June 8 -- Feast of Saint Medard

Like most of humanity, you probably woke up somewhere other than Salency, France this morning.  If so, I'll bet you don't have time to get there before the festival celebrating Saint Medardus.  What's worse, there doesn't seem to be anything on The YouTubes about it.  If you want to know how to celebrate the feast like a local, I guess you're stuck with this third-hand description. 

The MVG in days of yore

First, select the most virtuous young girl in town that year.  Not the smartest, nor the prettiest, nor even the sweetest.  The most virtuous.  She must appear dressed in a long white gown, and she must be attended by twelve virtuous girls and twelve virtuous boys.  All the girls should be wearing white, and the boys should be dressed like gentlemen.  Where I come from, that means they should have blue blazers and grey flannel slacks, but there are always variations for male plumage.  Two godmothers will crown the Most Virtuous Girl (MVG) with a twelve-rose crown and then present her with a silver ring and a blue ribbon to wear.  The mayor will give her a bouquet of roses, two arrows, two tennis balls, and a whistle.  (Paging Dr. Freud, you are needed in Salency.) She will blow the whistle three times, and then throw nuts to the crowd.  (You are needed stat, Dr. Freud!)  Following this, there's a fair with carnival rides, fireworks, and tasty foods. 

Crowning the MVG

You might well ask what Saint Medard did to deserve such a curious and stimulating tradition.  I have no interest in separating fact from fiction here, but at very least we can assert with absolute certainty that he was one of the most revered bishops of his day.  Like all good bishops, he protested that he was unworthy before donning his mitre.  The times being tumultuous, he moved his See to a defensible city away from the borders, and in times merged two dioceses into one.  He is said to be the brother of Saint Gildard of Rouen, born on the same day, consecrated bishops on the same day, and dying on the same day.  Who am I to dispute that? 

Once an eagle spread its wings above him to keep him from the rain, which was nice of it.  As omens, eagles are generally really good, so that speaks well of him.  After his death, his bier was immobilized.  When the king promised half the revenue from Crouy for the Church, half the bier was freed, but the other half was still stuck.  The king then promised all the revenue from Crouy, and the bier was freed, allowing it to proceed until Medard's remains could be interred. 


Medard is the patron of brewers, among other things.  It is thus appropriate that this beer is named after him.  The brewery seems to make brown and amber at least.  If you don't have twenty-five virtuous children in town, this might be another way to celebrate today's feast.