The Lady as Saint: A Collection of French Hagiographic Romances of the Thirteenth Century

by Brigitte Cazelles

Book Overview

Among the thirteenth-century saints exalted are female martyrs and hermits of early Christianity. In The Lady as Saint, Brigitte Cazelles offers the first English translation of these lives and provides extensive commentary on the portrayal of female spirituality.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0812213807
• ISBN13: 9780812213805
• Release Date: October 1991
• Publisher: University of Pennsylvania Press
• Length: 344 Pages
• Weight: 1.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

A wonderful book about a fairly obscure subject

Professor Cazelles' commentary and translations of these hagiographic romances bring to life a part of literary history ignored, for the most part, until quite recently. Her 70+ page commentary at the beginning of the book helps introduce the topic of sanctity to her readers, and the various motifs of female sanctity in the 13th century are examined with reference to various hagiographic tales within and without the text. Comparison is drawn with male sanctity throughout the work, and I feel that I not only learned about "The Lady As Saint" from the book, but also got a fairly firm grounding in "the man as saint." Cazelles also compares the saintly lady to the lady as portrayed in Courtly romance. This comparrison brings to light some surprising trends and similairities, and is explored in fascinating depth in the work.Cazelles translations are excellent. When more than one extant poem exists commemorating a saint's life, Cazelles provides a verse translation of the copy thought to be most widely known during the period, and she provides prose translations of each of the other forms of the poem. Her translations are vivid and lively, and make these violent, exciting lives even more enjoyable to read. If one is interested in studying the Middle Ages, this book is a must read. It is well researched, well written, and illuminates an important aspect of Medieval culture.