St. Hubert’s key
Clef de saint Hubert
- Known today as
- A small iron in the shape of a key or horn, blessed at the shrine of St. Hubert, patron of hunters, in the Ardennes.
- Kind
- Sacramental, in 1 older authority
- Earliest authority here
- The Catholic Encyclopedia (New York, 1907–1914)
Revised October 1, 2026: An authority added from a text read in full. Version 1, first published September 28, 2026.
St. Hubert’s key: what was it used for?
Heated red-hot and pressed to the wounds of those bitten by mad dogs, and to the heads of animals, against rabies.
St. Hubert’s key: what does modern science say?
Rabies vaccine, from 1885, ended the practice.
St. Hubert’s key: what lore surrounds it?
At the abbey of Saint-Hubert, pilgrims received “the stole”: a thread said to come from the saint’s stole was set in a small cut in the forehead, with a regime of prayer and fasting.
St. Hubert’s key: what did the older authorities say?
- The Catholic Encyclopedia
- The Catholic Encyclopedia tells of the stag on Good Friday with “a crucifix between its antlers” and the voice, “Hubert, unless thou turnest to the Lord, and leadest an holy life, thou shalt quickly go down into hell,” and says he “was honored in the Middle Ages as the patron of huntsmen, and the healer of hydrophobia (rabies).” The Ritual contains “a long blessing of the ‘water of St. Hubert’ against the bite of a mad dog,” and Cologne has “a blessing of bread, water, and salt given under the invocation of St. Hubert.”
Sources
- [21] Herbermann, C. G., et al. (eds.) (1907–1912). The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Online at newadvent.org. Articles: Agnus Dei (H. Thurston); Amulet (M. Hassett); Ash Wednesday (H. Thurston); Bells (H. Thurston); Holy Oils (H. Leclercq); Paschal Candle (H. Thurston); Scapular (J. Hilgers). Read in part · the text read
- The Catholic Encyclopedia (New York, 1907–1914), “Hubert, Saint.” newadvent.org/cathen/07507a.htm Standard reference work
- The Catholic Encyclopedia (New York, 1907–1914), “Water, Liturgical Use of.” newadvent.org/cathen/15564a.htm Standard reference work
- The Catholic Encyclopedia (New York, 1907–1914), “Bread, Liturgical Use of.” newadvent.org/cathen/02749a.htm Standard reference work
Verification
- Checked
- October 1, 2026
- Passes
- Every dated or regulatory claim checked by category across the database
- Each quotation from the older authorities checked word for word against the text, read in full
- Sources
- 4 cited: 1 read in part, 3 standard reference work.
- Corrections
- None were needed.
What was checked, how, and what was found is set out on the Verification page. A checked source is one whose record was found; it does not make the entry medical advice.
Cite This Entry
Version 1 · first published September 28, 2026 · last revised October 1, 2026
- Chicago
“St. Hubert’s key.” In Materia Medica, edited by B. C. P. Statema. Version 1. The Thinking Press, 2026–. Last modified October 1, 2026. https://thethinkingpress.org/materia-medica/st-hubert-key.
- MLA
“St. Hubert’s key.” Materia Medica, edited by B. C. P. Statema, version 1, The Thinking Press, 1 Oct. 2026, thethinkingpress.org/materia-medica/st-hubert-key. Accessed 8 Oct. 2026.
- APA
St. Hubert’s key. (2026, October 1). In B. C. P. Statema (Ed.), Materia medica (Version 1). The Thinking Press. Retrieved October 8, 2026, from https://thethinkingpress.org/materia-medica/st-hubert-key
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See Also
Also in The Catholic Encyclopedia
St. Ignatius water in The Catholic Encyclopedia · St. Christopher medal in The Catholic Encyclopedia · St. John’s fires in The Catholic Encyclopedia · St. Blaise candles in The Catholic Encyclopedia · everything The Catholic Encyclopedia names →
Nearby in the alphabet
St. John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum) · St. Benedict medal (A medal of St) · St. Walburga’s oil (A clear liquid that gathers on the stone slab over the relics of St) · St. Agatha’s bread (the feast of St)
Historical description, not medical advice.