Mulieres Religiosae: Shaping Female Spiritual Authority in the Medieval and Early Modern Periods

336 Pages·2014·56.965 MB·English

by  Veerle Fraeters, Imke de Gier

Mulieres religiosae
EUROPA SACRA
editorial Board under the auspices
of Monash university
general editor
Peter Howard, Monash university
editorial Board
Megan Cassidy-Welch, Monash university
David Garrioch, Monash university
Thomas Izbicki, rutgers, The state university of New Jersey
Carolyn James, Monash university
Constant J. Mews, Monash university
M. Michèle Mulchahey, Pontifical institute of Mediaeval studies, Toronto
Adriano Prosperi, scuola Normale di Pisa
Previously published volumes in this series are listed at the back of the book.
Volume 12
Mulieres religiosae
Shaping Female Spiritual Authority
in the Medieval and Early Modern Periods
Edited by
Veerle Fraeters and Imke de Gier
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
Mulieres religiosae (Conference)
(2007 : Universitair Centrum Sint-Ignatius Antwerpen) creator.
Mulieres religiosae : shaping female spiritual authority
in the medieval and early modern periods. -- (Europa sacra ; 12)
1. Authority--Religious aspects--Christianity--Congress
2. Women in Christianity--Europe--History--Middle Ages, 600-1500--Congresses.
3. Women in Christianity--Europe--History--16th century--Congresses.
4. Women in Christianity--Europe--History--17th century--Congresses.
5. Spirituality--Christianity--History--Middle Ages, 600-1500--Congresses.
6. Spirituality--Christianity--History--16th century--Congresses.
7. Spirituality--Christianity--History--17th century--Congresses.
I. Title
II. Series
III. Fraeters, Veerle, 1963- editor.
IV. Gier, Imke de, editor.
V. Universitair Centrum
Sint-Ignatius Antwerpen host institution.

274'.05'082-dc23

ISBN-13: 9782503549125
© 2014, Brepols Publishers n.v., Turnhout, Belgium
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means,
electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise,
without the prior permission of the publisher.
D/2014/0095/126
ISBN: 978-2-503-54912-5
e-ISBN: 978-2-503-55000-8
Printed on acid-free paper
Contents
Illustrations vii
Acknowledgements xi
Colour Plates xiii
Introduction: Shaping Female Spiritual Authority in Europe
from the High Middle Ages to the Early Modern Period
VEERLE FRAETERS and IMkE DE GIER 1
Elisabeth von Schönau and the Story of St Ursula:
Visionary Authority and the Cult of the Saints
MARíA EUGENIA GóNGORA 17
‘You shall all live together in harmony and spiritual unity’: Images
of Abbesses and Female Religious Communities in the Empire
ANDREA WORM 37
Beguines in Hungary? The Case of St Margareta
of Hungary (1242–71): A Mystic without a Voice
VIkTóRIA HEDVIG DEák 87
Sharing Charismatic Authority by Body and Emotions:
The Marvellous Life of Lukardis von Oberweimar (c. 1262–1309)
PIROSkA NAGY 109
Text as Authority: Marguerite Porete’s Mirouer des simples ames
IMkE DE GIER 127
vi Contents
The Soft Face of Power: Jeanne de Valois
and Female Authority in the Middle Ages
ANNEkE B. MULDER-BAkkER 151
Language and Authority in Julian of Norwich’s showings
kATHLEEN M. SMITH 169
Mulieres religiosae and sorores clausae: The Dominican
Observant Movement and the Diffusion of Strict Enclosure
in Italy from the Thirteenth to the Sixteenth Century
SYLVIE DUVAL 193
Book Illumination in the Bridgettine Abbey of Vadstena
EVA LINDqVIST SANDGREN 219
Female Leadership and Authority in the Sisterbook of Diepenveen
MATHILDE VAN DIJk 243
Neither ex officio nor ex gratia: The Brussels Visitandines’
Discourses of Authority and the Collective Self, 1668–99
PING-YUAN WANG 265
Piae virgines choristae: Musicians for the Greater
Glory of God and the Venetian Republic
CAROLINE GIRON-PANEL 287
Index 301
Illustrations
Plates
Plate 1, p. xiii. Abbess Uta of Niedermünster and Four Nuns, Rule Book of
Niedermünster. Bamberg, Staatsbibliothek, Msc. Lit. 142, fol. 58v. Regens-
burg, St Emmeran, c. 985/995.
Plate 2, p. xiv. Death of the Virgin, Paris Gospel Lectionary. Paris, Bibliothèque
nationale de France, MS lat. 17325, fol. 51v. Lower Saxony, c. 1120/40.
Plate 3, p. xv. Burial of the Virgin, Paris Gospel Lectionary. Paris, Bibliothèque
nationale de France, MS lat. 17325, fol. 52r. Lower Saxony, c. 1120/40.
Plate 4, p. xvi. St George and Dedication Scene. Gospel Book from the Nun-
nery of Lippoldsberg. Formerly kassel, Landesbibliothek, Cod. theol. 2°59,
fol. 73v (lost since 1945).
Plate 5, p. xvii. Cantus sororum of the nun CJ. Uppsala, Uppsala universitets-
biblio teket, MS C 432, fol. 3r, with owner initials in upper margin.
Plate 6, p. xviii. Cantus sororum of the nun CJ. Uppsala, Uppsala universitets-
biblioteket, MS C 432 fol. 3r, with owner initials in upper margin.
Plate 7, p. xix. Vadstena Prayer book. Uppsala, Uppsala universitetsbiblioteket,
MS C 68 fol. 133v (detail) with inserted scribal initials m p in the o of
lombard.
Plate 8, p. xx. The side wound of Christ and instruments of the Passion (nail,
thorn, strop, and the words fons amoris). Hand-painted miniature with
accom panying captions in Old Swedish. From the prayer book of Birgitta
Andersdotter. Stockholm, kungliga biblioteket, MS A 80, fol. 15v.
viii ILLUSTRATIONS
Figures
Figure 1, p. 41. Abbess Uta of Niedermünster and Four Nuns, Rule Book of
Niedermünster. Bamberg, Staatsbibliothek, Msc. Lit. 142, fol. 58v. Regens-
burg, St Emmeran, c. 985/95.
Figure 2, p. 42. Caesarius of Arles and Nuns Receiving the Rule, Rule Book of
Niedermünster. Bamberg, Staatsbibliothek, Msc. Lit. 142, fol. 65r. Regens-
burg, St Emmeran, c. 985/95.
Figure 3, p. 44. Hand of God, uta-Codex. München, Bayerische Staatsbiblio-
thek, Clm 13601, fol. 1v. Regensburg, St Emmeran, c. 1020/25.
Figure 4, p. 45. Dedicatory Image of Abbess Uta Presenting her Codex to the
Mother of God, uta-Codex. München, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Clm
13601, fol. 2r. Regensburg, St Emmeran, c. 1020/25.
Figure 5, p. 48. Allegorical Crucifixion, uta-Codex. München, Bayerische Staats-
bibliothek, Clm 13601, fol. 3v. Regensburg, St Emmeran, c. 1020/25.
Figure 6, p. 49. Bishop Erhard Celebrating. uta-Codex. München, Bayerische
Staatsbibliothek, Clm 13601, fol. 4r. Regensburg, St Emmeran, c. 1020/25.
Figure 7, p. 51. Abbess Receiving the Rule of St Benedict, Chapter House Book
of Niedermünster. Berlin, Staatsbibliothek, MS theol. lat. 4°199, fol. 67v.
Niedermünster, c. 1025/44.
Figure 8, p. 53. Abbess Hitda Presenting the Codex to St Walburga, Hitda-
Codex. Darmstadt, Hessische Landes- und Hochschulbibliothek, Cod. 1640,
fol. 6r. Cologne, c. 1000/1025.
Figure 9, p. 56. Death of the Virgin, Paris Gospel Lectionary. Paris, Bibliothèque
nationale de France, MS lat. 17325, fol. 51v. Lower Saxony, c. 1120/40.
Figure 10, p. 57. Burial of the Virgin, Paris Gospel Lectionary. Paris, Biblio-
thèque nationale de France, MS lat. 17325, fol. 52r. Lower Saxony, c. 1120/40.
Figure 11, p. 60. St Andrew Preaching from the Cross to the Members of
the Lamspringe Convent. Theological Miscellany. Wolfenbüttel, Herzog
August Bibliothek, Cod. Guelf. 475 Helmst., fol. 148v. Lamspringe, 1178–
1205/10.
ILLUSTRATIONS ix
Figure 12, p. 62. St George and Dedication Scene. Gospel Book from the
Nunnery of Lippoldsberg. Formerly kassel, Landesbibliothek, Cod. theol.
2°59, fol. 73v (lost since 1945).
Figure 13, p. 64. Necrology of Obermünster, Living Sisters. München, Baye ri-
sches Hauptstaatsarchiv, kL Regensburg-Obermünster, Lit. 1, fol. 65v.
Figure 14, p. 65. Necrology of Obermünster, Living Sisters. München, Baye ri-
sches Hauptstaatsarchiv, kL Regensburg-Obermünster, Lit. 1, fol. 66r.
Figure 15, p. 66. Necrology of Obermünster, Priest Celebrating and Male
Mem bers of the Community. München, Bayerisches Hauptstaatsarchiv, kL
Regensburg-Obermünster, Lit. 1, fol. 67v.
Figure 16, p. 68. St John and the Virgin with nuns from Hohenbourg. Hortus
deliciarum. Formerly Strassbourg, Bibliothèque municipale, fol.  176v.
Hohen bourg, Alsace, 1176/96. Tracing after the original manuscript by
Christian Moritz Engelhardt, 1812.
Figure 17, p. 70. Foundation of Hohenbourg and Abbess Riglindis. Hortus
deliciarum. Formerly Strassbourg, Bibliothèque municipale, fol.  322v.
Hohen bourg, Alsace, 1176/96. After Engelhardt, Herrad von landsperg,
pl. X.
Figure 18, p. 71. Members of the Convent of Hohenbourg at the Time of
Abbess Herrad von Landesberg. Hortus deliciarum. Formerly Strassbourg,
Bibliothèque municipale, fol. 322v. Hohenbourg, Alsace, 1176/96. After
Engelhardt, Herrad von landsperg, pl. XI.
Figure 19, p. 76. Christ and Seven Nuns. Initial for the Introitus of the Mass of
Whitsunday, Gradual from Schäftlarn. München, Bayerische Staats biblio-
thek, Clm 17014, fol. 86v. Schäftlarn, c. 1225/40.
Figure 20, p. 220. The Book of Hours. Uppsala, Uppsala universitetsbiblioteket,
MS C 12 fols 1v–2r, copied by Sister Christina Hansdotter Brask in Vadstena
Abbey (professed 1459–1520).
Figure 21, p. 226. Cantus sororum of the nun CJ. Uppsala, Uppsala universitets-
biblioteket, MS C 432, fol. 3r, with owner initials in upper margin.
Figure 22, p. 227. Vadstena prayer book. Uppsala, Uppsala universitets biblio-
teket, MS C 68, fol. 133v (detail) with inserted scribal initials m p in the o
in lombard.
x ILLUSTRATIONS
Figure 23, p. 228. Text page from the prayer book. Stockholm, kungliga biblio -
teket, MS A 43, fol. 159v, with scribal and owner initials i a and a s respectively,
in the marginal decoration.
Figure 24, p. 233. Wood print from Dendermonde with Christ, Saint Birgitta
and her daughter Saint katarina. From the prayer book of Ingrid Ambjörns-
dotter. Stockholm, kungliga biblioteket, MS A 43, fol. 43v.
Figure 25, p. 235. The side wound of Christ and instruments of the Passion
(nail, thorn, strop, and the words fons amoris). Hand-painted miniature with
accompanying captions in Old Swedish. From the prayer book of Birgitta
Andersdotter. Stockholm, kungliga biblioteket, MS A 80, fol. 15v.
Figure 26, p. 237. Detail of fragment from a psalter copied by a Vadstena nun
around 1500 and reused as account covers in Finland in the 1640s. Stock-
holm, Riksarkivet, Fr 27 983.
graphs
Graph 1, p. 205. Social composition of the monastery of San Domenico in Pisa
1392–1456.
Graph 2, p. 205. Matrimonial status of the nuns when they entered the com-
munity of San Domenico.
Graph 3, p. 208. Geographical origin of the nuns of the monastery of San
Domenico in Pisa 1403–1456.