Saint Ghislain

Ghislain (died 9 October 680) was a confessor and anchorite in Belgium. He died at the town named after him, Saint-Ghislain.

Group escorting the reliquary of Saint Ghislain during the Golden Chariot procession in Mons. Life

He was probably of Germanic origin. Ghislain lived in the province of Hainaut in the time of Amandus (d. 679) and Waltrude, Aldegonde, and Amalberga of Maubeuge. With two disciples, Lambert and Berler, he made a clearing in the vicinity of Castrilocus (now Mons, in Hainault), taking up later his abode at a place called Ursidongus, where he built an oratory or chapel dedicated to Peter and Paul the Apostle.

Aubert of Avranches summoned him to the episcopal presence in order to sound the intentions of this almost unknown hermit, but he afterwards accorded him efficient protection. During his visit to Cambrai, Ghislain spent some time in the villa of Roisin and received as a gift the estates of Celles and Hornu. He soon entered into relations with Waltrude, who was induced by him to build a monastery at Castrilocus, his former place of refuge.

In iconography he is frequently represented with a bear or bear's cub beside him. This is an allusion to the popular legend which relates that a bear, pursued in the chase by King Dagobert I, sought refuge with Ghislain and later showed him the place where he should establish a monastery. Moreover, the site of his cella was called Ursidongus, "bear's den".

There is a Rue Saint-Ghislain/Sint-Gissleinsstraat in Brussels.