Description
The unique character of the treacherous woman in Anglo-Norman hagiography is an evident product of the social and religious milieu in which the hagiographical narrative was constructed. The Passio S. Æthelberhti and Vita et miracula S. Kenelmi record the martyrdoms of Anglo-Saxon royal saints at the hands of shallowly drawn, yet powerful, female antagonists. Within written hagiographical narrative, these women are not characters rich in complex motivation, but rather didactic exemplars tailored to a Christian Anglo-Norman audience. Yet the Passio and Vita only show these women in one stage of narrative evolution, and the transmission history of the trope displays a complicated progression of the motif within living narrative. Æthelberht’s martyrdom shows evidence of a vernacular tradition prior to the Passio, with divergent traditions ascribing differing roles and culpability to his murderer. In contrast, Kenelm’s martyrdom was likely a fiction first represented in the Vita, with the character of the treacherous woman present in its genesis. This paper will explore the evolution of the trope of the wicked woman and the endemic traditions, social concerns, and political commentary that comprise her characterisation.| Period | 8 Feb 2017 |
|---|---|
| Event title | 11th Biennial Conference of the Australian & New Zealand Association for Medieval and Early Modern Studies: Mobility and Exchange |
| Event type | Conference |
| Conference number | 11 |
| Location | Wellington, New ZealandShow on map |
| Degree of Recognition | International |