CatholicSaints.Info

Also known as

• Ermengild
• Ermengildo
• Hermenegild

Memorial

• 13 April

Profile

Son of the Spanish Visigoth Arian king Levigild, and raised in Arianism. In 579 he married the Catholic princess Indgund, who, with Saint Leander, bishop of Seville, Spain, converted him back to orthodox Christianity. Immediately disinherited by his father.

Publicly renounced and fought against Arianism; he expected support from outside anti–Arian groups, but it never materialized, and he was defeated by his father‘s forces. King of Seville. At one point he reconciled with his father, but his step-mother, Goswintha, caused friction between them because of her staunch Arian views. Arrested, tortured, and martyred on orders of his father for refusing to denounce Catholicism and refusing to accept communion from a heretic bishop.

Died

• tortured and axed to death 13 April 585
• relics at Seville, Spain

Canonized

• 1585

Patronage

• against drought
• against flood
• against thunderstorms
• converts
• Spanish monarchy
• —
• Seville, Spain

Representation

• young prince in armor being borne to heaven while contemplating the crucifix while around him angels carry an axe, chains, royal regalia, a palm, and a rose wreath and heretical bishops and king stand below him
• prince with an axe
• ax

MLA Citation

• “Saint Hermengild“. CatholicSaints.Info. 12 April 2019. Web. 30 March 2020. <>