Middle English Legends of Women Saints

Edited by Sherry L. Reames Notes by Martha G. Blalock Introduction and notes by Wendy R. Larson

Book cover: Middle English Legends of Women Saints

Extent: 322 pages

Publisher: Medieval Institute Publications

Subjects: Literary Studies, Medieval Studies

Series: TEAMS Middle English Texts Series

Language: English

Paperback (Published)

(March 2003)

ISBN: 9781580440462

7.01 x 10 inches

Price: $29.95

In stock

PDF (Published)

(March 2003)

ISBN: 9781580444224

Price: $24.00

Middle English Legends of Women Saints presents a collection of saints’ Lives intended to suggest the diversity of possibilities beneath the supposedly fixed and predictable surfaces of the legends, using multiple retellings of the same legend to illustrate that medieval readers and listeners did not just passively receive saints’ legends but continually and actively appropriated them. The collection opens with legends about two royal (or supposedly royal) women, Frideswide and Mary Magdelen, and continues with those of three popular virgin martyrs, Margaret of Antioch, Christina of Tyre, and Katherine of Alexandria. The final portion of the collection is devoted to St. Anne, mother of the Virgin Mary. The collection includes a number of relatively unknown texts that have not appeared in print since Horstmann’s transcriptions in the nineteenth century and a few that have never before been published.

Acknowledgments General Introduction General Bibliography Abbreviations I. The Legend of St. Frideswide of Oxford, an Anglo-Saxon Royal Abbess Introduction and Select Bibliography Shorter South English Legendary Life of St. Frideswide Explanatory Notes Textual Notes Longer South English Legendary Life of St. Frideswide Explanatory Notes Textual Notes II. The Legend of Mary Magdalen, Penitent and Apostle Introduction and Select Bibliography Early South English Legendary Life of Mary Magdalen Explanatory Notes Textual Notes John Mirk, Sermon on St. Mary Magdalen Explanatory Notes Textual Notes Mary Magdalen, from Speculum Sacerdotale Notes III. Three Popular Legends of Virgin Martyrs (a) Margaret of Antioch Introduction and Select Bibliography Stanzaic Life of Margaret Explanatory Notes Textual Notes John Mirk, Sermon on St. Margaret Explanatory Notes Textual Notes John Lydgate, Lyfe of Seynt Margarete Explanatory Notes Textual Notes (b) Katherine of Alexandria Introduction and Select Bibliography Stanzaic Life of Katherine Explanatory Notes Textual Notes John Mirk, Sermon on St. Katherine Explanatory Notes Textual Notes St. Katherine, from Speculum Sacerdotale Notes Christina of Bolsena Introduction and Select Bibliography William Paris, Life of St. Christina Explanatory Notes Textual Notes IV. Legends of St. Anne, Mother of the Virgin Mary Introduction and Select Bibliography John Mirk, Sermon on the Conception of the Virgin Mary Explanatory Notes Textual Notes John Mirk, Sermon on St. Anne Explanatory Notes Textual Notes Osbern Bokenham, Life of St. Anne Explanatory Notes Textual Notes Glossary, Acknowledgments
General Introduction
General Bibliography
Abbreviations

I. The Legend of St. Frideswide of Oxford, an Anglo-Saxon Royal Abbess
Introduction and Select Bibliography
Shorter South English Legendary Life of St. Frideswide
Explanatory Notes
Textual Notes
Longer South English Legendary Life of St. Frideswide
Explanatory Notes
Textual Notes

II. The Legend of Mary Magdalen, Penitent and Apostle
Introduction and Select Bibliography
Early South English Legendary Life of Mary Magdalen
Explanatory Notes
Textual Notes
John Mirk, Sermon on St. Mary Magdalen
Explanatory Notes
Textual Notes
Mary Magdalen, from Speculum Sacerdotale
Notes

III. Three Popular Legends of Virgin Martyrs
(a) Margaret of Antioch
Introduction and Select Bibliography
Stanzaic Life of Margaret
Explanatory Notes
Textual Notes
John Mirk, Sermon on St. Margaret
Explanatory Notes
Textual Notes
John Lydgate, "Lyfe of Seynt Margarete"
Explanatory Notes
Textual Notes
(b) Katherine of Alexandria
Introduction and Select Bibliography
Stanzaic Life of Katherine
Explanatory Notes
Textual Notes
John Mirk, Sermon on St. Katherine
Explanatory Notes
Textual Notes
St. Katherine, from Speculum Sacerdotale
Notes
© Christina of Bolsena
Introduction and Select Bibliography
William Paris, Life of St. Christina
Explanatory Notes
Textual Notes

IV. Legends of St. Anne, Mother of the Virgin Mary
Introduction and Select Bibliography
John Mirk, Sermon on the Conception of the Virgin Mary
Explanatory Notes
Textual Notes
John Mirk, Sermon on St. Anne
Explanatory Notes
Textual Notes
Osbern Bokenham, Life of St. Anne
Explanatory Notes
Textual Notes
Glossary
  • Edited by Sherry L. Reames
  • Notes by Martha G. Blalock
  • Introduction and notes by Wendy R. Larson