Feminae: Medieval Women and Gender Index


  • Record Number: 4966
  • Author(s)/Creator(s):
  • Contributor(s):
  • Title: St. Catherine of Siena in Late Medieval Britain: Feminizing Literary Reception Through Gender and Class [The author argues that the life and writings of St. Catherine had a great influence in England for 160 years following her death; she was valued for her role as a bridge between Christ and humanity, female and male, the lower social classes and the highe
  • Source: Annali d'Italianistica 13, ( 1995): Pages 163 - 203. Women Mystic Writers. Edited by Dino S. Cervigni
  • Description:
  • Article Type: Journal Article
  • Subject (See Also): Catherine of Siena, Saint Gender Hagiography Influences Lyf of Saint Katharin of Senis the Blessed Virgin, a Middle English Translation of Raymond of Capua's Legenda Major Manuscripts Mystics Orcherd of Syon, Middle English Devotional Work Based on Liber
  • Award Note:
  • Geographic Area: British Isles;Italy
  • Century: 14- 15- 16
  • Primary Evidence:
  • Illustrations: Ten figures. Figure One Cosimo Roselli, "St. Catherine of Siena as the Spiritual Mother of the Second and Third Orders of St. Dominic" (National Gallery of Scotland). Figure Two St. Catherine trampling the devil, with twelve mantled female figures, woodcut frontispiece and illustration for the opening of the seventh part of Wynkyn de Worde's 1519 edition of "The Orcherd of Syon" (London, British Library, c.11.B.6). Figure Three Christ as a bridge to God, with Adam and Eve and demons on either side, and St. Catherine to the right, woodcut at the beginning of the second part in Wynkyn de Worde's 1519 edition of "The Orcherd of Syon" (London, British Library, c.11.B.6). Figure Four Souls cross the bridge, while demons eat the damned, and St. Catherine prays, with an open book, to the right, woodcut at the beginning of the third part, in Wynkyn de Worde's 1519 edition of "The Orcherd of Syon" (London, British Library, c.11.B.6). Figure Five The bridge is linked with the celebration of the Host, woodcut at the beginning of the fourth part, in Wynkyn de Worde's 1519 edition of "The Orcherd of Syon" (London, British Library, c.11.B.6). Figure Six Inside the church at the entrance to the bridge, the blessing of the Host, administering the Eucharist, St. Catherine kneeling in prayer, while outside demons consort with fornicating couples, woodcut at the beginning of the fifth part, in Wynkyn de Worde's 1519 edition of "The Orcherd of Syon" (London, British Library, c.11.B.6). Figure Seven Communion administered to the faithful, Adam delving and Eve spinning at the left, the baking of bread to the right, with the Church as a ship saving those in a boat, all at the entrance to a church at the entrance to the bridge, woodcut at the beginning of the sixth part, in Wynkyn de Worde's 1519 edition of "The Orcherd of Syon" (London, British Library, c.11.B.6). Figure Eight St. Catherine praying, with cropped hair and in masculine garb, manuscript illumination (Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS. Canonici Miscellaneous 205, fol 7r). Figure Nine St. Catherine holds a lily in one hand, a crucifix in the other, within a decorated initial "D" (Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS. Canonici Miscellaneous 205, fol 1r (William the Englishman, "Sermo de B. Catharina Senensi)). Figure Ten St. Catherine holds a lily in one hand, a cross in the other (Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS. Digby 180, fol 1r (the short life of St. Catherine by Thomas of Siena)).
  • Table:
  • Abstract:
  • Related Resources:
  • Author's Affiliation:
  • Conference Info: - , -
  • Year of Publication: 1995.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN/ISBN: 07417527