THE PRINCESS MARINA'S NAME.

Waiapu Church Gazette, 1 January 1935, Page 1

THE PRINCESS MARINA'S NAME.

The Princess' name is that of a famous Saint of the Eastern Orthodox Church. It has nothing to do with the sea, nor with "Stella Maris," but is that of a 6th century maiden of great wealth and beauty who, m the tradition of the Greek Church, feeling an imperious call to the contemplative life, refused all suitors, and when her parents hindered her and the local Sisterhood would not accept her for that reason, ran away and entered a monastery m the disguise of a boy. Devotion and obedience soon won profession as a monk! Unfortunately the beauty of the young monk won also the passion of an evil woman of the district, who, being rejected, accused "him" of betraying her. As the only way of proving "her" innocence was to betray her sex, "Marinus" allowed himself to be expelled with ignominy, and retired to a solitary cell

m the neighbourhood. There the "monk's" ascetic life won such fame that even the evil woman confessed her lie. Marinus was thereupon invited to return to the monastery as its abbot, but "he" preferred to remain m his cell until his death, and the amazing secret remained unrevealed until the corpse was laid out for burial. Marina is thus honoured as a Saint, and is represented m Greek art as a beautiful and athletic maiden, who holds the devil by a horn with one hand while with the other she bangs . his head with a hammer! There are many Greek churches dedicated m her name. There is one m Athens on a slope of bare rock below the Hill of the Nymphs, and by a curious perversion, St. Marina, who refused maternity, has there taken the place of an un-^ named "fertility god" of an age probably older than the Pantheon, and is now applied to by women who desire large families! After due prayer to the Saint, the suppliant sits her down on the top of the long slope of rock and slides to the bottom of it! The cult is so popular that the rock is always highly polished. — (Church News, Chris tchurch.)