Virgin martyrs make up one of the largest categories of medieval
saints. To judge by their frequent appearances in art and
literature, they also figure among the most venerated. The legends
of virgin martyrs, retold in various ways through the centuries,
illuminate trends in popular piety, values, and literary tastes.
Chaste Passions contains eighteen English virgin martyr legends,
each of a different saint and each translated in its entirety into
colloquial, modern English prose. Faithful in tone and meaning to
the originals, Karen A. Winstead's lively translations allow
contemporary readers to appreciate why virgin martyr legends
thrived for hundreds of years. Winstead presents the tales in
chronological order, tracing the effects of the composition and
tastes of the audience on the development of the genre.
The virgin martyr, Winstead tells us, escapes the confining
female stereotypes -- demure maiden or disruptive shrew --
prevalent in writings of the period. Because nearly all of the
texts were written by men but addressed to women, they exhibit a
fascinating interplay between male views of so-called women's
literature and the demands of their intended audience.
Familiarity with this widely read genre is essential to a full
understanding of medieval culture, and Chaste Passions is an
excellent introduction to these often racy, sometimes comic,
tales.
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