“She said she was called Theodore”: -        A modality analysis of five transcendental saints in the 1260’s Legenda Aurea and 1430’s Gilte Legende 2017 (English)Independent thesis Advanced level (degree of Master (Two Years)), 20 credits / 30 HE creditsStudent thesis

Abstract [en]

This thesis explores modalities in two hagiographical collections from the late Middle Ages; the Legenda Aurea and the Gilte Legende by drawing inspiration from post-colonial hybridity theories.. It conducts a close textual analysis by studying the use of pronouns in five saints’ legends where female saints transcend traditional gender identities and become men, and focuses on how they transcend, live as men, and die. The study concludes that the use of pronouns is fluid in the Latin Legenda Aurea, while the Middle English Gilte Legende has more female pronouns and additions to the texts where the female identity of the saints is emphasised. This is interpreted as a sign of the feminisation of religious language in Europe during the late Middle Ages, and viewed parallel with the increase of holy women at that time. By doing this, it underlines the importance of new words and concepts when describing and understanding medieval views on gender. 

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages

2017. , p. 79

Keywords [en]

saint, saints, transvestites, transvestism, transvestite, saint marina, marina, marinus, saint eugenia, eugenia, eugene, saint theodora, theodora, theodore, saint margaret, margaret pelagius, margaret, margaret pelagia, pelagius, pelagia, saint pelagia, jacopo de fazio, jacobus de voragine, jacopo da varazze, compiler, dominican, Golden legend, legenda aurea, legenda sanctorum, gilte legende, confessor, martyr, virgin, hagiographies, hagiography, biography, England, Middle English sweden, monastery, monk, abbot, social experimentation, space, feminisation of language, jesus as mother, saint bridget of sweden, saint mary, holy virgin, saint catherine of siena, le roman de silences, silence, caroline walker bynum, sanctity, transcendence, homi bhabha, post-colonial, postcolonial, loomba, hybridity, hybridity theory, gender, gender fluidity, crossdressing, cross-dressing, transgender, laqueur, linguistics, modality, nuyts, medieval, late medieval, late middle ages, middle ages, late medieval period

National Category

History and Archaeology

Identifiers

URN: urn:nbn:se:su:diva-144052OAI: oai:DiVA.org:su-144052DiVA, id: diva2:1107340

Supervisors

Examiners

Available from: 2017-09-07 Created: 2017-06-09 Last updated: 2017-09-07Bibliographically approved

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Department of History

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History and Archaeology

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