Living off the dead : the relationship between emperor cult and the cult of the saints in late antiquity
So while on the surface, Christianity and Roman religion seemed entirely different, it is clear that Christianity drew on certain aspects of Roman religion when establishing major tenets of Christian beliefs.
The legal aspects of the Stefan Dušan`s involvement in the civil war in Byzantium 1341-1354
The problem of the legal aspects is consisting mainly of the measure of influence of contemporary concepts of what was legitimate and legal towards the sequence of events during the civil war which started a few months after the death of the Emperor Andronikos III (died 15 June 1341) and lasted with certain periods of a relative peace until his son John V finally succeeded to take the sole rule of an Emperor (after 10 December 1354).
The Myth of the Anglo-Saxon Oral Poet
There are at least two reasons why the search for the Anglo-Saxon oral poet is worth reopening. To begin with, current thinking about oral poetry and poetics in the Anglo-Saxon period has been indelibly stamped by the classic Parry/Lord thesis, well known in its evolution from the 1950s to more recent years,
How Venice almost got a second head of Saint Mark the Evangelist
In 1419, Venice was almost able to get a second head of Saint Mark the Evangelist.
Disease and Illness in Medieval Ireland
This thesis explores various aspects of the medical system, and illness/disease for the medieval period (5th-12th centuries) in Ireland.
The Commemoration of Saints at Late Medieval York Minster
In what way are hagiographic texts, the liturgical commemoration of saints and the depiction of saints lives on the late medieval stained glass windows of York Minster related, how did they influence each other, and what role does the community of York Minster play in this?
The legend of Saint Anastasia in medieval Spanish literature
This MA by Research looks into the legend of Saint Anastasia, a virgin martyr who forms part of the Legenda aurea, a thirteenth century hagiographic compilation composed by Jacobus de Voragine.
The early Latin sources for the legend of St. Martha: a study and translation with critical notes
In these lives of the saint, traditional material derived from Scripture is supplemented by descriptions of Martha’s legendary life as an early missionary in Provence.
Research examines the ‘abortionist saints’ of medieval Ireland
A recent article on sexuality and childbirth in early medieval Ireland reveals some surprising attitudes towards abortion held among the Christians during this period, and that hagiographical texts recount four Irish saints performing abortions.
MISSION AND CONVERSION IN THE LIVES OF CONSTANTINE-CYRIL AND METHODIUS
Mission and conversion have long been, and continue to be a preoccupation among historians. Mission as understood in this paper refers to an individual or group traveling outside of their land to achieve a purpose, whether it be instruction, securing peace, or conversion.
Saint Patrick and the Druids: A Window into Seventh-Century Irish Church Politics
Through an analysis of selected portions of Muirchú’s Life of Saint Patrick, this thesis will attempt to search out the hagiographer’s goals in writing as he did under the direction of Aed, Bishop of Sletty, during a critical time of debate in the Irish church. The primary method of accomplishing this will be through consideration of Patrick as a character in the hagiography.
The hanging of William Cragh: anatomy of a miracle
On Monday 12 November 1291, Welsh rebels, William Cragh and Traharn ap Howel, were dragged from the dungeons of Swansea Castle and hanged on the nearby gallows. That, by all reason, should have been the end of the story – except that it was not.
Margot Fassler wins 2012 Otto Gründler Book Prize
Margot Fassler, Keough-Hesburgh Professor of Music History and Liturgy at the University of Notre Dame, was awarded the 2012 Otto Gründler Book Prize for her book The Virgin of Chartres: Making History Through Liturgy and the Arts.
An introduction to the investigation into the mental health of female medieval mystics
While the Medieval ascription to madness is known, in the light of recent psychological and medical insights, I will explore alternative explanations for the extreme behaviour of devout women in the Middle Ages.
St George of England: a study of sainthood and legend
In 1222, 23 years after the death of Lionheart in the reign of young Henry III, the council of Oxford meeting in Osney Abbey fixed St.George’s Day 23 April as a national festival. It is said that Edward III made St. George the patron saint.
of England in 1344 (or 48) and in Windsor he enlarged the chapel of St. Edward to become the chapel of St. George.
Evidence for Viking disruption from early Norman histories and commemorations of saints
Did the Vikings devastate the indigenous culture, leaving only a faint memory of Frankish society in Normandy or did they largely assimilate with ‘minimal disruption’ to Carolingian ways?
The Case of a Married Female Saint: Rutebeuf’s Saint Elizabeth of Hungary
St. Elizabeth of Hungary (1207-1231) was a married saint who was canonized in 1235. This paper focuses on the portrayal of Elizabeth by Rutebeuf as a female married saint and her piety within the bounds of marriage.
Prehistoric Annals and Early Medieval Monasticism: Daniel Wilson, James Young Simpson and their Cave Sites
Caves marked with early Christian motifs on Scotland’s western and eastern coasts have attracted scholarly attention for over a hundred years, where they have been associated with early medieval monastic communities.
The vita of Douceline de Digne (1214-1274): Beguine spirituality and orthodoxy in thirteenth century Marseilles
Amongst these is Douceline de Digne (1214-1274) whose life as a mystic and a beguine provides evidence for a new perspective on the influence and participation of women in the spirituality of the mid-thirteenth century.
VAGANTES: Between Tradition and Change: Monastic Reform in Three fifteenth-century German Redactions of the Life of Saint Mary of Egypt
Using the life of St. Mary of Egypt, this paper will consider three different Middle High German versions produced by reform communities and will analyze how the reform ideologies and goals manifest in the texts.
VAGANTES: Necessary Imperfection: The Body of Sainte Marie l’Egyptienne
This paper seeks to examine the role of the body and its relationship to the world around it in the “vie de sainte” of Marie l’Egyptienne, who is an excellent example of a female saint who begins life as a sinner and transforms her body into something holy. This presentation will focus on the version of Marie l’Egyptienne’s life written by Rutebeuf in the 13th century, but will also bring in elements of other versions and of the stories of other female saints who transform their bodies for comparison.
VAGANTES: What the Body Said: The Corpse-as-Text in St. Erkenwald
This paper will consider how the speaking corpse of the pagan judge should be read, especially in light of the hagiographic context and medieval theological writings on the resurrection of the body.
Temptation and Redemption: A Monastic Life in Stone
The monks who wrote the legend of Eugenia and those of the other transvestite women/monks were explicitly including a female in an all male monastic milieu. Women, as a rule, were not allowed in male monastic enclosures; the Rule at Cluny strictly forbade any women to enter the grounds.
Writing the Order: Religious-Political Discourses in Late Anglo-Saxon England
The issue of how authority was created, maintained and defined in religious terms by the written word is therefore the main concern throughout this study.
