Baring-Gould’s sources: Roman, Belgian, and Gallican Martyrologies. Authority: -A life by Theobald in the 12th century.] This saint was bom about the year 717, at Emblehem, a village near Lyre, or Lierre, in Brabant, where was the castle belonging to his father. He served under King Pepin, and was married to a lady named Grimnaira; but the union was not a happy one. The lady oppressed the poor whilst her husband was from home, and on his return resented his attempts to right the wrongs she had inflicted on them. One day she refused drink to the reapers; Gummar at once drove his staff into the ground and produced a spring. He started on a pilgrimage to Rome, and at nightfall cut down a tree to serve as his pillow. The owner of the tree was incensed at what Gummar had done. Whereupon the saint — so runs the tale— stuck up the tree again and tied the branches on with his girdle, and it grew together as of old. Instead of going on to Rome he betook himself to the forest of Nives-donck and built a hermitage. He died there about the year 774. His body was afterwards translated to the collegiate church of Lierre.

The feast of S. Gummar attracts every year crowds to his shrine at Lierre, to invoke his aid against hernia. 3. Domnina. — 31 Pantalus.