Baring-Gould’s sources: Roman Martyrology and Lubeck-Cologne Martyrology.] S. Cordula is an apocryphal saint. In the middle of the 1 2th century, before 1153, a nun named Helentrudis, in the convent of Heerse, saw in a dream a damsel, who informed her that she was one of the company of S. Ursula, but when the Huns were massacring the eleven thousand she stole away and concealed herself. On the morrow, stung by her conscience, she emerged from her place of concealment, and was killed. She held out her hand to Helentrudis for her to decipher her name, which was inscribed thereon in fiery characters. The nun read the name of Cordula. On the strength of this dream S. Cordula received veneration as a saint.
In 1238 a Knight Hospitaller of S. John of Jerusalem at Cologne, named Ingebrand von Rurke, dreamed that he was visited by a beautiful girl, who requested him to dig her up. Next morning Ingebrand told his prior that a beautiful damsel had appeared to him, and had proffered a most extraordinary and somewhat vague request. The prior bade him await a further revelation. Next night she came to him again, and asked with some indignation why he had not dug her up, as she had requested. “ Because,” said Sir Ingebrand, “ you did not tell me where to dig.”
“ You will find me,” said the apparition, “ in the orchard of the priory, under the filbert tree.” When the prior heard this, he was greatly delighted. “ But,” said he, “ you must first ascertain her name.” Next night the maiden appeared with cloudy brow, and rated the knight soundly for his laziness and want of gallantry in not attending to a lady’s request, though proffered twice. Sir Ingebrand apologized, and said that he only waited to be told her name. Thereupon the virgin bade him look her in the face. He did so, and read on her brow in gold letters, “ Cordula Virgo Regina.” The knight thereupon jumped out of bed, and ran to the prior, and told him, “ Her name is Cordula. And a very appropriate name too; for Cordula means a little heart, and a sweet little heart she is !”
“ We must unearth her to-morrow,” said the prior. Accordingly, on the following day they dug under the filberts and found bones, which have since wrought miracles, and have received veneration as sacred relics [the bodily remains of a saint, or objects they used, kept with honor]. On account of these visions Cordula has forced her way into the German and Roman Martyrologies. The Feast of the Invention of S. Cordula under the filbert tree is celebrated with proper lessons, &c., on February 14.
The translation [the solemn moving of a saint’s relics to a new shrine] of the relics was made by Albertus Magnus. Another body of S. Cordula, however, translated from Cologne in 1236, exists at Vicoigne, a Pr&nontr£ abbey near Valenciennes. A third body of S. Cordula, in the abbey of Marchiennes near Douai. However, according to the revelations of Herman Joseph, there were two of S. Ursula’s company of the same name, one the daughter of Count Quirinus, the other the daughter of Avitus and sister of S. Columba [Irish abbot of Iona (d. 597), apostle of Scotland], and one as mythical as the other. On the same day, October 22, at S. Denis, near Paris, are venerated SS. Panafrede, Secunda and Semibara, members S. Moderan.
of the same company, whose relics were translated thither. On the same day, for the like reason, at Langres, SS. Fiorina and Valena, and at Freiburg, SS. Candida and Flora, all virgins of the party of the eleven thousand.
