Springbreeze,
Do you know about her connection with the British Isles?
St. Helena, Empress and Widow
Died 19 August 330. Feastday 18 August also. In the Orthodox Churches her feast is observed on 21 May.
Helena (or Helen) was born about 255, and married to the Roman general Constantius Chlorus, who became emperor of Britain, Gaul, and Spain when Diocletian divided the Empire. In 274 she bore him a son, Constantine, but in 292 he divorced her in order to cement a political alliance by another marriage. Most historians say that she was born in Drepanum (now Helenopolis) in Asia Minor; but an old tradition asserts that she was born in Britain, in Colchester (51:54 N 0:54 E), and was the daughter of
the chieftain Cole, remembered today as Old King Cole. If so, she may have been a Christian from birth, since Christianity was well established in that region.
In 306, after the death of Constantius, the army at York proclaimed Constantine emperor in his father’s place, and by 312 he was master of the Western Empire and issued an Edict of Toleration that made the practice of Christianity legal for the first time in over 200 years.
Helena worked enthusiastically to promote Christianity, and eventually went to the Holy Land, where she spent large sums on the relief of the poor and on building churches on sacred sites. She is particularly associated with the discovery at Jerusalem, near the site of Calvary, of the cross on which the Lord Jesus was crucified.
At least two prominent English novelists have written about her. Evelyn Waugh wrote a novel called
Helena, and Dorothy L Sayers wrote a play called *The Emperor Constantine * for the 2000th anniversary of the founding of the city of Colchester. I have not read the former, but can recommend the latter as interesting and informative, both historically and theologically.
From:
rowan.edu/~kilroy/JEK/
The twelfth-century historian, Geoffrey of Monmouth, claimed that Helen, mother of the Emperor Constantine and discoverer of the true Cross, was a British woman, daughter of King Coel of Colchester. In the Welsh Mabinogion, she is described as a Welsh princess, bride of the self-styled emperor, Magnus Maximus, who was led by a dream to find her. This belief was strong enough for the belief to grow up that she was responsible for the Roman roads (now marked on Ordnance Survey maps as
the Sarn Helen) which link Wales from the north to south.
Kontakion of Ss Constantine and Helena, tone 3
Today Constantine and Helena his mother expose to our veneration the Cross, / the awesome Cross of Christ, / a sign of salvation to the Jews/ and a standard of victory:/ a great symbol of conquest and triumph.
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). That’s a revelation to me! I’m no good at Ebay, but my Mum is so I’ll ask her if she can have a scout round the site for me and order one for me. I may even buy a few as gifts for my family who all live in the same area. You’ve been more than kind and helpful, thank you for all of your time and effort.