Biography
Beatus of Lungern
About Beatus of Lungern
Beatus is remembered as a hermit at Beatenberg above Lake Thun. His cave became a pilgrimage destination in the thirteenth century, while Engelberg had already claimed a relic of him in the twelfth.
The received story places him in the apostolic age and associates him with Barnabas, Peter and a dragon. The church biography also records a much later chronology.
It suggests that the tradition may have developed from memories of Beatus of Honau, whose monks worked in Switzerland. The first published Life appeared only in 1511.
His May 9 commemoration is retained in the Roman Martyrology, but these conflicting traditions do not establish his lifespan.
Wondering how to weigh the stories and sources? Learn how to read a saint biography.