Saint Michael

Protector of Cornwall

Endellion | Michael | Paul Aurelian | Petroc | Piran | Samson

Saint Michael is different from all of Cornwall’s saints as he is no ordinary human being, but one of God’s three archangels mentioned in the Bible along with Raphael and Gabriel. In The Book of Revelation, he is said to have led an army of angels, which defeated one of demons led by the Devil in a war in heaven:

Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they were defeated and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world – he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.                                
Revelation 12: 7-9

Michael is very often the patron saint of high places such as the St Michael’s Mounts in Cornwall and France, Glastonbury Tor, Roche Rock, and Rough Tor on Bodmin Moor. It is possible that these places were once dedicated to a pagan sky god of high places before the coming of Christianity, when they were rededicated to St Michael.

The Celts believed that the world of spirits was only separated from ours by the thinnest of barriers. At the Celtic autumn harvest festival of Samhain (pronounced ‘Sowain’) celebrated around 1st November, it was thought that spirits could come across to this world and cause mischief, but never harm. This belief has given rise to the Halloween celebrations so beloved of children today.

One should not be surprised then that in 710 Cornish fishermen were said to have had a vision of St Michael while fishing off St Michael’s Mount, which later on became an important place of Christian pilgrimage. On the 8th of May 492 a bishop on a mountain in Italy had a vivid vision of St Michael as well.  As a result, St Michael unusually has two saint’s days, the older one being the 29th of September, the other on the 8th of May when the bishop had his vision. The 8th of May is the day that Helston remembers its patron saint, St Michael, in its famous Flora Day celebrations.