October 13 -- Feast of Saint Simbert

Saint, Wolf, Kid

It took a little extra digging to come up with something on this guy.  With the exception of the fifteenth century sarcophagus into which he was reburied when some king (Maxmilian I) jacked his bones, depictions show him with wolves and children.  Yet sources in English only mention that he was an abbot, and then the bishop (he did both jobs together), and that he was buried at St. Afra's Church, which was fitting since he organized the rebuilding of the Basilica of Saints Afra and Ulrich.  Uh-huh.  And about that wolf with the kid in its maw?

Wikipedia, but the way, uses the alternate spelling Simpert, which is probably better, but seems too much like Simpson and Simpleton and even simper to be appropriate for a nephew of Charlemagne.

So the wolf and the guy in the swamp and even the headaches all come after Abbot/Bishop/Saint Simbert shuffled off his mortal coil on October 13, 807.  His miraculous protection of his diocese, which included Augsburg and Neuberg, eventually got him recognized as one of the patrons of the region, and especially of children in the region. 

Wolf -- A wolf grabbed a kid and bolted.  There were no Romulus and Remus intentions here -- that kid was lunch.  His mom prayed on the grave on Saint Simbert, and sure enough the wolf meekly returned, put the kid down unharmed, and skulked away.  It no doubt snatched a chicken or perhaps a barn cat on its way out of town, which seems fair to me, and I am sure that Simbert was a very fair saint.

Swamp Man -- A guy finds himself sinking in a swamp.  He struggles to get out, but only seems to sink faster, just like in the cartoons.  Then he asks Saint Simbert to pray for him, or help him somehow.  The story is a little thin, but he makes it home safely.  You can adjust the vividness of the miraculous escape according to your own preference.

Headaches -- One site says something along the lines of "Simbert-hats were used to alleviate headaches."  That's my best guess -- Google Translate does not have professional translators rushing to job counseling offices, but I wouldn't have had much about this guy's miracles without it.  Anyway, if you're ever in Augsburg and you see a Simbert-hat at the pharmacy, pick me up one, would you? 

Simperthäubchen wurden bei Kopfleiden aufgelegt und halfen.

Simperthäubchen wurden bei Kopfleiden aufgelegt und halfen.

Simperthäubchen wurden bei Kopfleiden aufgelegt und halfen.