August 4 is the feast day of Saint Sithney, the patron saint of mad dogs. Sithney emigrated from Cornwall, England to Guic-Sezni, Brittany, where he founded a monastery. He died about 529.
According to a Breton legend, God wanted Sithney to be the patron saint of girls who were looking for husbands. Sithney said he would rather be the patron saint of mad dogs, so he would be able to get some rest.
Sithney is the patron saint of the parish church of Sithney, Cornwall, England, and the parish is named after him. He is invoked to heal mad dogs and for help against rabies and mad dogs. Sick and mad dogs are given water from Sithney's well as a tonic.
My first cousin three times removed Edward Henry (or Henry Edward) Halvorson died on 22 April 1913 in Milan, Chippewa County, Minnesota at the age of thirty-six. According to Boe (Bø) and Halvorson-Otterholt: Shared Roots in Telemark, he died after being bitten by a rabid dog.
References
Boe (Bø) and Halvorson-Otterholt: Shared Roots in Telemark.
Compiled by Melvin and Alpha M. (Boe) Brodshaug, 1984. Published by
Arlene (Boe) Christensen and Marjorie (Boe) Bergee. Printed by Anundsen
Publishing Co., Decorah, Iowa.
CatholicSaints.Info: Saint Sithney
Saint Sithney
Sithney
Walsh, Michael; A New Dictionary of Saints East and West. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2007.
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