Thursday, May 28, 2026

It is the 28th of May 2026. Welcome to the Christian History Almanac, brought to you by 1517 at 1517.org; I’m Dan van Voorhis.

In Germany, there is an older, mostly Catholic tradition called the Namenstag, or “name day”. It was, historically, more significant than your Birthday- you would get presents and treats on the “namenstag” of whichever saint you were named after. This would often correspond to the day on which you were baptized. So, Martin Luther was named Martin because he was baptized on the 11th of November (the day after his birth).

Follow me here. The Namenstag for today is William, or Wilhelm. Historically, and in German and some other European lands, if you were baptized on this day, you would be called William. So, who was St. William- that’s not a biblical name, although it has certainly been one of the more common names in the western world.

It is William’s Namenstag because it was on this day, in 812, that William of… well… Acquitaine? Yes. Gellone? Yeah, that too… William of Orange? Yes- William of Orange, but not that William of Orange. The famous Protestant ruler would be named William of Orange, the most famous warrior monk you’ve probably never heard of. Before you go wondering too hard, the town in the Netherlands is called Orange, after its old Latin name Auraosio, which became Aurenja. Later, Arab traders brought that fruit, which they called the Naranja, and the two morphed. The color, once referred to as “yellow red,” was named after the fruit around the year 1500.

This William of Orange was born around 755 in Northern France- his mother, Aldana, was the daughter of Charles “the Hammer” Martel- making William the cousin of Charlemagne. He would grow up in Charlemagne’s court and, on account of his prowess as a warrior, was given the name “Fierebrace” or “Fierce Arm”. We should also note that he was called “short-nosed” after a legend that he had his nose partially cut off in battle with a giant. Legends aside, William did help repel a Muslim army that entered Languedoc, and he helped command a group of forces under Christian Kings that took back the Spanish city of Barcelona. But just as Charlemagne was reaching the apex of his power, around 800, William had a change of heart. He decided that he was going to leave the life of a soldier behind to become a monk. The story, often dramatized, has him telling his cousin that he must no longer fight for earthly kings but serve his heavenly king.

According to lore, Charlemagne responded: “William, you are breaking my heart… Certainly, if you had preferred a king or emperor to me, I would consider it an injury…But I cannot prevent you from leaving my army to become a soldier of the King of Angels.”

William then proceeded to go to a church where he hung his sword and armor and exchanged it for religious robes. There was a popular Chanson De Gest- or “epic poem” written about William, which would be told and retold and make his name- he very well may be the first William- so very popular. He would build an abbey at nearby Gellone from which he was said to have roamed the countryside on a donkey, distributing goods and food from the Abbey. Today, the Abbey remains and is an important stop on the famous Camino de Santiago. It is said that on this day, the 28th of May, when William died, the bells in Orange began to ring. A happy William’s Day to all the Williams, for Oranges, Warrior Monks, and those afflicted by legendary wounds from Giants- in honor of the original William, the Warrior Monk.

The Last word for today comes from the daily lectionary and 2 Timothy 1:

8 So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God. 9 He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, 10 but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. 11 And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. 12 That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day.

This has been the Christian History Almanac for the 28th of May 2026, brought to you by 1517 at 1517.org.

The show is produced by a man whose favorite Williams include The Conqueror, the Kid, and the Shakespeare… he is Christopher Gillespie.

The show is written and read by a man who was told once he had a cadence similar to a famous William… Shatner, I believe… I’m Dan van Voorhis.

You can catch us here every day- and remember that the rumors of grace, forgiveness, and the redemption of all things are true…. Everything is going to be ok.