The Golden Legend: V. 1: Readings on the Saints Free

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With the exception of the Bible, this vastly influential collection of saints' lives was the favorite book of the era. More than editions in various languages were printed before the Reformation. In addition, handwritten copies were so numerous that 1, venerable manuscripts still survive. At long last, this medieval bestseller has made it into modern English. Gracefully translated by Fr. The medieval English version published by pioneer London printer William Caxton in adds and subtracts material. The modern usage of legend as "an unhistorical traditional story" emerged only after While Jacobus thought he was writing a collection in the late medieval meaning of the word "legend" posterity views his work as unreliable fable. In any event, Jacobus did the best he could with the materials at harid. It is estimated that he used about different sources. Jacobus offers theological reflection as well as information about the major feasts and seasons of the Church year, often tidily numbered like sermon outlines. His text is studded with edifying or droll anecdotes easily borrowed for preaching. He even moralizes in such digressions as a biography of the wicked Emperor Julian the Apostate or a history of the Lombards. The work and its The Golden Legend: v. 1: Readings on the Saints were perfectly matched. Unlike modern readers paging through the latest reference book, medieval readers were not seeking factual data. Authenticity was not an issue. Jacobus occasionally admits a story is apocryphal, but recounts it anyway. In its pages, the past is not a foreign country, and they do not do things differently there. Alien lands look just like home, and everyone wears medieval costume. This technique made narratives seem real and vivid to a medieval audience. The book is also filled with implausible marvels. Although they typically repel modern readers, the marvels enthralled medieval ones. Jacobus deploys his saints within the round of the Church year, meshing what used to be called the sanctoral and temporal cycles. He covers all the liturgical seasons and major feasts, except for the Immaculate Conception, which was not yet universally celebrated or accepted. Although Jacobus organizes his material oddly for modern tastes, many of the ideas he develops remained familiar into recent times. For example, Jacobus states: "The Lord's advent is celebrated for four weeks to signify that his coming is fourfold: He came to us in the flesh, he comes into our hearts, he comes to us at death, and he will come to judge us. This key paragraph could still generate a sound and comprehensible Advent sermon. Still, saints are the work's principal interest. Jacobus' choice of holy subjects is most revealing. His chapters cover about saints and some groups such as the Theban Legion and St. Ursula's 11, virgins. Several saints get multiple feasts e. Peter in Chains besides their principal commemoration. One feast is duplicated. He even honors the Holy Maccabees, martyrs in Old Testament times. Basil and St. John Chrysostom. Margaret of Antioch and St. Barbara and St. Thomas Becket, St. Bernard of Clairvaux, St. Dominic, St. Francis and St. Elizabeth of Hungary. He The Golden Legend: v. 1: Readings on the Saints highlights fellow Dominican St. Mary Magdalen, St. Mary of Egypt, St. Thais and St. Virgin martyrs interest him more than non-virgin ones. Thus, the legend-encrusted St. Lucy, St. Cecilia, St. Agatha and St. Agnes get more space than the well-documented St. Perpetua and St. Likewise, Jacobus relies on fables instead of the historic account of St. Ignatius' martyrdom. He sketches an accurate picture of St. Felicity and Her Seven Sons, St. Fortunately, he could not know that his tale of St. Barlaam and St. Joseph is ultimately derived from an account of the The Golden Legend: v. 1: Readings on the Saints conversion. Perhaps the most medieval touch is Jacobus' peculiar etymology. For him and his readers, the name was the thing. Therefore, a saint's name must symbolize his nature. For example, his entry on St. Amand, the apostle of Belgium, begins: "The name Amand means lovable, and the name fitted the man, for he had three qualities that make a person lovable. The next entry, on St. Valentine, gets more fanciful. Humanist scholars knew, for instance, that St. George bore a common Greek name meaning "farmer. After the Reformation, when the Catholic Church was anxious to emphasize historically important saints and eliminate dubious cults, Jacobus' reputation The Golden Legend: v. 1: Readings on the Saints. Its naive and earnest charm opens a window into the medieval mind. It also heavily influenced contemporaneous literature. After Vatican II, academic interest in the saints soared while clerical enthusiasm sank. Now popular curiosity seems to be returning. Mainstream publishers are scurrying to serve this emerging market. Thus, Ryan's translation, issued by a university press, is a pivotal publication. As the great Bollandist Hippolyte Delehaye declared, "Legend, like all poetry, can claim a higher degree of truth than history itself. Born near Genoa abouthe joined the Dominicans at age He became a fine preacher and trained young friars in theology and biblical studies. His prudence and intelligence earned him election as provincial superior while he was still in his 30s. Jacobus was such a respected figure that he was chosen Archbishop of Genoa inan unusual honor for a friar. But he refused the post. The archbishop humility did not go unnoticed. He was sent as the pope's special envoy to Genoa to lift a politically motivated interdict. His tactful performance was rewarded with a second election to the see of Genoa in This time he was pressured into accepting. Jacobus amazed his flock by hewing to the strict observance of the Dominican rule and continuing to keep his vow of poverty. He turned the huge income of his office over to charity and the maintenance of churches. The rich of the archdiocese were moved to new levels of generosity. Jacobus became famous as a builder and restorer of religious institutions. As an astute, The Golden Legend: v. 1: Readings on the Saints administrator, he was a model for other Italian bishops of his day. But Jacobus was sorely disappointed by his inability to halt the bloody feuds between pro-papal and pro-imperial factions in his city. Try The Golden Legend: v. 1: Readings on the Saints he might he was only able to impose a short truce on the warring parties. He is supposed to have been the first man to translate the Bible into Italian, but no trace of this project survives. One of his odder efforts at supporting a media apostolate was organizing some Dominican novices as jugglers and acrobats to evangelize as they entertained. It was the medieval equivalent of today's "clown ministry. Dominican writer Sr. Golden Legend - Wikipedia

Depicting the lives of the saints in an array of factual and fictional stories, The Golden Legend was perhaps the most widely read book, after the Bible, during the late Middle Ages. It was compiled around by Jacobus The Golden Legend: v. 1: Readings on the Saints Voragine, a scholarly friar and later archbishop of Genoa, whose purpose was to captivate, encourage, and edify the faithful, while preserving a vast store of information pertaining to the legends and traditions of the church. In this translation, the first in English of the complete text, William Granger Ryan captures the immediacy of this rich work, which offers an important guide for readers interested in medieval art and literature and, more generally, in popular religious culture. Arranged according to the order of saints' feast days, these fascinating stories are now combined into one volume. This edition also features an introduction by Eamon Duffy contextualizing the work. Many such compilations were produced in thirteenth-century Europe, as the Church sought both to promote more active religious engagement among parish clergy and laypeople, and to police the orthodoxy of popular belief and practice. The new orders of mendicant friars were in the forefront of this campaign to instruct and enthuse ordinary Christians, and Jacobus, an Italian Dominican friar who became Prior of the Lombard Province inwas working in a tradition established earlier in the same century by members of his own relatively new order. Jean The Golden Legend: v. 1: Readings on the Saints Mailly began work on his Abbreviatio in gestis et miraculis sanctorum in the late s, within ten years of the foundation of the Order of Preachers, and his fellow Dominican Bartholomew of Trent produced his Epilogus ingesta sanctorum in the mids. Jacobus drew freely on both these collections, but those books, popular as they were, survive now in just a couple of dozen manuscripts apiece. As early as the s it was already one of the shaping influences on local hagiographical projects far removed from Italy, such as the vernacular. The only full-length study is G. For both, see Sherry L. An unknown error has occurred. Please click the button below to reload the page. If the problem persists, please try again in a little while. No cover image. Read preview. Synopsis Depicting the lives of the saints in an array of factual and fictional stories, The Golden Legend was perhaps the most widely read book, after the Bible, during the late Middle Ages. As early as the s it was already one of the shaping influences on local hagiographical projects far removed from Italy, such as the vernacular The only full-length study is G. Read preview Overview. Anglican and Episcopal History, Vol. We use The Golden Legend: v. 1: Readings on the Saints to deliver a better user experience and to show you ads based on your interests. By using our website, you agree to the use of cookies as described in our Privacy Policy. The Golden Legend: Readings on the Saints, Volume I by Jacobus de Voragine

Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. Want to Read saving…. Want to Read Currently Reading Read. Other editions. Enlarge cover. Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Open Preview See a Problem? Details if other :. Thanks for telling us about the problem. Return to Book Page. William Granger Ryan Translator. Depicting the lives of the saints in an array of both factual and fictional stories, "The Golden Legend" was perhaps the most widely read book, after the Bible, during the late Middle Ages. In his new translation, the first in modern English of the complete text from the Graesse edition, William Granger Ryan captures the immediacy of this rich, image-filled work, and offer Depicting the lives of the saints in an array of both factual and fictional stories, "The Golden Legend" was perhaps the most widely read book, after the Bible, during the late Middle Ages. In his new translation, the first in modern English of the complete text from the Graesse edition, William Granger Ryan captures the immediacy of this rich, image-filled work, and offers an important guide for readers interested in medieval art and literature and in popular religious culture more generally. Get A Copy. Paperbackpages. Published March 20th by Princeton University Press first published More Details Original Title. Other Editions 6. Friend Reviews. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. To ask other readers questions about The Golden Legendplease sign up. Lists with This Book. Community Reviews. Showing Average rating 4. Rating details. More filters. Sort order. Aug 02, Fergus rated it it was amazing. Sanctity in the unlikeliest places and reprobates who become learned Doctors of the Church Harlots who repent in the end and poor damsels who flee the lust of princes by entering a convent People you just won't hear about anywhere else. These vivid stories run the gauntlet of brave ordeals, tortures and trials and helped The Golden Legend: v. 1: Readings on the Saints the imaginations of ordinary folks all over the spooky landscapes of the Middle Ages. Some seem fanciful, some syrupy - but ALL make for com Sanctity in the unlikeliest places and reprobates who become learned Doctors of the Church Some seem fanciful, some syrupy - but ALL make for compelling reading! You may be amazed to find yourself quite enjoying these tales. They were written - or should I say, compiled and embellished? And The Golden Legend: v. 1: Readings on the Saints know how stories change as they spread? The point is that the folks in these stories were living in the Spirit, and that people in our age - for the most part - are NOT. If we enter heart-first into their lives, some of that magical fairy-dust of Faith might even rub off on us And the refreshing pneuma of the Spirit The Golden Legend: v. 1: Readings on the Saints them may waft into our lives! When my wife and I first moved into our forever home, one long-ago beautiful fall day, I introduced myself to our new next-door neighbour and his young family. He was originally from Central Ontario, quite a long way away from this, my own home town. As a gift on their return, one year, they gave me that classic book we all used to hear about in the old days, Lives of the Saints. A Feast. Now, and here's the important part: If The Golden Legend: v. 1: Readings on the Saints ever decide to wade your eager soles through the pristine awesome sanctity of this HUGE collection, try getting only the first volume to wet your feet - But The Golden Legend: v. 1: Readings on the Saints sure it's the great, modern translation published by Penguin they also publish it in one large volume. I made the mistake of getting the e-book for my Kindle as well - and, hey, was I taken for a ride. It's a prolix Elizabethan translation, full of typos. So, a solid five stars for hours and hours of fascinating reading - in BOOK form! View all 14 comments. Dec 29, Julie rated it liked it Shelves: education. The imagery of the medieval world is vivid with all its demons and dragons attacking the Christians. But surprisingly, the individuals being attacked flinch not because they already know that Christ has overcome the world and this knowledge strengthens them to stand The Golden Legend: v. 1: Readings on the Saints against the evils. I enjoyed this book. It was an easy read, but more than that, it helped me understand an era of great Christian Strength, strength that I hope someday to obtain! Feb 27, Reader rated it it was amazing Shelves: gb. I really enjoyed reading this. It's pretty easy to read, and the stories are so amazing! They're pretty much outrageous. Out of the gb books this year, this is one of the ones I enjoyed more. Nov 23, Nick rated it it was amazing. Supposedly the most widely-read book of the Middle Ages after the Bible. A quote on the back describes it as "the literary equivalent of Delightful and wonderfully strange. Jul 19, Gretchyn rated it really liked it Recommends it for: those few mystical readers. A compilation of the lives of the saints, but honestly, only interesting if you are predisposed to that sort of thing. That said, I love it. 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Readers also enjoyed. About Jacobus de Voragine. Jacobus de Voragine. He was the author, or more The Golden Legend: v. 1: Readings on the Saints the compiler, of Legenda Sanctorum, also known as the Golden Legend, a collection of the legendary lives of the greater saints of the medieval church that was one of the most popular religious works of the Middle Ages. Books by Jacobus de Voragine.