Saint Casimir

Vilnius Cathedral in Lithuania occupies the former site of a pagan temple to the Baltic god of thunder, Perkūnas, where a fire once burned night and day, tended by virgins chosen for their beauty. Today, the same church, shown below, contains the remains of Casimir, a virgin of a later era. A Lithuanian prince of the 15th century, Casimir died from lung disease at the age of 25. When a doctor had suggested the prince have sex to improve his chances of recovery, he’d piously declined.

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