Ebba of Codingham, St. (boar protection)
(ninth century) In Christian legend, martyr, abbess. Feast, 2 April. When the Danes invaded her land, Ebba, fearful that all of her nuns would be raped, cut off her nose and upper lip to make herself unattractive. Her nuns followed her example and also cut off their noses and disfigured themselves. When the Danes arrived and saw the noseless nuns, their anger flared, and they set the convent on fire, burning the nuns inside.
SOURCE:
Encyclopedia of World Mythology and Legend, Third Edition – Written by Anthony S. Mercatante & James R. Dow
Copyright © 2009 by Anthony S. Mercatante
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