Title Virgin martyrs : legends of sainthood in late medieval England / Karen A. Winstead

Published Ithaca, N.Y. : Cornell University Press, 1997

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Description 1 online resource (x, 201 pages) : illustrations Contents 1. Martyrdom, Marriage, and Religious Communities, 1100-1250 -- 2. Unruly Virgins and the Laity, 1250-1400 -- 3. Decorous Lives: Saints and Consumers, 1400-1450 -- 4. The Politics of Reading Summary "Stories of the torture and execution of beautiful Christian women first appeared in late antiquity and proliferated during the early Middle Ages, and virgin martyrs were still the most popular female saints in the late medieval period. Their legends, in countless retellings through the centuries, preserved a standard plot - the heroine resists a pagan suitor, endures cruelties inflicted by her rejected lover or outraged family, works miracles, and dies for Christ. That sequence was embellished by incidents emblematic of the specific saint: Juliana's battle with the devil, Barbara's immurement in the tower, Katherine's encounter with spiked wheels." "Karen A. Winstead examines this seemingly static story form and discovers subtle shifts in the representation of the virgin martyrs, as their legends were adapted for changing audiences in late medieval England. The saints' portrayals participated in and were shaped by the cultural debates and contests for authority that marked an era of political instability, rapid social change, and increasing religious dissent."--Jacket Bibliography Includes bibliographical references (pages 181-195) and index Notes Print version record Subject Christian women saints -- Biography -- History and criticism Christian women martyrs -- Biography -- History and criticism Virginity -- Religious aspects -- Christianity -- History of doctrines -- Middle Ages, 600-1500 Christian hagiography -- History -- To 1500 Christian legends -- England Christian women martyrs -- Biography -- History and criticism RELIGION -- History. LITERARY CRITICISM -- Medieval. Christian hagiography Christian legends Christian women martyrs -- Biography Christian women saints -- Biography Martyrium Legende Heilige Christendom. Heiligenlegenden. Vrouwen. SUBJECT England -- Church history -- 1066-1485. http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh85043265 England -- Religious life and customs Subject England England Mittelenglisch. Genre/Form Church history Criticism, interpretation, etc. History Form Electronic book ISBN 9781501711572 1501711571

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