While we're on the subject of fantasy novels, Fark led me to this site about the lives of Saints. Most interesting to me was Saint Vitus, the patron saint of not oversleeping. Saint Vitus is also the man for whom Saint Vitus' Dance was named, which was an early name for Huntington's Chorea. Like most of Catholic Church "history," it reads like a sample from a Dungeons and Dragons game:

Legend says Vitus was the son of a pagan Sicilian senator named Hylas. Converted to Christianity at age twelve by his tutor Saint Modestus and his nurse Saint Crescentia. His father showed his objection by having the three arrested and scourged. Freed from prison by angels, they fled to Lucania, then Rome. There he freed Emperor Diocletian's son of an evil spirit. When Vitus would not sacrifice to the pagan gods in celebration, his cure was attributed to sorcery, and he and his household were arrested again. Tortured, and condemned to death, they were thrown to the lions; the lions would not touch them, so they were thrown into boiling oil At the moment of their deaths, a immense storm destroyed several pagan temples in the region, hence the protection against stormy weather. One of the Fourteen Holy Helpers. For obscure reasons, some 16th century Germans believed they could obtain a year's good health by dancing before the statue of Saint Vitus on his feast day. This dancing developed almost into a mania, and was confused with chorea, the nervous condition later known as Saint Vitus' Dance, the saint being invoked against it. His connection with such "dancing" led to his patronage of dancers, and later to entertainers in general and in particular. A rooster was thrown into the oil with him, sacrificed as part of the ritual against sorcery. A rooster became a symbol for Vitus, and its connection with early rising led to Vitus's patronage and protection against oversleeping.

...And after earning 10 strangth points, you may upgrade Saint Vitus' character profile by adding hand-to-hand combat skill or small weapons proficiency. Speed +5, Defense +10, Attack +5.