.?, Sicilian martyr. Vitus is invoked against diseases including epilipsy, nervous disorders, and St. Vitus' Dance (Sydenham's chorea). He is one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers, a collective cult of saints that originated in the 14th-century Rhineland, believed to intercede effectively against various diseases. Vitus is traditionally the patron of dancers and actors. His nurse and her husband, St. Crescentia and St. Modestus, martyred with St. Vitus, share his feast, June 15. |
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"Saint Vitus." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Saint Vitus." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Vitus-St.html "Saint Vitus." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Vitus-St.html |
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Vitus, St
Vitus, St (d. perhaps 303), martyr. According to a late legend he was born in S. Italy of pagan parents and secretly brought up as a Christian by his nurse and her husband, all three being martyred under Diocletian. He is invoked against sudden death, hydrophobia, and the convulsive disorder known as St Vitus' dance. Feast day, 15 June.
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E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "Vitus, St." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "Vitus, St." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O95-VitusSt.html E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "Vitus, St." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O95-VitusSt.html |
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Vitus, Saint
Vitus, Saint (active 4th century) Italian martyr. Secretly raised as a Christian by his nurse, he was put to death during the persecutions of Diocletian. He is the patron saint of actors.
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Cite this article
"Vitus, Saint." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Vitus, Saint." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-VitusSaint.html "Vitus, Saint." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-VitusSaint.html |
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