The Legenda Aurea (Golden Legend) that Barbara was locked in a tower by her father to get her to turn away from her Christian faith. Barbara was however able to flee and initially hid from her father Dioscuros by finding shelter in a crevice. It seemed like a miracle when the mine appeared in front of her. However, she was betrayed by a shepherd who is then turned into a stone by God and his sheep are turned into a swarm of locusts. Saint Barbara was ultimately tortured until being put to death by her father's hand.
The fact that Saint Barbara found shelter in the mine during her martyrdom made her the patron saint of miners. She is displayed as a sculpture with further attributes attributed to her: Crown and chalice.