Saint Martin is one of the saints that everyone thinks they know. He was a Roman soldier who cut his cloak in half to share with a beggar. Then he discovers that the beggar was actually Jesus himself. Martin gives up his life in the army, becomes a hermit, a reluctant bishop, and a symbol of the longing in all of us for peace.
Saint Martin Dividing His Cloak by Jan Boeckhorst, Flemish painter, ~1640. National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC. public domain.
The word ‘gossamer’ is tangentially related to Saint Martin. Today it means fine threads. At one time it referred to the little spider webs that are found all over the grass in autumn when the weather is still mild. Gossamer comes from ‘Goose Summer,’ because the geese wandered around freely at this time of year.
If you want the story of Saint Martin and the geese you can find it here.
Update on novel. It’s being read by some people who are finding typos and moments of infelicity. I’m trying to fix them while other things around me break. Like collarbones.
Excelsior!
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