Throughout the centuries, the figure of St Michael the Archangel has been revered in different cultures and religions. Not only is he recognized as the leader of the heavenly armies in the Christian tradition, but he also occupies a prominent place in Judaism and Islam as one of the most important archangels serving God.
In Europe, especially in the early Middle Ages, St Michael became a rather dominant figure in the Christian tradition, and shrines to him were built almost everywhere. Many traditions record appearances of the archangel, beginning with the Emperor Constantine himself, who had the first great church dedicated to his veneration – the legendary Michaelion, built in Byzantium in the 4th century.
Devotion to St Michael grew exponentially in Byzantine Christianity. All throughout the empire, depictions of the archangel dressed and armed as the ultimate celestial warrior became common. However, it was the conversion of the Longobards to Christianity that consolidated his place in Western Europe. The Lombards, descendants of Germanic pagans, may have seen in Saint Michael a figure resembling Odin – god of war and protector of warriors. St Michael became soon became the patron saint of these people, with the shrine of Monte Sant’Angelo in Italy as their main center.
What is the Sword of St Michael?
In the late 20th century, the French scholar Lucien Richer began to speculate about an allegedly mysterious alignment between seven of these shrines, stretching from Ireland to the Holy Land. This alignment, known as the “Sword of St Michael”, has fascinated some scholars and mystery hunters alike.
The name itself, “St Michael’s Sword” refers to a supposed straight line connecting seven shrines dedicated to the Archangel in Europe and the Near East. According to some, this line symbolically represents the blow which St Michael defeated Satan in their mythical duel. However, more recent studies have shown that the shrines are not perfectly aligned, leaving out many other shrines dedicated to St Michael throughout Europe.
Although the ‘sword’ theory is just based on a (somewhat arbitrary) symbolic alignment (and has never been recognized by any religious authority), the shrines that make it up do have a rich history worth exploring. A brief description of each is given below:
1.- Stella Maris Monastery, Mount Carmel (Israel)
Up on Mount Carmel, near the Lebanese-Israeli border, this monastery has a history dating back to Byzantine times. It has been considered a holy site since ancient times, as it is believed that the prophet Elijah lived in these mountains. Although the monastery is not dedicated to the Archangel, it overlooks the Valley of Jezrael –which the Apocalypse identifies as the site of Armageddon, the final battle between good and evil, in which St Michael will subdue the Devil forever.
2.- Panormitis Monastery, Symi Island (Greece)
Located on the picturesque island of Symi in the Aegean Sea, this monastery is one of the many centers of devotion to St Michael in Greece. The island, which was under the control of the Knights of St John during the Crusades, is home to this imposing sanctuary, famous for its three meter high icon of St Michael, covered in silver and precious stones.
3.- San Michele Arcangelo Sanctuary, Monte Sant’Angelo (Italy)
This sanctuary is one of the oldest sanctuaries dedicated to St Michael in Europe. According to tradition, the archangel appeared in a cave in the year 490, which led to the construction of this sanctuary. Adopted by the Lombards, it became an important pilgrimage site in the Middle Ages and remains an important spiritual destination today.
4.- Sacra di San Michele, Susa Valley (Italy)
This majestic monastery sits atop a mountain in the Italian Alps. Founded in the year 1000, the Sacra di San Michele has been a transit point for pilgrims travelling between Italy and France since the High Middle Ages. Its strategic location and impressive architecture make it one of the most emblematic monuments of the Piedmont region.
5.- Mont Saint-Michel (France)
Perhaps the most famous of the sanctuaries on this list, Mont Saint-Michel stands on a small island in Normandy, surrounded by tides that isolate it from the mainland at certain times of the day. The sanctuary was founded in the 8th century after St Michael appeared to Bishop St Aubert. Over time, it became one of the most important pilgrimage sites in Europe.
6.- St Michael’s Mount (England)
Located on the Cornish coast, this English shrine has a similar history to that of Mont Saint-Michel in France. According to local tradition, St Michael appeared to fishermen as early as in the eight century, until King Edward the Confessor gave the site to the Benedictine monks of Mont-Saint-Michel. Like its French counterpart, St Michael’s is an island, isolated at high tide.
7.- Skellig Michael (Ireland)
The final shrine in the so-called ‘Sword’ is the remote Skellig Michael, a small rocky island off the west coast of Ireland. A monastery was founded here in the 6th century –a testament to the faith of the early Celtic Christians. Today, Skellig Michael is a World Heritage Site and a destination that attracts pilgrims and myth hunters alike.
The Sword of St Michael: Between myth and reality
Although the idea of a perfect alignment between these shrines is a myth, the ‘Sword of St Michael’ continues to capture the imagination of believers and history buffs alike. The shrines dedicated to St Michael offer a rich connection to Europe’s medieval history and the religious fervor that shaped the continent’s culture.
Today, these sites are still visited by thousands of people, for cultural, religious, and historical reasons. Each of these shrines tells its own story and offers a different window into the past and the present of these angelic devotions in Christianity.
