42 ST, ALENA sister were talking about their Divine Master, the candle went out Aide- gundis picked it up, and it lighted itself again as she took it in her hand. Her festival, Jan. 30, is very ancient, being mentioned in calendars of the time of Louis le D6bonnaire. The other days on which her name occurs in calendars are probably the days of trans- lations of her relics, or of the dedications of churches or chapels in her name. Her Life was written by a contempo- rary, but the original is lost. The oldest extant is preserved in the AA,SS., written by monks, who founded their stories on the original Life, and added to it from local traditions, etc. Baillet, Vies, Butler, Lives. NouoeUe Biog, genirale, edited by Hoefer. Paris, 1 8.55. Cahier. Husenbeth, Emblems. Die Attribute. Golden Legend. Guette, Hist, de VEglise de France. St. Alena, or Halena, June 17, V. M. c. 040. Patron of Foret, or Vorst, near Brussels; and against diseases of the eye. Eepresented with only one arm, and with a crown on her head, or beside her. Daughter of a heathen prince, or king, whose name was Levold. Her mother's name was Hildegard. Le- vold persecuted the Christians; but they were secured from his attacks by dense forests and by inundations. One day the king, while hunting in the forest, met a Christian. Surprisol to find him in that lonely place, he asked whether he were one of his subjects, or who was his master. The man answered, '* I am one of the servants of Christ. If you wish to learn our laws and customs, and to know who our Master is, stay with me this night To-morrow you shall see us ofifer onr sacrifice to God our Father, and then you will know the difference between truth and falsehood.*' The king consented. The Christian received him very hospitably, and treated him with all the honour duo to his rank. Next morning he was present at the celebration of Mass ; but his hard heart preferred his own foolish heathen re- ligion. When he returned home, he told his wife and daughter what he had heard, at the same time blaspheming and ridiculing the Christian religion. Alena, however, was inspired by God with so great a wish to see the Christian service, that, notwithstanding her natural timidity, braving the wild beasts and other dangers of the forest, she went by night to their place of meeting. One night, on her way to the chapel, she was taken by a watchman, but begged and bribed him to let her pass and to keep her secret He acceded to her wish for the time ; but, seeing that she went out every night, he at last told her father. Tho king told him to follow her closely, and see where she went. The watch- man reported that he had followed her to the river; but as she crossed over miraculously, without bridge or boat, he could follow no further. The king said it must be by means of the magic arts of the Christians, and he stationed some soldiers x>n tiie bank of the river to bring her to him alive, that he might take vengeance on her for going over to the new superstition. The soldiers arrested her, and as she resisted, they pulled her violently by the arm, and dragged it off. She then fell down dead. The angel of God took her arm, and put it on the altar of the chapel where she used to pray so devoutly. The priest, finding a bleeding arm there, said, " Perhaps this is the arm of the virgin Alena, who has been devoured by some evil beast." He then went to seek her, found her body, and buried it in the chapel, which was afterwards enlarged, and called by her name. It soon began to be reported that miraculous cures were performed at her tomb. Omund, a prince of the neighbourhood, who was blind, came to Levold, and said, " I hear all kinds of infirmities are cured at your daughter's grave ; therefore take me to it, that I may recover my sight." Levold, who had until then considered the miracles of his daughter a mere idle report, accom- panied him to Alena's tomb, where his sight was restored. Both were con- verted, as also was Queen Hildegard. Levold publicly confessed that he was the murderer, did penance at the grave^ and was baptized by the name of Harold. He and his queen, after many good works, died piously, and were buried in the church they had built in honour ol
