Photo: the angels are concerned for the head of St Denis

St Denis was martyred in the 3rd century, by beheading, on the hill that is now Montmartre, in Paris. Afterward, it is written, he picked up his head and walked two miles, preaching a sermon, until he reached the site where now stands the Basilica St-Denis. He is the patron saint of Paris, and of headaches. His representation on the Western facade of Notre-Dame de Paris dates from the early 13th century.