Western Michigan University ScholarWorks at WMU Master's Theses Graduate College 4-1990 Three Women Saints in the Thirteenth Century: Mentalities and Roles Ulrike Strasser Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/masters_theses Part of the Medieval Studies Commons Recommended Citation Strasser, Ulrike, "Three Women Saints in the Thirteenth Century: Mentalities and Roles" (1990). Master's Theses. 1072. https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/masters_theses/1072 This Masters Thesis-Open Access is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate College at ScholarWorks at WMU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Master's Theses by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at WMU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THREE WOMEN SAINTS IN THE THIRTEENTH CENTURY: MENTALITIES AND ROLES by Ulrike Strasser A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of The Graduate College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts The Medieval Institute Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, Michigan April 1990 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. THREE WOMEN SAINTS IN THE THIRTEENTH CENTURY: MENTALITIES AND ROLES Ulrike Strasser, M.A. Western Michigan University, 1990 This case study analyzes the lives of three thirteenth-century female saints, Lutgard of Aywiferes, Margaret of Ypres, and Christina Mirabilis, and places them against the broader theoretical frame of quantitative studies on the subject sainthood. The focus of the study is the pursuit of holiness as well as the perception of holiness. Both, pursuit and perception, serve as the point of departure for a discussion of the mentalities and the social realities which the women’s sainthood reflects. The findings from this study indicate that female saints display numerous commonalities which can be traced back to the saints’ gender and its social ramifications. Many elements of worldly womanhood metamorphose into religiously significant components of the women’s sainthood. Hence, to fully understand this sainthood, one must examine it in the very light of gender, i.e., one must depart from those quantitative approaches which treat men’s and women’s sainthood indiscriminately. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I wish to express my deep gratitude and appreciation to three special teachers who gave me one of the greatest gifts: confidence in my intellectual abilities. First, I want to thank my mentor and committee chairperson, Dr. Otto Griindler, for his knowledgeable direction and warmhearted support throughout the course of my graduate work. He instilled in me the courage and let me be free enough to venture out on my own, yet he was always there when I needed an experienced guide. Gratitude and appreciation are also extended to my committee members, Dr. Nancy Falk and Dr. Brian McGuire. It was Dr. Falk who introduced me to the exciting subject of women’s spirituality. Her numerous insights and sensitive assistance were invaluable for my intellectual and personal development. Dr. Brian McGuire reinforced my love of learning and my enthusiasm for the Middle Ages both as a teacher and as a person. His encouragement, guidance, and warmth have bridged the many miles between Kalamazoo and his present home in Copenhagen. Long-distance support also came from my precious German friends: Birgitta Geissler-Gittl, Anne Kirchner, Thomas Kriissmann, and Florian Weiss. Their letters, phone calls, thoughts, and Florian’s pamphlet, "How to Survive a Thesis in 11 Steps," carried me across many stumbling blocks. I feel very grateful towards them. The same holds true about my dear friends in Kalamazoo: Kris Badra, ii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Acknowledgements-Continued Jennifer Frank, Dan LaCorte, Julianne Lark, Beth Oppliger, Andrew Pearson, and Pongracz Sennyey contributed to the completion of my graduate work in many different ways including much needed distraction. I wish to acknowledge my gratitude towards all of them. My very special thanks go to my significant other, Bob Wojtowicz, who has been a constant source of strength. His caring support, unfailing understanding for me and my work, and his constructive criticism have enabled me to explore my academic potential. At the same time, his love and humor have reminded me that there is a life beyond school. I also wish to thank Margot King from the Peregrina Publishing Company. She generously supplied the manuscript of the forthcoming translation of the Life of Margaret and thus made my thesis a more feasible project. Last, but not least, my deepest thanks go to my family: Henrike, Ulrich, and Henrik Strasser. Without their love, encouragement, and sacrifices this work and many other meaningful aspects of my life would not have been possible. Ulrike Strasser Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. INFORMATION TO USERS The most advanced technology has been used to photograph and reproduce this manuscript from the microfilm master. UMI films the text directly from the original or copy submitted. 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Photographs included in the original manuscript have been reproduced xerographically in this copy. Higher quality 6" x 9" black and white photographic prints are available for any photographs or illustrations appearing in this copy for an additional charge. Contact UMI directly to order. University Microfilms International A Bell & Howell Information C om pany 300 North Z eeb Road. Ann Arbor. Ml 48106-1346 USA 313/761-4700 800/521-0600 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Order Number 1339829 Three women saints in the thirteenth-century: Mentalities and roles Strasser, Ulrike, M.A. Western Michigan University, 1990 Copyright ©1990 by Strasser, Ulrike. All rights reserved. UMI 300 N. Zeeb Rd. Ann Arbor, MI 48106 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Copyright by Ulrike Strasser 1990 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS...................................................................................... ii CHAPTER I. THE PARADIGM........................................................................................ 1 The History of Mentalities ................................................................... 2 Hagiography as a Source for the History of Mentalities.............................................................................................. 8 The Findings of Weinstein, Bell, and Goodich ........................................................................................... 19 From Childhood Throughout Adolescence and Adulthood: The Central Role of Chastity ............................................................................................. 19 The Profile of the Saint .................................................................. 25 The Distinct Features of Female Holiness............................................................................... 31 The Frame of the Present Study .......................................................... 36 II. THE ANALYSIS.......................................................................................... 41 Thomas de Cantimprd—a Mouthpiece for the Collective? ................................................................................. 41 Lutgard, Christina and Margaret: The Developmental Perspective ................................................................... 45 Conversion ........................................................................................ 45 Growth .............................................................................................. 52 Perfection.......................................................................................... 64 The Status of the Present Study .......................................................... 75 iv Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Table of Contents--Continued CHAPTER Three Female Saints: The Morphological Perspective .............................................................................................