A Note on St. Bernard’s Soup

← Origin of the Stone Soup Folktale

As you look further around the internet for information about the Stone Soup folktale you will come across a cited reference from the Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, written by Ebenezer Cobham Brewer and published in England in 1900, that a synonym for Stone Soup is St. Bernard’s Soup.¹ Brewer cites no references. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090–1153) was associated with the Cistercian monasteries. To this day, they are known for simple living and very plain soups. However, I have been unable to substantiate Brewer’s association of stone soup with St. Bernard.

There does seem to have been the idea in the late nineteenth century that St. Bernard was associated with a stone soup, as in addition to Brewer’s reference there is this query by a scholar in 1892 for more information on the subject:

Will any reader of ‘N. & Q.’ [A journal called Notes and Queries] kindly give me information with respect to the legend of St. Bernard’s soup? The frugal saint was supposed to make his soup with a pebble, adding, of course, various other ingredients. What is the origin of the legend, and where is it to be found? There is a story by A. Karr, ‘La Soupe au Caillou,’ but I do not think that he makes any mention of St. Bernard. R. W. H.²

Of course, the man who posted the query and Brewer both lived in London at the same time so this may, itself, be a circular reference! I have found nothing more about this tradition although there are plenty of Stone Soup days at Catholic institutions associated with St. Bernard.

The story “La Soupe au Caillou” referenced in the scholar’s query is the story from 1767 written by Prézel. R. W. H., the author of the query, wrongly attributes it to a French author, A. Karr, who republished the story without attribution.

If any of you reading this know something about stories associated with St. Bernard and his stone soup, please write to me with what you know or have found.

—William Rubel, September 2015