St. Sophia's Three Daughters
Illustration★★★Justinian erected a church in Constantinople, which he consecrated to Eternal Wisdom, Azona Sophia, In course of time the legend grew that St. Sophia was a great female soul, and that she was the mother of three fair daughters, Faith, Hope and Charity. Another addition made those daughters virgins and then martyrs. Then the grim joke that Faith, Hope and Charity were dead, originated. The relics of these saints are shown in the church of St FAITH, Peter and St. Sylvester at Rome. All this shows the danger of a literal translation of figures of speech.
The point
A legend traces how the church of Hagia Sophia (dedicated to 'Eternal Wisdom') gave rise to a folk tale of three martyred virgin daughters named Faith, Hope, and Charity, illustrating the danger of interpreting figures of speech literally.