Philip, Walburga of Eichstätt, James the Minor - responses

The two men in the miniature are the apostles Philip and James the Minor, both of whom have their feast day on 1 May (in the present-day calendar it is celebrated on 3 May). James on the right is clearly recognizable by the long knobstick he carries which was used to torture him to death. Philip’s depiction on the left, however, is rather strange: the tiara he is wearing is the symbol usually reserved for popes. Whether the illuminator made a mistake or based his depiction on a specific source or tradition remains to be seen and requires further research. In the middle we see Walburga of Echstätt. Also on 1 May, people celebrate the transfer of her bones to the monastery of St Walburg (her translation). Every year, a healing liquid runs down from the mountain upon which her relics were placed, which is called Walburga’s oil.