13 Facts About Saint Eustace

Saint Eustace lost all his wealth, was separated from his wife and sons, and went into exile in Egypt.

Saint Eustace was venerated in the Byzantine Church from at least the 7th century.

Saint Eustace's veneration is attested for the Latin Church for the 8th century, but his rise to popularity in Western Europe happened in the high medieval period, during the 12th to 13th centuries.

Saint Eustace recognized her husband, and the entire family was reunited.

Saint Eustace follows a deer into some woods and becomes separated from the group of hunters; the deer turns towards him.

Saint Eustace is baptized and has his name changed to Eustace, and then he receives another vision from a voice warning him of future trials for him and his family.

The legend up to St Saint Eustace's martyrdom is a variant of the narrative type "the Man Tried By Fate", which is popular in chivalric romance in general.

The veneration of Saint Eustace cannot be substantiated for times earlier than the 7th century, more than 501 years after his supposed martyrdom.

Scenes from the story, especially of Saint Eustace kneeling before the stag, then became popular subjects of medieval religious art: examples include a wall painting at Canterbury Cathedral and stained glass windows at the Cathedral of Chartres.

Saint Eustace is the patron of hunters especially in Bavaria and Austria, while in France, Belgium and Western Germany, it is more common to find Hubert of Liege in this role.

Saint Eustace is one of the patron saints of Madrid, Spain.

In Georgian mythology, Saint Eustace became associated with the hunting deity Apsat, patron of game animals.

Saint Eustace's commemoration was removed from the General Roman Calendar in 1970, though he continued to be commemorated in the latest edition of the Roman Martyrology.