Catherine of Alexandria (English spelling)

Japanese: カタリナ[アレクサンドリアの]（英語表記）Catharina

A saint from Alexandria (Egypt) who is said to have been martyred at a young age around the beginning of the 4th century. Her name does not appear in ancient documents (it is thought that she was spoken under a different name), and she became a favorite among the common people after a legend was created in the Middle Ages. According to the legend, she was a learned girl from an aristocratic family who defeated 50 scholars gathered by order of the emperor, and converted them and the empress to Christianity. For this, she was tied to a wheel, but the wheel miraculously broke, and she was martyred by decapitation. Her body was carried to Mount Sinai by angels.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

4世紀初めころ，若くして殉教したとされるアレクサンドリア(エジプト)の聖女。その名は古代の文献にはなく(別名で語られたと考えられる)，中世に伝説ができてから庶民に愛好された。その伝説によれば，貴族出身の学識豊かな娘で，皇帝の命令により集められた50人の学者を論破し，彼らおよび皇妃をもキリスト教に改宗させた。そのため車輪につながれたが，車輪が奇跡によって大破し，斬首されて殉教。屍は天使がシナイ山に運んだ。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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