Question: Which Saint is said to have carried his own head for several miles after his death?
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Saint Denis.
The Saint who is said to have carried his own head for several miles after his beheading is Saint Denis, also known as Dionysius, the Bishop of Paris. He is one of the most famous cephalophores in Christian legend, a term derived from the Greek word “kephalophoros” meaning “head-carrier.”
Saint Denis was a Christian missionary and the first Bishop of Paris during the 3rd century. He was martyred around 250 AD during the Roman persecutions under Decius. Legend has it that after being beheaded on Montmartre Hill (which is said to mean ‘mountain of martyrs’), he picked up his severed head and walked for several miles, preaching a sermon the entire way, before finally collapsing at the site of what is now the Saint Denis Basilica in the northern suburbs of Paris.
The image of Saint Denis holding his own head is a common iconographic representation in art. He is considered the patron saint of France and his feast day is celebrated on October 9. His story serves as an extraordinary example of faith and martyrdom in Christian tradition.
