Giles the Hermit

Saint Giles, or Aegidius in Latin, was a Greek hermit and abbot (possibly from Athens) who lived in the 7th and 8th centuries. Fleeing fame or persecution, he settled in Provence, in a forest near the mouth of the Rhône (present-day Saint-Gilles-du-Gard). The most famous legend tells that a hind, pursued by hunters (sometimes identified as the Visigothic King Wamba or Charles Martel), sought refuge with him. An arrow intended for the animal struck Giles, wounding his knee or hand and causing him to limp. He refused to become Bishop of Nîmes and founded a monastery that grew into the important Benedictine Abbey of Saint-Gilles-du-Gard. Saint Giles is one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers, venerated for his intercession in various afflictions, especially for the crippled and lepers. His cult was very popular in the Middle Ages, particularly among pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostela.