Sarah Ruhnau

The Concept of Femininity in Old English Saints' Lives: The Lives of Pelagia of Antioch and Mary of Egypt Sarah Ruhnau

Essay from the year 2012 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Literature, grade: 1,3, Ruhr-University of Bochum (Englisches Seminar), course: Saints and Sinners in OE and ME, language: English, abstract: In the following essay the concept of femininity in Old English female saint's lives will be examined and analysed. Due to the brevity of this essay, only two saint's lives will be investigated, the Life of Mary of Egypt and Pelagia of Antioch. Both of them are often referred to as 'harlot saints' because of their not only promiscuous but also highly sinful lives before becoming their pious selves. (cf. Cox Miller) It is therefore very interesting that both do not only avert themselves from their previous lives, but even find religious patrons who become ardent worshippers of these women.