91Èȱ¬

A: Why, St. Giles is the Patron Saint of disabled people. St. Giles Day is September 1. He's your saint! It's your day! The man in question is thought to have died on September 1 in the year 720, though some say it was 710. It's impossible to be more precise than that because information about when he lived, who he was and what he did is scarce and varies rather. Anyway, the info we do have comes from the 10th century and is believed to be more folklore than fact.

A: Possibly because Giles is usually referred to as the Patron Saint of the crippled, beggars and lepers. He's rarely referred to as the saint of disabled people.

A: Yes. The saints Cado and Francis de Sales are Patron Saints of the Deaf, and Lucy, Odilia, Cecilia, Dunstan and Raphael the Archangel are Patron Saints of the Blind. St. Dymphna is Patron Saint of the Mentally Ill. St. Valentine - the one associated with love - is also Patron Saint of epilepsy. You can find a list of cool saints on the 91Èȱ¬'s H2G2 site.

A: After his parents died, Giles left his Greek home to go and live as a hermit in a cave in Southern France, where he led a simple life of meditation. Legend has it that God gifted him a deer for company and to provide him with milk. Anyways, they were out one day when the king's huntsmen rocked up, spotted the deer, and aimed and fired an arrow at her. It missed, and got stuck in Giles's leg. The king, inspired by the bravery and courage Giles showed in the aftermath of the accident, built him a brand new monastery.

A: Apparently, he refused treatment from the king's own doctors. How humbling. They were like that back then.

A: Pass. But word of Giles's courage spread, and people flocked there to live with him. Nobody has been able to explain how these people got wind of Giles's tragic leg incident. Remember, all this took place before local TV or newspapers were around to publicise those stories of plucky disabled people that we're so accustomed to nowadays.

A: Absolutely. Hundreds of schools, hospitals and churches have been dedicated to him round the world.

A: St. Giles Church does indeed get its name from our patron saint, but Cripplegate derives from a corruption of the Anglo-Saxon word Cruplegate, which means "covered tunnel", and in this instance it refers to a covered tunnel linking the entrance of Cripplegate to a watchtower on the boundary of the City of London.

A: Well, you could fire arrows into the knee-caps of unsuspecting members of the public. Failing that, you could join revellers at the historical St. Giles Fair, which is held in Oxford on the first Monday and Tuesday following the first Sunday after St. Giles' Day. As far as I know, it's the only fair held in his name. Or maybe you could have a St. Giles Day party?