The Legend of Saint Mary Magdalene. Edition of lines 1-250 of MS Egerton 2810, Ff. 83b-87

7/29/2019 The Legend of Saint Mary Magdalene. Edition of lines 1-250 of MS Egerton 2810, Ff. 83b-87.

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Mary Anointing Jesus' Feet, by Peter Paul Rubens

The Legend of Saint Mary

Magdalene:

edition of lines 1-250 of MS Egerton 2810, Ff. 83b-87


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Judith van Aalst

The Legend of Saint MaryMagdalene:

Edition of lines 1-250 of MSEgerton 2810, Ff. 83b-87

Judith van Aalst0012874

Thesis English language and culture

Specialisation: English Language andLiterature

1st Supervisor: Dr. E.S. Kooper

2nd

Supervisor: Dr. T. G. Summerfield

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September 2005

Preface

Although my life started less than a quarter of a century ago, I have had many

destinies already. I was still a child when I realised that a little musical talent was required to

become some kind of musician, so my first destiny didnt last very long The second lasted

for two or three years, until in my second year of high school my mathematical skills forever

abandoned me, and becoming a paediatrician became out of reach as well. I soon chose

another future I was going to be a lawyer and this time it seemed that nothing was

standing in my way. After a visit to the University of Tilburg I was certain: I was going to

court. Then it happened. On a Tuesday in 2000, just months before my high school exams, I

had a sudden hunch that would change my destiny one more time. I was listening to Mrs. Van

de Sande who was my French teacher, and all of a sudden I just knew that I was going to be

studying English (and yes, I know that sounds a little odd). When my parents had gotten over

their initial shock there was no time left for proper orientation, and I decided to spend my

college years in Utrecht because it was closest to home.

Exactly five years after I started my studies I finally did it: I fullfilled one of my

destinies. There are many people who helped me in one way or another and they should

therefore be mentioned as my partners-in-crime. First and foremost, Id like to thank my

parents for giving me the opportunity to get this education, and for believing in me despite my

sudden change of direction. Barry, we used to fight like cats and dogs, but weve grown much

closer in the past few years and Im glad about that. I know you are proud of me and believe

me, Im proud of you, too. Thank you to my two supervisors Dr. Erik Kooper and Dr. Thea

Summerfield. Your enthusiasm during your lectures has proven to be highly infectious!

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Erik, without your guidance and constructive criticism I could have never written this thesis.

Grandma, after a whole year of telling me it was about time to finish my studies, I can

proudly tell you Im ready, ha ha! Thank you to my other relatives for their interest and

support, and to my friends for the love, tears and laughter we can share. Riemke, thanks for

your friendship and help.

Although Im still not sure what exactly I want to do with my skills professionally I

am seriously considering to lengthen my student days as a learner of the French language

before I take that giant leap into the real world I know that, although it sounds extremely

cheesy, deciding on a different future five years ago was the right thing to do.

Judith van Aalst

September 2005

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Table of Contents

Preface 2

Table of Contents 4

Chapter 1: Introduction 6

Chapter 2: Life and Legend of Saint Mary Magdalene 9

2.1. History of Mary Magdalene 9

2.1.1 Youth 10

2.1.2 Life of Sin 10

2.1.3 Conversion 11

2.1.4 Mary Magdalene as Apostle 11

2.1.5 Miracles in Marseilles 12

2.1.6 Retreat 13

2.1.7 Death 13

2.1.8 Miracles after death 14

2.2. Deviating Sources 14

2.2.1 Youth 15

2.2.2 Life of Sin 15

2.2.3 Conversion 16

2.2.4 Mary Magdalene as Apostle 16

2.2.5 Miracles in Marseilles 17

2.2.6 Retreat 17

2.2.7 Death 18

2.3. Recent Theories 19

2.3.1 Her image restored 19

2.3.2 A new Mary Magdalene? 20

Chapter 3: Importance and Popularity 22

3.1 The Widespread Fame of Mary Magdalene 22

3.1.1 Legenda Aurea or Golden Legend 22

3.1.2 Lay People 23

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3.2. The Exemplary Life 24

3.2.1 Symbolism 25

3.2.2 Diversity of Mary Magdalene 28

3.2.3 Her relationship with her Lord 30

3.2.4 Representation 31

Chapter 4: Introduction to the Text 33

4.1. The Manuscript 33

4.1.1 Manuscript context 33

4.1.2 Provenance 33

4.2. Handwriting 34

4.3. The Text 35

4.4 Editorial Practice 36

Chapter 5: St. Marie Maudeleyne, ll. 1-250, edition from

MS. Egerton 2810. ff. 83b-87 37

Explanatory Notes 45

Textual Notes 48

Bibliography 49

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Chapter 1: Introduction

In the Middle Ages, religion and faith were extremely important to the people. For

many of them, the belief in God was the basis of both their thinking and their behaviour.

Therefore, it is hardly a surprise that Biblical figures were worshipped. Possibly the most

important Biblical woman apart from the Holy virgin, of course was Saint Mary

Magdalene. She is the subject of an enormous amount of material written throughout the

Middle Ages, and one of the most popular saints of the South English Legendary (SEL). The

SEL is a collection of Middle English versified saints legends and homiletic pieces [that]

must have been one of the most popular vernacular texts of the late 13 and 14 C.1 It consists

of 25 major manuscripts and many other (fragments of) texts.2 No less than eighteen of the

main manuscripts of the SEL include a text on St Mary Magdalene,3 and there is also a

quantity of literature on the subject in the form of sermons, poems, and plays that is not

included in SEL.4 As Carl Edgar Eggert points out in The Middle Low German Version of the

Legend of Mary Magdalen, her legend is one of the most widespread Christian legends of the

middle ages.5Mary Magdalenes popularity is not only visible through the large number of

medieval manuscripts in which she is included, but also through the many places of worship,

such as churches and monasteries, that are dedicated to her and carry her name. A third

indication of her importance is her portrayal in many medieval pieces of art, not to mention

the many pilgrimages that were made in her honour. On top of this all, she has her own Feast

Day, July 22. Because of all this, one might think that Mary Magdalene was an honourable

and pious woman. However, this Saint comes with a history as a prostitute. This thesis

concerns itself with a Middle English text of the legend of St Mary Magdalene, taken from

1 Grlach, The Textual Tradition of the South English Legendary (1974), p. 1.2 Grlach, Textual Tradition, viii-x.3 Grlach, Textual Tradition,p. 308-10.

4 Garth, Saint Mary Magdalene in Mediaeval Literature (1950), p. 12.5 Eggert, The Middle Low German Version of the Legend of Mary Magdalen (Bloomington, Indiana, 1902),

p. 132, quoted by Garth, p. 11.

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MS Egerton 2810, ff. 83b-87, which is preserved in the British Library in London.6 My aim is

to create an edition of this text that is accessible to contemporary audiences. To achieve this, I

have added a basic punctuation and capitalisation according to modern practice, provided a

glossary and added textual and explanatory notes. A second aim of this thesis is to answer the

question how a woman who was once known as the sinner could have become the most

popular female Saint of the Middle Ages.

Despite Mary Magdalenes popularity during the Middle Ages, it seems that many

people today have forgotten or have never even heard of her legend, unlike the legends of

non-religious medieval heroes. For that reason, it is important to know who Mary Magdalene

was, and, more importantly, why she is seen as a legend rather than a real person. It is hardly

possible to answer the first question, but all the more simple to answer the second. To begin

with the first, establishing the identity of the historical St Mary Magdalene as she appears in

the New Testament is an extremely difficult task, for various reasons. First of all, the four

Gospels of Matthew, Luke, John, and Mark only account for a few episodes of Mary

Magdalenes life. Furthermore, it is covered in such a minimal way that it is impossible to

determine whether the facts ascribed to her actually are part of her history. What adds to the

confusion is the fact that she is never mentioned by name in the scene that she is mostly

linked to, namely that of the woman who washes her sins away by washing the feet of the

Lord with her tears.7 As a result of all the uncertainty, various legends of the Saint existed

throughout the Middle Ages, which were not only based on the details of Mary Magdalenes

life, but partly also on the lives of one of the six other Marys that appear in the New

Testament.8There was, however, a firm belief that Mary Magdalene and Mary of Bethany,

the sister of Lazarus and Martha, were the same woman. This is because in the scene

6 My edition of the text comprises only the first half, lines 1-250 (ff. 83b-86b).7 Luke 7:37-50. All Biblical references in this thesis refer to the King James Version of the Holy Bible.

8 The Virgin Mary, Mary the wife of Cleophas, Mary of Bethany (Mary the sister of Martha and Lazarus), Marythe mother of James the Less and of Joses, Mary the mother of John, and the Mary St Paul mentions in one of his

Epistles.

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mentioned earlier, which is attributed to Mary Magdalene all the time, the sinner is explicitly

mentioned as the sister of Lazarus.9 Thus, while it is impossible to find out who the real St

Mary Magdalene was, the person we meet in her medieval legends is a composite figure of

several biblical women, most importantly the Saint herself and Mary of Bethany. The problem

of Mary Magdalenes identity is known as the unity tradition.10

It is possible to divide this thesis into two parts. The first consists of chapters two and

three and serves as a more eleborate introduction to St Mary Magdalene. It gives a general

account of her life and legend, as based on the Bible and various medieval sources (chapter

two), as well as a discussion of her importance and popularity in the Middle Ages (chapter

three). In this third chapter I will also explain how Mary Magdalene was usually portrayed in

medieval paintings and I will attempt to find an answer to the question how she, as a fallen

woman, could have become such an extremely popular Saint. On the whole, the first part of

this thesis should be seen as an introduction to the second part, which consists of chapters four

and five. Chapter four provides an introduction to the Middle English text St Marie

Maudeleyne, based on MS Egerton 2810, ff. 83b-87. The final chapter offers my edition of

this text,11 as well as a glossary.

9John 11:1-2. It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, .. whose brother Lazarus was sick.10 www.magdalene.org11 lines 1-250.

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Chapter 2: Life and Legend of Saint Mary Magdalene

2.1 History of Mary Magdalene

There are a few terms that one must be familiar with when studying the life and legend

of a Saint. It is an extremely difficult, if not impossible, task to determine the meaning of the

wordsaint. In order to be declared a saint, several conditions must apply. The first leaves no

room for doubt: someone must have died and gone to heaven before being able to claim the

title.12 Yet, in spite of several attempts to find the exact definition of the term, studies have

only resulted in the determination of at least three other elements that must apply: holiness, a

supernatural and a moralistic element.13

In the first place, there must be a clear distinction between what is Holy and what is

ordinary. The termHoly has a number of meanings, but in general it can be explained as

belonging to, derived from, or associated with a divine power.14 Then, there must be a

supernational power, and lastly, the highest possible morality must be inherent.15

The second term that one must be familiar with issaints legend. Manfred Grlach

describes it as a narrative told to instruct and to edify by holding up for imitation the

exemplary life, the suffering and the miracles of a saint.16 Asaints life is what we would call

a biography of that Saint. Grlach explains that although there is a clear difference between a

saints life and a saints legend, people made no distinction between the two .17Numerous

different legends of St Mary Magdalene existed in the Middle Ages, but in herSaint Mary

Magdalene in Mediaeval Literature Helen Meredith Garth has tried to establish one legend of

the saints life which, in general, can be seen as the medieval legend of Mary Magdalene. It is

based on the writings of both anonymous and known authors, including famous ones such as

Jacobus de Voragine, who wrote the most widespread collection of medieval saints lives, the

12 www.dictionary.com13 Zuidweg,De Duizend en Een Nacht der Heiligenlegenden (1948), p. 64.14 www.dictionary.com

15 Zuidweg,Duizend en Een Nacht,p. 64.16 Grlach, Studies in Middle English Saints Legends (1998), p. 8.17 Grlach, Studies,p.8.

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Legenda Aurea. Garths general medieval legend can be divided into two parts. The first

describes Mary Magdalenes life until Christs resurrection. It more or less follows the

account of Mary Magdalenes life as described in the Gospels, but with the addition of many

scenes, elaborations and exaggerations. The second part describes the rest of Mary

Magdalenes life as well as her death, but it cannot be traced back to a single source.

Although the many accounts of the second half of her life vary greatly, most Western

European versions show parallels. It is thus possible to construct a single, if composite,

medieval account of the life of St Mary Magdalene based on a general medieval idea. With

the help of Garths work, its most important details will be discussed in the next paragraphs.

2.1.1 Youth

The Gospels provide no information on Mary Magdalenes younger years. Still, a few

details are known about her youth. Because of her encounters with Jesus Christ it is certain

that Mary Magdalene lived in the first century AD, though it is unknown in what year exactly

she was born. She came from a good family that belonged to the nobility. Mary is the

daughter of Cyrus and Eucharia and the sister of Lazarus and Martha. Her family was very

religious, and also very wealthy, with possessions in the cities of Magdala and Bethany. After

Cyrus and Eucharia had both died, their possessions were divided amongst their three

children. Mary inherited the castle of Magdala, her birthplace, and added Magdalene to her

name.

2.1.2 Life of sin

Because it was uncommon for women to travel alone during Jesus lifetime it is

believed that Mary Magdalene was married to a disciple, St John the Evangelist. When Jesus

and his followers were at the marriage of Cana in Galilee,18

Christ called St John the

18 Described in John 2:1-10. This is the site of Christs first miracle, the turning of water into wine.

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Evangelist away. Mary Magdalene felt that both her husband and her Lord had deserted her,

and turned away from Gods law. Instead, she found comfort in sin and dedicated herself to

the flesh. She turned to prostitution and eventually she even founded a brothel. At her brothel,

seven devils, often interpreted as the Seven Deadly Sins,19 entered her body, which caused

even more wrongdoing.

2.1.3 Conversion

While the New Testament tells the story of Mary Magdalenes conversion in a simple

way, the medieval version, as given in Garths work, is very detailed. Martha convinced her

younger sister to go to Simon the Lepers house, where the Lord was going to stay. There,

Jesus cast the seven devils out of Mary Magdalene. Mourning for her past sins, Mary

Magdalene kneeled at the Lords feet and started to wash them with her tears. With this deed

she became worthy of having her own sins washed away. With her hair, which she had

previously decorated to tempt men, she then dried His feet. After that she kissed the soles of

the Lords feet, as she had done to other men earlier, but for sexual reasons. Following this,

she covered His feet with jewelry, because she used to decorate her own body in this way to

make herself more attractive. In other words, she carried out all the things she had done for

worldly pleasures during her time of sin, but directed them to God instead.

2.1.4 Mary Magdalene as Apostle

Of Mary Magdalenes life after her conversion up to Christs resurrection, there are no

records in the Bible. According to her legend, however, she spent her days well, now that her

sins had been forgiven. She sold all her worldly possessions to start a new life that was

entirely dedicated to the Lord. From that moment on, Mary Magdalene attempted to turn

people away from sin and converted them to Christianity. She was a witness of the

19 Pride, Envy, Gluttony, Lust, Anger, Greed, and Sloth.

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Crucifixion, where she wept bitter tears because of her Lords anguish and death. After the

Resurrection, Mary Magdalene was the first to find Christs empty tomb. Also, she was the

first to meet the risen Lord, who chose to reveal Himself to Mary Magdalene because he was

grateful for her commitment to Him. This is the final historical fact of Mary Magdalenes life

that is known through the Holy Scriptures. The rest of her legend is based on assumption and

traced from parallels in various medieval texts. After the Ascension Mary Magdalene set sail

together with her siblings and others, and arrived in Marseilles in France. In this pagan

society, Mary Magdalene was able to convert the king and queen and eventually the people

as well to Christianity by means of her preaching and performing two miracles.

2.1.5 Miracles in Marseilles

The king and queen of Marseilles had been praying to their pagan gods to have a baby

for years, with no success. Mary Magdalene was able to convince the couple to believe in her

and her religion. In return they wanted her to promise that she would prove that her faith was

worthy. She vowed to do so, and started to pray to the Lord for a baby for the queen. Not

much later the queen was indeed pregnant, and together with the king she undertook a

pilgrimage to St Peter in Rome, as the couple had promised to do if a child were sent to them.

Their ship was almost shipwrecked in a heavy storm which caused the queen to give birth,

and she died shortly afterwards because of fear and lack of medical care. The king refused to

cast his dead wife into the sea, and left her corpse on a rock on a desert island. He left their

son, who was bound to die as well because of lack of nurture, on her breast and covered them

with a mantle. The king then prayed to St Mary Magdalene, even though he blamed her for

the misfortune. Shortly afterwards he continued his pilgrimage and had a safe arrival in

Rome, where he met St Peter. He took the king to Jerusalem where he showed him the places

where Jesus had been during his life, and taught him all about Christianity. After a few years

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the king sailed back to Marseilles. On his way, he passed the place where he had left his

family and found his young son, alive. When the king praised Mary Magdalene for this

miracle he told her that he believed she could bring his wife back to life. The queen then rose,

and told her husband that her soul had seen all that he had seen in Jerusalem, and also what

Mary Magdalene had done for the child. Upon their return in Marseilles everyone was

baptised and all that was reminiscent of paganism was destroyed.

2.1.6 Retreat

Mary Magdalene continued her mission as an apostle in the city of Aix. One day she

received a message from the Lord, in which He told her to withdraw to the wilderness of Ste

Baume. There, she spent her days in dedication to God, with no food, water, or any other

luxuries. Nevertheless, the Lord kept Mary Magdalene alive with celestial food. Several times

a day angels carried her up into the air, where she could hear celestial choirs chanting in

heaven, through which she was fed. Afterwards, the angels would carry her back to the earth.

2.1.7 Death

After a period of thirty years a holy priest approached the wilderness, but was

prevented from entering it. He was told by a heavenly voice to bring a message to St Maximin

in Aix, who had baptised Mary Magdalene. In obeyance of this message, St Maximin went

into his oratory on the first day after Easter and witnessed the angels lifting up Saint Mary

Magdalene. She saw him too, and called to him to come nearer. All the priests and clerks

were summoned after which the company celebrated Mass together. Following this, Mary

Magdalene received the Blessed Sacrament and her soul went up to heaven. After several

days her body was buried by St Maximin.

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2.1.8 Miracles after death

Saint Mary Magdalene continued to perform miracles even after her death, mostly at

her graveside, as Garth describes in her book: All the sick who approached the tomb were

cured, the demoniacs were delivered, and the blind received their sight. 20Within a few days

of her death, Mary Magdalene already performed her next miracle. She appeared before her

sister Martha, whom she had promised to visit once more. The Lord accompanied her, and He

told Martha that He would soon receive her in Heaven as well. Other miracles that, according

to popular medieval belief, Mary Magdalene had performed after her death were similar to the

ones she performed in and near Marseilles. She also brought a knight who had suddenly died

back to life, after which he confessed his sins and received the Blessed Sacrament. He died

again immediately, but had been given the opportunity to rest in peace.

2.2 Deviating sources

Garth has based this general account of Mary Magdalenes life on the various

medieval texts about the Saint that she has studied. While these texts for the most part agree

about Mary Magdalenes life up to Christs Resurrection, they disagree just as much about the

Saints life from that moment onwards. Nevertheless, many of the Western European texts

show parallels, which provides the possibility for Garths outline. The next paragraphs will

treat a selection of those sources that deviate from the general medieval history of Mary

Magdalene.

2.2.1 Youth

The four Gospels are the main sources for most medieval literature about the first part

of Mary Magdalenes life, and thus no big differences can be found in these accounts. There

20 Garth, Saint Mary Magdalene in Mediaeval Literature, p. 56.

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are some small variations, though. As Garth points out, the well-kown ninth-century author,

teacher and theologian Rabanus Maurus21 insists that the Magdalenes father was named

Theophilus, and that he was of the Syrian nation, while later writers call him Syrus, the

Syrian, or Cyrus.22

2.2.2 Life of sin

Garths most important source for the start of Mary Magdalenes life of sin was

Jacobus de VoraginesLegenda Aurea, or the Golden Legend, in which she is explicitly

mentioned as St John the Evangelists supposed wife.23 Other sources mention her as well,

according to Garth, such as an anonymous fourteenth century author, who adds that the

Church neither affirms it or forbids it [and that] it delights me much to think in my thoughts

that it was so,24 and a Middle High German poem.25 Many other sources describe the

wedding of St John the Evangelist but leave the bride unnamed, for example the English

author and abbot Aelfric,26 who mentions the wedding [...], but does not identify the bride,27

and an anonymous preface to Saint AugustinesIn Joannis Evangelium.28

In the South English Legendary, Mary Magdalenes name is never explicitly

mentioned in the description of her behaviour and reputation during her time of sin. This is

the case for both the regular version of the SEL (He[o] wer womman of mest folie at mai

21 Rabanus Maurus, De Vita Beatae Mariae Magdalenae et Sororis Eius Sanctae Marthae, Migne. P.L., vol. 112,col. 1433.

22 Garth, Saint Mary Magdalene in Mediaeval Literature, p. 29.23 Jacobus de Voragine, The Golden Legend or Lives of the Saints, as Englished by William Caxton. Ed. by F.S.

Ellis (London, J.M. Dent and Co., 1900), vol. 4, pp. 87-88.24TheLife of St. Mary Magdalen, translated from the Italian of an unknown Fourteenth Century Writer by

Valentina Hawtrey, with an introduction by Vernon Lee (London and New York, 1904) pp. 2-4,quoted by Garth, p. 30.

25Der Saelden Hort, Alemannisches Gedicht vom Leben Jesu, Johannes der Tufers und derMagdalena,ed. Heinrich Adrian (Berlin, 1927), pp. 98 ff.

26The Homilies of the Anglo-Saxon Church. The First Part, containing the Sermones Catholici orHomilies ofAelfric, in the original Anglo-Saxon, with an English version. Vol. 1, ed. Benjamin Thorpe, F.S.A.

(London, 1844) pp. 58-59.27 Garth, Saint Mary Magdalene in Mediaeval Literature, p. 30.28Prefatio Incerti Auctoris to S. Aurelius Augustinus, InJoannis Evangelicum, Migne. P.L., vol. 35, col. 1380.

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come in munde )29 and Carl Horstmanns edition that Garth has used for her work (e more

fol womman heo wax: and sunful and unwys: / Hire ri3hte name marie: over-al heo les are-

fore).30 In Horstmanns edition only the name marie is given, and in the version in the

South English Legendary the female sinner is simply referred to as she. Nevertheless, this

woman is usually identified as Mary Magdalene.

2.2.3 Conversion

Garth mentiones various sources that describe Mary Magdalenes conversion, but

these show no important differences.

2.2.4 Mary Magdalene as Apostle

As Garth states, Horstmanns edition of the South English Legendary31 explains that

Mary not only ministered to Christ and His disciples, but converted many people, was kind

to the sick, and turned great numbers from lechery.32 She gives no examples of other sources,

which means that apparently other texts have unimportant differences only. However, from

this moment on Garths sources start to show dissimilarities and they can no longer be traced

back to a single source. This causes surprising differences, in particular concerning Mary

Magdalenes trip to Marseilles. Numerous texts include the trip to Marseilles in one version or

another, but others skip the entire Marseilles story, for example the Old English Martyrology:

After Christs ascension [...] she went into the desert and lived there thirthy years [...]. 33

Many early authors write that Mary Magdalene went to Rome following the Ascension. One

Eastern Legend, according to Garth composed by some Gnostic34 of Egypt (40), is

29 DEvelyn and Mill, The South English Legendary (1959), p. 303, l. 18.30The Early South-English Legendary or Lives of the Saints , ed. Carl Horstmann. (Early English Text Society,

Original Series, 87 (London, 1887), p. 464, lines 66-67, quoted by Garth, p. 32.31South-English Legendary, p. 466, lines 158-162.32 Garth, Saint Mary Magdalene in Mediaeval Literature, p. 35.

33An Old English Martyrology, ed. George Herzfeld (Early English Text Society, Original Series, no. 116,London, 1900), p.127, quoted by Garth, p. 41.

34 Relating to, or possessing intellectual or spiritual knowledge (www.dictionary.com)

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discussed by E.J. Goodspeed ,35 and has a very strange account of Mary Magdalenes life after

the Resurrection. Garth explains: It represents Jesus as living with His disciples for eleven or

twelve years [...] and telling them a great many things about sin and salvation, especially in

response to questions asked him by Mary Magdalene.36

2.2.5 Miracles in Marseilles

In the works that Garth discusses there are no important differences in the miracles

that Mary Magdalene performs in Marseilles. Only some small and unimportant details vary.

2.2.6 Retreat

With the exception of some sources that skip the episode in Marseilles and state that

Mary Magdalene withdrew into a barren place immediately after Christs Ascension, 37 all

medieval texts studied by Garth state that Mary Magdalene left Marseilles to go to a

wilderness. While the Golden Legendspeaks of a desert,38 the rest of her sources speak of a

wilderness in Ste. Baume.

2.2.6 Death

Garths sources all describe the death of Mary Magdalene in a similar way, as well as

her burial by Saint Maximin. There are, however, several conflicting theories about her exact

burial-place. According to Garth, the common mediaeval theory [...] places her tomb in the

little church of St. Maximin [...] in the archbishopric of Aix, where she had spent the latter

part of her life.39 Among the ones supporting this theory are the French archeologist and

35 E.J. Goodspeed,A History of Early Christian Literature (1942), p. 59.36 Garth, Saint Mary Magdalene in Mediaeval Literature, p. 40.

37 E.g. the Old English Martyrology.38Golden Legend, p.8239 Garth, Saint Mary Magdalene in Mediaeval Literature, p. 101-2.

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historian Edmond-Frederic Le Blant40 and the French historian Etienne-Michel Faillon.41

Garth refers to a work of Princeton University professor E. Baldwin Smith to explain why this

theory was widely supported: when St Maximins tomb was discovered at this place,

fragments of an early coffin were found.42 According to medieval tradition they were believed

to belong to Mary Magdalenes tomb. Another theory, held by the Eastern Church and

supported by Saint Gregory of Tours,43 is that the Magdalene was buried at Ephesus [and

that] [h]er body was said to have been removed to Constantinople in the ninth century .44 The

French burial-place seems to be the more likely one, according to Sherry Reames. She states

in herMiddle English Legends of Women Saints that its status as Mary Magdalenes tombsite

improved considerably after 1279, when [it was] discovered that her body was still there. 45

It is this place where Mary Magdalenes relics were venerated, and although it is said that

Mary Magdalenes bones were scattered during the French Revolution (1789-1799), her head

is still believed to be there.

2.3 Recent theories

Today, the life and legend of St Mary Magdalene is only alive among the people who

have a special interest in her and other saints, either for religious reasons, or because of

historical motives. In fact, in the last few years she has been a hot topic among many

Christians and historians. In the 2003 report Mary Magdalene Saint or Sinner?A new wave

of literature is cleaning up her reputation. How a woman of substance was harlotizedfor

the US magazine Time,46 journalist David van Biema cites a passage in Dan Browns novel

40 Edmond-Frederic Le Blant,Les Sarcophages Chrtiens de la Gaule. (Paris, 1886) p. 147.41 Etienne-Michel Faillon,Monuments indits sur l'apostolat de Sainte Marie-Madeleine en Provence et sur les

autres Aptres de cette contre, Saint Lazare, Saint Maximin, Sainte Marthe.., 2 vols. (Paris, 1865),II,p. 9.

42 E. Baldwin Smith,Early Christian Iconography and a School of Ivory Carvers in Provence (Princeton, 1918),p. 65.

43 Gregorius Episcopus Turonensis,Liber in Gloria Martyrum, in Monumenta Germaniae Historics, RerumMerovingicarum Scriptores, t. I (Hanover, 1885), p. 505, ch. 29.

44 Garth, Saint Mary Magdalene in Mediaeval Literature, p. 101.45 Reames,Middle English Legends of Women Saints (2003), p. 52.46 Van Biema.Mary Magdalene Saint or Sinner? A new wave of literature is cleaning up her reputation. How a

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The Da Vinci Code,47 where a girl who asks her professor if he means the prostitute 48 after

he has pointed Mary Magdalene out in a painting. In response, the fictional professor drew a

short breath, as if the word had injured him personally49 and said Magdalene was no such

thing. That unfortunate misconception is the legacy of a smear campaign launched by the

early Church.50

2.3.1 Her image restored

St Mary Magdalene, in the Middle Ages as well as today, is known most of all as the

archetypical sinner who repented and was redeemed, supplying a powerful illustration of

Gods forgiveness and an example of reform that was potentially relevant to every

Christian.51 However, this image is purely based on Mary Magdalenes for a large part

fictional legend, for there are no historical facts to support this. There are only six historical

facts known through the Scriptures. First of all, Jesus heals her by casting out the seven

devils.52 Secondly, she joined and supported Jesus while travelling with Him and His

disciples.53 We also know that she witnessed the Crucifixion and followed Jesus body to the

garden tomb54 and that on the morning of Easter she went to anoint His body with spices.55

Furthermore, she saw the angels that guarded Christs empty tomb and she heard their

message as well.56 The final fact we know about Mary Magdalene is that both the angels and

Jesus ordered her to bring the good news of his Resurrection to His disciples.57 For centuries,

however, the Catholic Church represented Mary Magdalene in the same way as she is

woman of substance was harlotized In Time (11 August 2003), Vol. 162. no. 6, pp. 52-59.47 Dan Brown, The Da Vinci Code. Doubleday Fiction, 2003.48 Dan Brown,Da Vinci Code, p. 244, quoted by van Biema, p. 52.49 Dan Brown,Da Vinci Code, p. 244, quoted by van Biema, p. 52.50 Dan Brown,Da Vinci Code, p. 244, quoted by van Biema, p. 52.51 Reames, Women Saints, p. 52-53.52 Luke 8:253 Matthew 27:55-56; Mark 15:40-41; Luke 8:1-254 Matthew 27:61; Mark 15:47; Luke 23:55

55 Mark 16:1; Luke 23:56-24:156 Matthew 28:2-7; Mark 16:5-7; Luke 24:4-7; John 20:12-1357 Matthew 28:7; Mark 16:7; John 20:17-18

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depicted in the legends: as a prostitute. In 1969, the Vatican cleared her name by admitting

that this portrayal was the result of a mistake made in the sixth century by Pope Gregory the

Great. Apparently, he had difficulties with the identity problem of Mary Magdalene as well,

and had confused her with someone else in a sermon.

2.3.2 A new Mary Magdalene?

The belated declaration of the Catholic Church caused much commotion, but it also

opened up a whole new world of possibilities, which has inspired a wave of literature, both

academic and popular, [and] gained Magdalene a new following among Catholics who see in

her a potent female role model and a possible argument against the all-male priesthood. 58

Among the various new Mary Magdalenes that emerged, who all supposedly were the real

historical figure, one theory appears to be a persistent one: St Mary Magdalene as the mother

of Jesus Christs only child. In Marlee Alexs childrens bookMary Magdalene: A Woman

Who Showed Her Gratitude, it is explained that Mary Magdalene "was not famous for the

great things she did or said, but [that] she goes down in history as a woman who truly loved

Jesus with all her heart and was not embarrassed to show it despite criticism from others."59

Perhaps this love and devotion for Jesus Christ are the reasons why the above theory seems to

get more and more support. According to van Biema the notion that Magdalene was pregnant

by Jesus at his Crucifixion became especially entrenched in France [because] several French

kings promoted the legend that descendants of Magdalene's child founded the Merovingian

line of European royalty. In Michael Baigent, Henry Lincoln and Richard LeighsHoly

Blood, Holy Grail(1982), Mary Magdalene is even identified as the Holy Grail, which means

as much as the human vessel of the blood of the King.60 Dan Browns novel is currently

58 van Biema,Mary Magdalene Saint or Sinner?, p. 53.59 Marlee Alex,Mary Magdalene: A Woman Who Showed Her Gratitude. Outstanding Women of the Bible

series for children. W.M. Eerdmans Publishing Co.: September 1988. Quoted by van Biema, p. 53.60 Michael Baigent, Richard Leighand Henry Lincoln.Holy Blood, Holy Grail. Dell, 1982. Quoted by van

Biema, p. 57.

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probably the best known work that explores this theory. Even Princess Diana of Wales is

included in the discussion of this supposition. According to van Biema [she] reportedly had

some Merovingian blood.61 He also explains that the theory is included in Richard Wagners

operaParsifal, as well as in other contemporary works. It surely is not coincidental that in the

film The Matrix Reloadedthe villain Merovingian is seen surrounded by cups that look like

Grails... There is, of course, no evidence to prove the theories about the identity of Mary

Magdalene, and there will never be more historical certainties concerning her than we know

through the Scriptures. Nevertheless, the declaration of the Catholic church and Mary

Magdalenes recent topicality will in the (near) future provide us with even more interesting

theories on an interesting saint.

Chapter 3: Importance and popularity

This chapter is meant to find an answer to the question how Mary Magdalene, a fallen

woman, could have become the most popular female saint of the Middle Ages. Also, it

contains a discussion of the way in which Mary Magdalene was usually depicted in medieval

art. Taking into account the four conditions that must apply to someone before that person can

be declared a saint, one sees that only the first three conditions are relevant in Mary

Magdalenes case. She is dead, obviously, and her soul is believed to be in heaven. She is also

evidently associated with the divine, and through the miracles she has performed the

supernatural element is also vividly present. The fourth (moral) condition, however, does not

completely apply to Mary Magdalene. Whereas she spent most of her life following the

61 Van Biema,Mary Magdalene Saint or Sinner?, p. 57.

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teachings of Jesus Christ, she also has a history of adultery and prostitution. Neverteless, she

has become the most important biblical woman apart from the Virgin Mary, and her legend

was one of the most popular saints legends throughout the Middle Ages. The answer lies

possibly in Grlachs description of a saints legend. Mary Magdalens legend seems to be the

ultimate exemplum, a narrative told to instruct and to illustrate moral truths.

3.1 The Widespread Fame of Mary Magdalene

3.1.1 Legenda Aurea orGolden Legend

For a saints legend to serve its purpose as described by Grlach, it needs at least one

major condition: it must be told and retold. According to Reames, Mary Magdalene was at the

height of her popularity during the later Middle Ages: Where two or three churches had been

dedicated to her by 1100 and some 35 a century later, the total had grown to nearly 200 by the

end of the Middle Ages.62 Jacobus de VoraginesLegenda Aurea orGolden Legendhas very

likely contributed to this growth. De Voragine (born c. 1230) was an Italian preacher and the

archbishop of Genoa, a city in northern Italy, from 1292 until his death in 1298. Although it

has not been accurately determined when theLegenda Aurea was written, it has been dated

somewhere between 1250 and 1280.63 Originally the work was titledLegenda Sanctorum,

which is Latin for Readings of the Saints,64 but it became most popular after its name was

changed. TheLegenda Aurea is a collection of medieval saints legends and includes an

account of St Mary Magdalenes life. The work spread throughout Europe rapidly, both

immediately after its release and in the centuries afterwards.65 TheLegenda Aurea is the most

widespread medieval work of its genre, and with the exception of the Bible it is one of the

most popular and important religious pieces of literature that existed in the Middle Ages.

62 Reames, Women Saints p. 52.

63 Zuidweg,Duizend en Een Nacht, p. 16.64 Ryan and Ripperger, The Golden Legend of Jacobus de Voragine (1969), v.65 Zuidweg, Duizend en Een Nacht, p. 17.

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There are hundreds of versions that have survived in manuscripts to prove this. As Zuidweg

says, geen ander boek heeft er dan ook meer toe bijgedragen om tal van Heiligenlegenden tot

een algemeen geestelijk bezit van de gehele Christelijke wereld te maken.66

3.1.2 Lay People

Not long after theLegenda Aurea spread throughout Europes upper classes, it was

translated from Latin into the major West European languages. Furthermore, after the

invention of printing halfway the fifteenth century, many editions appeared in the vernacular

languages throughout the continent. This development has been essential for the importance

and popularity of the work, for it became accessible and available to a much larger audience.

Since in the Middle Ages no distinction was made between a history and a legend - not even

by De Voragine himself, who mixed historical facts with the narratives of his sources without

giving it a second thought67 - the wonders and the uncritical, storytelling tone of theLegenda

Aurea made the work effortlessly appealing to those medieval Christians who knew how to

read. Furthermore, the work contains symbolism and edifying messages, and not without

reason. It had been de Voragines major goal to write a religious work that would appeal to

the common man, so that they would be educated through it.68 Because of all this the book

became a source of inspiration for all kinds of artists.69 Through the literature of medieval

authors the contents of theLegenda Aurea spread among medieval storytellers, and through

their entertaining stories the tales of theLegenda Aurea and thus the legend of Mary

Magdalene - became accessible to the ordinary lay people. Nevertheless, it remains a question

why Mary Magdalene, with all her sins, was so appealing to church members who lived in a

society in which religion and faith were at the basis of everyday life.

66 Zuidweg,Duizend en Een Nacht, p. 18.67 Zuidweg,Duizend en Een Nacht, p. 44-45.

68 Zuidweg,Duizend en Een Nacht, p. 14.69 Zuidweg,Duizend en Een Nacht, p. 19.

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3.2 The Exemplary Life

It is clear that Grlachs description of a saints legend more than applies to the medieval

legend of St Mary Magdalene. Perhaps, then, the answer to the question why Mary

Magdalene was so popular during the Middle Ages lies in her status as the penitent woman

whose sins were washed away because of her complete dedication to God. The message of

her legend all sins can be forgiven as long as you show remorse and your unconditional love

and dedication to the Lord must have been appealing to the citizens of an extremely

religious society, especially because the people might have been good Christians in heart and

mind, but in reality were not always as good as they pretended, or wanted, to be. However,

this message can be found in practically all the medieval saints legends, so it cannot be seen

as an absolute explanation of Mary Magdalenes popularity.

3.2.1 Symbolism

The message that can be found in St Mary Magdalenes legend is consequently only a

small part of the answer. In the medieval period, symbolism and allegory were part of

everyday life, especially as means of instruction and expression. According to Garth Mary

Magdalene [...] was interpreted by mediaeval writers in various symbolical and allegorical

ways, and was also pointed out as an example to all Christians.70 She makes a distinction

between several categories of interpretation, including

the Magdalene as a type or parallel to other characters of the Old Testament, the

New Testament or the Apocrypha [...], the double meaning and inner interpretation put

70 Garth, Saint Mary Magdalene in Mediaeval Literature, p. 75.

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to various actions and speeches of Mary Magdalene [and] Mary Magdalene as a

fulfillment of certain Scriptural quotations.71

To begin with the first, Mary Magdalene was often compared to Eve, for example by pope St

Gregory I (590-604, also known as the Great). He says of the saint that the guilt of the

human race is cut off whence it proceeded. For in paradise a woman gave death to a man;

from the tomb a woman announces life to men, and tells the words of the Life-Giver as [Eve]

told the words of the death-bearing serpent. 72 In other words, he explains that Mary

Magdalene reverses Eves sinful actions, and that by doing so she takes away the burden

those sins had put on women. Garth also mentiones various others who make the same

comparison, such as the bishop of Milan and doctor of the church St Ambrose,73 and the

monk, priest and abbot St Odo of Cluny.74 She explains how they reason that Mary

Magdalene was chosen as the first to bring the good news of the joys of the Resurrection to

men, as Eve had first brought the sorrowful news of death, so that perpetual opprobrium

should not rest on women.75 St Odo of Cluny compares Mary Magdalene to the Holy Virgin

as well, in a parallel that was also used by bishop Hildebert of Le Mans: 76

And just as through the Blessed Mary, ever a virgin, who is the only hope of the

world, the gates of Paradise were opened to us and the malediction of Eve was shut

out; so through the Blessed Mary Magdalene the opprobrium of the female sex was

destroyed, and the splendor of our resurrection, appearing in the Lords resurrection,

was reported by her.77

71 Garth, Saint Mary Magdalene in Mediaeval Literature, p. 75.72 Sanctus Gregorius Magnus,Homiliarium in Evangelia, Lib. II. Homil. XXV, Migne, P.L., vol. 76, col. 1194,

quoted by Garth, p.79.73 Sanctus Ambrosius Mediolanensis Episcopis,Expositions in Lucam Lib. X, Migne, P.L. vol. 15, cols. 1936-

1937.74 Sanctus Odo Abbas Cluniacensis II, Sermo II. Migne, P.L., vol. 133, col. 721.75 Garth, Saint Mary Magdalene in Mediaeval Literature, p. 80.

76 Ven. Hildebertus Cenoman Episc. Sermones de Sanctis, Sermo LXIX:In Gesto Sanctae Magdalenae SermoUnicus, Migne. P.L., vol. 171, col. 677.

77 S. Odo Abbas Clunacenis II, Sermo II, Migne, P.L., vol. 133, col. 721, quoted by Garth, p. 80.

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Many other sources see parallels between Mary Magdalene and different Biblical figures, but

some sources also cite her as a contrast to them. St Ambrose, 78 for example, contrasts her with

the deacon St Stephen, who was the first Christian martyr. According to Ambrose, Mary

Magdalene did wrong what St Stephen did right. As Garth explains,79

He says that if we wish to find Christ, we should not seek Him on the earth, nor

according to the flesh. Thus Stephen did not seek on the earth, yet saw the Lord

standing at the right hand of God.80 But Mary Magdalene sought Him on earth and was

not able to touch Him.81

Mary Magdalene was also frequently compared to less prestigious people and things. Most

remarkably, she is compared to an ant:

Just as an ant most zealously carries a grain of wheat to its house in the summer time,

looking ahead so that it will not be in need during the winter; thus Mary Magdalene,

[...] hearing that the Lord was at the house of Simon, ran, and as if she had picked up a

grain of wheat, carried it to her soul in most humble conversion.82

To continue with the significance of Mary Magdalenes actions and speeches, many authors

give special meaning to the fact that she tells the Lord that she first believed that He, the risen

Christ, is a gardener.83 St Odo of Cluny, for example, states that Mary Magdalene is not

entirely wrong in her thought: Just as the duty of a gardener is to eradicate harmful weeds so

that good plants may be able to come forth, so the Lord Jesus daily eradicates vices from His

garden, that is from His Church, so that virtue may increase.84 According to Gregory the

Great, 85the Lord was a spiritual gardener [to Mary Magdalene], planting virtue in her heart

78 Sanctus Ambrosius Mediolanensis EpiscopusExpositions in Lucam, Lib. X, Migne. P.L. vol. 15, col. 1937-

1938.79 Garth, Saint Mary Magdalene in Mediaeval Literature, p. 81.80 Acts, 7:55, 56.81 John 20:17.82 Petrus Cellensis, Sermo LXII:In Festo Sanctae Mariae Magdalenae III, Migne, P.L., vol. 202, col. 825,

quoted by Garth, p. 82.83 John, 20:15.

84 Sanctus Odo Abbas Cluniacensis II, Sermo II, Migne, P.L. vol. 133, col. 720, quoted by Garth, p. 87.85 Sanctorius Gregorius Magnus,Homiliarum in Evangelia, Lib. II, Homil. XXV, Migne, P.L., vol. 76,

col. 1192. This idea is also expressed in B. F. Albini seu Alcuini, Operum Pars II, Exegetica, Comment

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through the seeds of his love.86 Nothing on the subject of Mary Magdalene, however, seemed

to delight medieval authors more than, as Garth puts it, to search the Scriptures for

quotations which might be twisted into even a remote relevance to the matter in hand. 87 She

recalls Rabanus Maurus,88 according to whom Mary Magdalene had given Christ an alabaster

vase, with which she is often represented, at the house of Simon because He had said None

shall appear before me empty.89 Gregory the Great90finds special significance in Mary

Magdalenes persistance to find Jesus Christ on the morning of the Resurrection, which shows

that he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. 91 Also, Garth says that the

Golden Legend92 gives reasons why the risen Jesus first revealed Himself to Mary Magdalene,

which can be found in the following Scriptural quotations: Her sins, which are many, are

forgiven; for she loved much,93 I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to

repentance,94 Verily I say unto you, that the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom

of God before you,95 and where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.96Especially

the second quotation He appeared before Mary Magdalene first to show that He had died for

the sins of others seemed to be relevant in the Christian society of the Middle Ages, since

the reason of Christs Crucifixion is the most important aspect of the Christian religion. Thus,

the fact that St Mary Magdalene, like most other saints, was seen as a symbol of various

ideals contributed to her importance as well.

3.2.2 Diversity of Mary Magdalene

in Joan. Lib. VII, Cap. XLI, Migne, P.L., vol. 100, col. 990.86 Garth, Saint Mary Magdalene in Mediaeval Literature, p. 88.87 Garth, Saint Mary Magdalene in Mediaeval Literature, p. 88.88 Rabanus Maurus, De Vita Beatae Mariae Magdalenae et Sororis Eius Sanctae Marthae, Migne, P.L., vol. 112,

col. 1438.89 Exodus, 23:15.90 Sanctus Gregorius Magnus,Homiliarum in Evangelia, Lib. II, Migne, P.L., vol. 76, col. 1189.91 Matthew, 24:13, and 10:22, Mark 13.13, quoted by Garth, p. 89.92 Jacobus de Voragine,Legenda Aurea, ed. Th. Graesse (Berlin, 1890),De Resurrectione Domini, pp. 239-240.93 Luke, 7:47, quoted by Garth, p. 89.

94 Matthew, 9:13, quoted by Garth, p. 89.95 Matthew, 21:31, quoted by Garth, p. 89.96 Romans, 5:20, quoted by Garth, p. 89.

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The question of Mary Magdalenes popularity has been partly answered by now. The

message that all sins can be forgiven by the Lord, as well as the ideals that St Mary

Magdalenes legend brings forward through all kinds of symbolisations, make her important

and an example which should be honoured and followed by all Christians. There is, however,

an additional reason for Mary Magdalenes importance and popularity. More than any other

saint, it seems, Mary Magdalene was a person of diversity: her legend and its messages did

not only appeal to all Christians as a whole, but also to different layers of medieval society.

Reames, who even speaks of the cult of Mary Magdalene,97 explains that during the later

Middle Ages, Mary Magdalen was an exceptionally multi-faceted saint, who served many

different functions for different segments of the population.98 The clearest indication of this

is the enormous amount of tributes to St Mary Magdalene which come from all kinds of

medieval people. She obviously was an example for all sinners (and thus potentionally to

everybody). The message about sin, repentance and redemption can also be narrowed down to

apply to smaller groups of people, though. In the first place, it is particularly relevant to those

who commited sexual sins, as Mary Magdalene was believed to have been a prostitute, but it

can also be seen as being a message especially for female sinners. This must have been an

important contributing factor to Mary Magdalenes popularity among women, who mostly

held minor positions in medieval society. The rare transition from sinner to saint made Mary

Magdalene popular among the people who dealt with repentance in one way or another.

According to Reames, she was the patron saint of moral rebirth and regeneration and of

institutions founded for that purpose, including convents for former prostitutes and hostels for

pilgrims.99 The things that Mary Magdalene did while sitting at the Lords feet at the house

of Simon spoke out to two groups of people in particular. Because she sat there so quietly, not

taking part in the mundane chores of the household, she provided an appealing patron and

97 Reames, Women Saints, p. 52.98 Reames, Women Saints, p. 52.99 Reames, Women Saints, p. 53.

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model to [those] who had chosen lives of contemplation rather than worldly activity.100 Mary

Magdalenes actions of that day appealed not only to members of religious orders, though, but

also to others who busied themselves with active charity, [thus becoming] a favorite patron

of hospitals and confraternities that engaged in works of corporal mercy.101 Lastly, her

legend, or rather her cult, also influenced the upper classes of Western Europe, only for

different reasons. In his analysis of William Caxtons Golden Legende, David Mycoff

discusses the effect that the events in Marseilles had on rich laymen. As a means of family

insurance, it seemed sensible for them to invest in keeping Mary Magdalenes cult alive,

because

Mary Magdalene, the harlot saint who twice renounced a great patrimony and the

dynastic obligations of that inheritance [...] becomes a source of fecundity and

dynastic stability. She procures children for the princes, in one instance serving as

midwife and nurse. 102

The diversity of the people to whom St Mary Magdalene was more than an ordinary saint,

is the third part of the answer to the question why Mary Magdalene, with her sinful past, has

become the most important Biblical woman apart from Mary, the mother of Jesus.

3.2.3 Her relationship with her Lord

Apart from the three given reasons why Mary Magdalene might have been so

appealing to the medieval mind there is a fourth. She was more than just a devout follower of

the Lord, it seems. Mary Magdalene is known to have travelled with Christ and his

disciples,103and there are many accounts of her presence at the Crucifixion and Christs

100 Reames, Women Saints, p. 53.101 Reames, Women Saints, p. 53.102 William Caxton,A Critical Edition of the Legend of Mary Magdalena from Caxtons Golden Legende of

1843. Ed. Mycoff. Salzburg Studies in English Literature, Elizabethan and Renaissance Studies 92:11.

Salzburg: Institut fr Anglistik und Amerikanistik, Universitt Salzburg, 1985, p.178. Quoted byReames, p. 53.

103 vs. 1-3

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Resurrection. In all four of the Gospels it is even confirmed that Mary Magdalene witnessed

this last event.104Therefore, people must have been under the impression that she had

befriended and possibly even enamoured Jesus, or at least that He thought her to be very

important. Garth explains that

Their love for one another is continually stressed, and not always in such platonic

terms as we find in the Gospels. [It] reflects the mediaeval literary pattern of

courtly love []. The expressions used by the Magdalene about Christ [] might well

have come out of a fifteenth-century love lyric.105

What might have stressed this belief is that the risen Lord first revealed Himself to Mary

Magdalene. While in general it is believed that this was because He was grateful for her

devotion to Him, it can also be interpreted that Jesus chose to do so because He loved Mary

Magdalene dearly. It is probable that she achieved part of the status that she had in the Middle

Ages because it was possible to link her to Jesus in this way. Overall, it seems that it was a

combination of factors some exclusive, and some characteristic for most other saints as well

that made Mary Magdalene a unique source of inspiration.

3.2.4 Representation

Because of St Mary Magdalenes popularity during the Middle Ages it is only logical

that, apart from being the subject of many literary pieces, she is also portrayed in many

medieval works of art. The elaborations and exaggerations that were found in the saints

legends were also richly reflected in this form of expression. Garth explains that these

inventions often followed a pattern, with the result that the personality, traits of character,

and physical appearance of a subject were apt to become somewhat stereotyped. 106 Mary

Magdalene was always presented as the most beautiful woman in the world. Whenever the

104 Matthew 28:1-2, Mark 16:9, Luke 24:10, John 20:1105 Garth, Saint Mary Magdalene in Mediaeval Literature, p. 68.106 Garth, Saint Mary Magdalene in Mediaeval Literature, p. 60.

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first part of her life was painted she was depicted as the most sinful woman there ever was,

and when the latter part of her life was painted she usually was shown as the most saintly. 107

Today, Mary Magdalene is usually portrayed as having red hair (Garth 1950:60), but this was

not commonly done in the Middle Ages. Instead, she is often represented as having long

dishevelled hair of a pale golden colour, often her only drapery,108 a portrayal that follows

most literary descriptions of St Mary Magdalene.109 Furthermore, Mary Magdalene is often

portrayed holding an alabastar vase. There are various explanations for this. To begin with the

first, it was believed that the vase contained the ointment that Mary Magdalene used to wash

Christs feet or that it carried the balm and spices she had prepared to anoint His body. It is

also associated with the odor of good thought [],110 chastity [],111 and a contrite

heart112113 Paul says that we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ. 114 Garth explains: If

therefore we do good works by which we sprinkle the church with the savour of good opinion,

what do we pour out but ointment on the body of the Lord?.115In the Middle Ages, the

symbol of the alabaster jar of ointment was closely linked to Mary Magdalene, as the

ointment is interwoven in her life as a motif and depicts the changes in her character. 116

During her life of sin, Mary Magdalene used perfume and ointments to decorate her body and

to please men. When at the house of Simon the Leper she repents for her sins, she anointed

Christs feet with it. When she meets Christ after His Resurrection she carries ointment with

her because she had intended to prepare His body for burial.117While the alabaster vase is

107 Garth, Saint Mary Magdalene in Mediaeval Literature, p. 60.108 Garth, Saint Mary Magdalene in Mediaeval Literature, p. 60.109 Garth, Saint Mary Magdalene in Mediaeval Literature, p. 60.110 Beda Venerabilis, Anglo Saxonis Presbyter, In Lucam Evangelicum Expositio, Lib. III, Migne, P.L., vol. 92,

col. 426.111 Geoffrey Chaucer, Parsons Tale, lines 945-950.112 Thomas Robinson, The Life and Death of Mary Magdalene, a Legendary Poem in Two Parts, about A.D.

1620, edited by H. Oskar Sommer (Early English Text Society, Extra Series No. 78, London, 1899),p. 62, lines 1452-1454.

113 Garth, Saint Mary Magdalene in Mediaeval Literature, p. 90.114 II Corinthians, 2:15, quoted by Garth, p. 90.

115 Garth, Saint Mary Magdalene in Mediaeval Literature, p. 90.116 Garth, Saint Mary Magdalene in Mediaeval Literature, p. 91.117 Garth, Saint Mary Magdalene in Mediaeval Literature, p. 91.

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generally included in portrayals of Mary Magdalene to verify the identity of the painted

woman, there is great variety in the way in which it is represented in medieval art. In early

paintings Mary Magdalene either carries it or it stands close to her. In latter portrayals it is

also frequently carried by an attendant angel.118 There is no consistency in the depiction of

the vase itself, either, as it is shown in many different ways.

Chapter 4: Introduction to the Text

4.1 The Manuscript

The Life of Saint Mary Magdalene is taken from Ms. Egerton 2810. ff. 83b-87,

which is located in the British Library in London. The manuscript is one of the many that

together form the corpus of the SEL.The texts of the SEL are from the late thirtheenth and the

fourteenth centuries.119 The texts in Ms. Egerton 2810 are mostly from the fourteenth century.

4.1.1 Manuscript context

Ms. Egerton 2810 contains 74 texts in all. There are fifteen temporale texts about the

feast days of the Christian church but the manuscript consists mainly of legends of saints.

All of the texts are written in English verse and are told in a relatively simple manner. Most of

the texts were written down by a single scribe, yet it is known that four other scribes have

contributed to the manuscript as well.120

118 www.holycross.edu.119 Grlach, Textual Tradition,p. 2.120 http://www.bl.uk/catalogues/manuscripts

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4.1.2 Provenance

The SEL has its origins in the Southwest of England. It is impossible to determine its

place of origin more accuractely, and of many of the individual manuscripts it is unknown

where they were written. The origins of Egerton 2810, however, are roughly known. A map of

the localisation of the major SEL manuscripts in Grlachs The Textual Tradition of the South

English Legendary indicates the manuscript has a Southwest origin: it was supposedly written

near Bristol, which historically was part of Gloucestershire. Although it must be

acknowledged that studies of the SEL dialects do not seem to provide any reliable evidence

of the original home,121the dialect of the scribes also shows Southwestern characteristics.

The grammar that was used in this area generally tended to follow Old English practice. An

example of this that can be found in the text is the use of the feminine pronoun heo, which

was also the common spelling during the Old English period. During that time the 1st person

singular form was spelled as ic, which is also frequently used in this text. However, the

common Southern Middle English spelling, ich, can be found as well.122Thus, the dialect of

the scribes points into the direction of South Gloucestershire, next to the border with

Somerset.

4.2 Handwriting

The Life of Saint Mary Magdalene is written in an anglicana hand, with some textura

and secretary features.123 Anglicana was mainly used in the fourteenth century, as a book hand

(i.e. script for transcribing books). It can be easily distinguished from other medieval scripts

because of one specific characteristic: its letters are joined together as they were rapidly

written down. Anglicana is a cursive script that evolved because it took too much time to

produce Textura. Textura is more squared than Anglicana, and its letters are individually

121 Grlach, Textual Tradition,p. 231.122 For this explanation I have used Jacek FisiaksA Short Grammar of Middle English (1968).123 Kathleen Coyne Kelly, Medieval Book Hands (2005). Par 6.

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written down. Secretary is a script that became very popular to use as a book hand in the late

fourteenth century. Like Anglicana, it is a cursive hand, but it was produced more quickly.

Some typical characteristics of Anglicana are given below.124

- There are two frequently used characters that have completely disappeared from

English spelling. The first is calledyogh, and is a complex character. Sometimes it

represents a y (IPA125: /j/), while at other times it represents various velar

phonemes (consonants produced with the back of the tongue against the soft

palate). The other one is the character for th and is called thorn.

yogh:

thorn:

- The character for y is dotted, so that it would not be mistaken for a thorn.

y:

- There are three forms for rand two fors.

r:

- s:

- In Anglicana, there are no q,x, andz(Note that the scribe has frequently used theletterq in this legend, for example in line 77 (quene). In the margin of the same

line, the letterx can be found as well (Rex). The use ofq andzare examples of

Textura influence on the hand).

4.3 The Text

124 For the explanation of these characteristics I have used Dr. Dianne Tillotsons Medieval Writing (2005).Images used in this explanation are taken from her website, http://medievalwriting.50megs.com.

125 International Phonetic Alphabet

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http://medievalwriting.50megs.com/scripts/examples/#alphabethttp://medievalwriting.50megs.com/scripts/examples/#alphabethttp://medievalwriting.50megs.com/scripts/examples/#alphabethttp://medievalwriting.50megs.com/scripts/examples/#alphabethttp://medievalwriting.50megs.com/scripts/examples/#alphabethttp://medievalwriting.50megs.com/scripts/examples/#alphabethttp://medievalwriting.50megs.com/scripts/examples/#alphabethttp://medievalwriting.50megs.com/scripts/examples/#alphabet


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The Life of Saint Mary Magdalene is the only text in MS Egerton 2810 of which a part

has been lost. The last ten verses of the story are missing. Like most of the legends in this

manuscript the lines are all written in lines of seven feet, and in couplet rhyme (aabb).

There are only a few occasions in the text where the couplets do not completely rhyme:

ll.19-20, mund-kunde; ll.33-34, queynte-poynte; 17-118, aliue-wif. The scribe has a fairly

constant hand, as there are not many mistakes in the text. However, he is less consistent

when it comes to spelling. There are many occasions where the same words have been

written in different ways. In Middle English spelling there are occasions where one sound

is represented by different characters. The letters i andj both represent identical vowel

sounds,126 and the letters u and v can both represent a vowel and a consonant.127 Both i/j

and u/v have been used inconsistently by the scribes.

4.4 Editorial Practice

The text has been adapted in such a way that it is easier to read for a contemporary

audience. Thus, an elementary modern punctuation and capitalisation have been added. The

manuscript shows no uniformity in the spacing between words, yet in this edition word

division has been standardized according to modern practice. The letters thorn () and yogh

(3) have been maintained, because they can be identified easily and therefore it is unlikely

that they will cause difficulties. The use ofi/j and u/v has also been maintained, as it is

doubtful whether they will impede the readers recognition of a word. Abbreviations in the

manuscript have been silently expanded to their full forms. Words that have been omitted, as

well as illegible words, have been supplied with the help of Charlotte DEvelyn and Anna J.

Mills edition ofThe South English Legendary. Inconsistencies in the spellings of the same

126 Bella Millet, Notes on Translating Middle English (2004).127 Bella Millet, Notes on Translating Middle English (2004).

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words have been maintained. DEvelyn and Mills work and Hans Kurath and Sherman M.

KuhnsMiddle English Dictionary were used to provide a glossary.

Chapter 5: St. Marie Maudeleyne, ll. 1-250, edition from MS. Egerton 2810. ff. 83b-87

1 Seynte Marie Maudeleyne, at Godfor3afhire synne, forgave

2 Laser hire broer and Martha come ofkunges kynne. were of royal descent

3 Maudeleyn 3eo wasyclupid, is holi womman Marie, she, called

4 Vor3e was of e castelofMagdayle, besideBetanie, she,town,Magdala,

Bethany

5 Beside e bor3 of Ierusalem. Hire modirhetEukarie; city, was named

6 Sirus was hire uadiryhote, lo is me to lye. was named, loathe

7 In e castel of Magdail is childrin re were ybore; these

8 As hore heritage alle re e castelbyhelde eruore. their, castle

9 is Marie Maudeleyn fair womman was wi alle, indeed

10 eruore insune of lecherie e watlokere 3e gan falle. sin, more quickly

11 Iwrite it is at 3e was yweddidJonh e Ewangelist, written, married to

12 Ac at e bygunninge of e brudale oure Lord com, Ihesu Crist, wedding ceremony,

came

13 And clepede Seint John, and ladde hymfor, vor he was clene maide. called, led, chaste

14 Ac mide Marie Maudeleyn oure Louerd wasyuelypaid, but with, displeased

15 Vor hire He bynom hire spouse, sori 3e was, and wro. took away,sad,extremely angry

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16 3e was fayr and iolifeke. eruore 3e swor hire o: joyous, oath

17 Wan hire spouse hire was bynom, worse 3e wolde on take.

18 Of folye 3e wolde habbe eno3, and nanne ma forsake. enough

19 3e wer woman of e meste folie at may come in mund; became, world

20 3e neforsoknogt e meste wreche at so hei so 3e was ofkunde. reject,high, nature

21 So moche fol 3e was of hire sulf, at wondir hit was wi alle,

22 at e ere mi3te hire bere and at 3e nadde into helle yualle. earth, carry,

didnt fall into hell

23 e sune alone of lecherie 3e nadde no3tydo, never

24 Ac of alle eseue heuid synnes 3eo wasfolalso. apart from, Seven

Deadly Sins, foolish

25 Hire synnyn were so wide cou, and at so grete fame, widely known, notorious

26 at me clupyde hiree sunvolouer al, and nanne oer name. called, the sinner,

everywhere

27 Sunful 3eo was wide yclupid, at men hadde ney for3ite nearly forgotten

28 Hire oer name, wat 3eo het as hit is of hire ywrite.

29 So ioyful3eo was of hire folie at 3eo ne wilnede noparto delightful, wished,

part, then

30 Of hire heritage, no hire broer Laser nae mo,

31 Vor he was eke riche kni3t yno3. eruore boeytoke granted

32 Hor soster Martha e heritage, and nolde er to loke.

33 Martha was wel 3ep, wi alle, wis andswie queynte. shrewd, very,

ingenious

34 ervore 3eo haddegode yno3. And riche was in eche poynte goods

35 is Marie Maudeleyn, at us sunful was. f. 84a

36 In Symoundis house e leprous to oure Louerd com, by cas, Simon the Lepers, by

chance

37 And wossch isfetwi hire teres and wipide3am wi hire her lacrime washed, feet, tears,wiped, them,hair

38 Vor hire synnes 3eo bad, so at oure Louerd vor3af 3am er, prayed, forgave

39 And caste out of hireseue deuelyn, as hit ywrite is. seven devils

40 at were e seue heuid synnen at He hire by nom ywis.

41 So repentant 3eo was of hire sunnys as oure Louerd 3af hire e grace, when

42 at Hy were clanliche vor3iue ar3eo 3eode out of e place. purely, before, went

43 Al hire herte and hire loue 3eo dude to oure Louerdis lore; dedicated, learning

44 Neuere creature ich wene ne louede oure Lord more. never, suppose

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45 Anonso oure Louerd wasywend vp to heuene an hey, as soon as, gone, high

46 is Marie so sori was at 3e Hym namore nesey, saw

47 Vor grete loue at 3eo hadde to Hym, at 3eo neo3te manyse. intended, see

48 Neuere eftso sone so 3eo mi3te wi manssupeone be, never again, could,

honour, only

49 erevore hire broer and hire soster, as 3eo made atte laste,

50 Alle re sold hore gold al and to e apostlis fet hit caste.

51 And sede hij wolde al en wordle al clanliche forsake, they, world

52 And in wildernesse, ech in is syde, to Ihesu hore herte take. each on his own

53 And naeles or3 e apostlis red wi hym longe hij were, none the less

54 Andprechede vor wi hem oer men to lere. preached

55 After at God to heuene wende, in efourtee3ere, heaven, fortieth, year

56 And Seynte Steuene ymartrid was, and men at holy were. Steven

57 And SeyntePoul yturnde to Cristindom, and prechede aboute vaste. Paul, converted, firmly

58 e Giwes wie Apostliswroe were, atin gret wrae out hem caste Jews, the Apostles, so

that, angry

59 Of e londe ofGude. at hij ne moste amonge em be, Judea,allowed

60 e Apostlis ech in is side, to oerlondisgonne fle. countries, fled

61 Marie Magdeleyn and hire broer and hire suster also,

62 And of godis disciplis many ek, in a ssip wereydo. also, done

63 And wende hom vor in ese, wioute mariner, went, sea

64 Hem ne ro3te weir oure Lord sende hem ver e ner. they didnt care, far or

near

65 e water hem drof up and doun aboute many a mile,

66 So at hy come, as God hit wolde, to e londe ofMarcile. Marseilles

67 er hy 3eode vp and doun, and ne mi3te non inwynne, went,shelter, obtain

68 A vorlete hous wyoute e toun hy founde, and leye erinne. abandoned, outside69 erinne hy wonede in meseise: in hongur and oerwo. lived, misery, woes

70 To witemanere of e lond among men hy wolde go, understand, customs

71 So at hyyseie a day at folk to hore sacrefise gon. saw

72 Marye was hardiost; a3en hom 3e wende anon. boldest, towards

73 Began to speke a3en hore lawe so faire resoun andgod against,reason, good

74 at non ne coue 3ive hure answere, ac asgyde ech man stod. could, giddy

75 Gret wondiro3te ech man of so vayr creature, f. 84b thought

76 So wisliche speke and so wel, euerich man to hure. every, hear

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77 So at e kinge of e lond com, and e quene also, Rex

78 A day to horeMaumes ere hore sacrefise to do, their, false Gods

79 3if hy hem wolde sende eny child. Vortogadre hy were longe, together

80 And no child ne mi3te neuere betwyne hem ne auonge. receive

81 Marieysei hem at hy hadde hore sacrefise ybro3t. saw

82 3eo prechede and sede hom tosoe: at hit ne halp hom ri3t no3t, truth, helped, not at all

83 And at hore maumes powernadde no child hym to sende. not had

84 So at hy bileuede hore sacrefise and wende hom attenende. left, at last

85 And in grete care bileuede attom, as hy erhadde longe, stayed, before

86 Vor hy no child ne non eir betwyne hem ne mi3te auonge.

87 As is quene slepe a ni3t, marie to hire wende,

88 Seye, 3eo sede: hou take 3e on, wigodat God ow sende? how do you deal with

the possessions

89 Wan 3e habbi so moche god, at 3e nuteware hit do, know not what to do

with it

90 And we deye forchele ney and forvngiralso. die, cold, almost,

hunger

91 Bote ou make ine hosbonde at 3e vs helpe ere, unless

92 Mi lord hym wole such drench 3iue, at he ne vor3it hit to 3ere. drink, two years

93 o e quene awok of slepe, 3e made wel drerichere, when, sad face

94 Telle 3e wolde hire louird fore, ac 3e ne dorste, for fere. but, dared

95 e oer ni3t 3eo com also, andretind 3utwel more, again,menaced, yet

96 Ne durfte is leuedi hire louerd telle, and lay andsi3te sore. dared, lady, sighed,

grievously

97 eridde ni3t 3eo to hire com, and to hire louird also, third

98 Bernynde, as al at hous a fure were ydo. burning, as if the house

were on fire

99 Wat deste 3e sede, ou deuelis lyme tyrant, oufoulewi3t? devils companion, foul,

creature

100 By e naddrei wifou list, and list al longe ni3t! the adder your wife, lie

101 And lest vs suffri wo and chele! And for hungir 3ut more!

102 And deye almest vormeseise! ou hit ssalt acorie sore! discomfort, sufferfor it

103 o is kinge awok of slepe, and is leuedi also.

104 e leuedi esstewarhe hurde e noyse at com hire to. asked, whether

105 Ich hit hurde, qua e prince, and erof sore ich drede, said, fear

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106 Al isre ni3t hit com to me! And also e leuedi sede, three nights

107 Bettre hit is at we to him loke and sumgodto hym to lede, look after them, goods,

take

108 an com in hire Louerdis wrae, for aty neleno3t rede. anger, I dont want to

advise

109 A morweis prince and is wif to is holi men wende, in the morning

110 And largelichemete and drinke and cloinge hom sende. generously, food

111 Marie Maudeleyn was boldist of echon, boldest of all

112 3e prechide is prince and is wif of godis lawe anon.

113 o 3e hadde moche ytold of e ioie of heuene blis, when

114 Womman, qua e prince, o mi3te waranti al is? guarantee

115 Ich hit wole waranti, qua Marie, and moche more ywis, f. 85a

116 or3 Petiris lore oure maister at Pope of Rome is. through Peters in-

struction, master

117 We wolli do ine lore, qua e prince, e wile we bu aliue, all the time, are

118 3if ou mi3t vs winne a child betwyne me and my wif. gain

119 Nou non, qua is Marie, ne darte bote be stille, you just need to be quiet

120 Ichille or3 Peteris lore my maister do ine wille. I shall

121 Marie badvor hem to oure Louerd, ac vor an no3tit nas, prayed, not for nothing

122 Vor oure Louird yhurde hore bone at e quene wi child was. prayer

123 Anon so e kingeat soe wuste to Marie he wende, Regina knew that truth

124 Andonkede hire of atoure Louird or3 hire bone hem sende. thanked, for what,

through, prayer

125 Ne onki no3t me, qua Marie, noinge of is dede,

126 Ac onki Petir my maister, vor ich do al by is rede. council

127 Certis sire, qua e prence o, y ne wor neuere vawe, certainly, glad

128 Arich habbe at Peterybe to lerin of oure lawe. before, been

129 To is wif he wende anon. Dame ichulle, he sede, I shall

130 In alle manirto Petir wende, vor he ssal me betrede. way,better

131 Certis sire, qua is wif, ou ne ssalt no3t fram me wende,

132 atynelle wile vot wi vot sende wat God me sende. I will not, step by step

133 Dame, qua is oer, ou spekist folie! i redis wel wilde, plan

134 ou mi3tist adrenche e in e se noste ou ert mid childe! drown, dont you know

135 is gode wifvelto oure louerdis fet, wepinde wel sore, fell, crying

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136 Ichille, 3eo sede, wi e wende, ei y ne come a3en namore! even if

137 o e princeyse3 at is wif, fram hym nolde bileue. saw, did not want to

leave his side

138 To Marie hy wende boe, at 3eo hem god red3iue. advice

139 Hy toke hire to wardi al horegod, vorte hy a3en come, guard, goods, until

140 at 3eo dude er wi wat 3e wolde, andgode neme er to nome. take good care of it

141 Mariesette a uairecroi3 byhinde horessuldrinbeye, placed, fair, cross

shoulders, both

142 at e deuil nadde no power togreuy hem by e weie. trouble, on their way

143 Vor hym wende is gode prence, and is wif also,

144 Anon so hy come to e se. Inssipe hy let hem do, ship

145 Ando hy come verin e se gret tempester com, when, far, fierce storm

146 at hy dradde vor to adrenche. Gret delech to hymynom. feared, drown, distress,

took

147 is gode wif was sosore adrad, at forangwise and for fere, terriblyfrightened,

extreme suffering

148 Child 3e hadde in e se, wel arhir tyme were. Infans before

149 Vordefaute of womman help at none ney hire nere, lack, near

150 Mid gret angwise and drede 3e deide ri3te ere. died

151 Alas e gret deoland sore at hire louerd made eruore! grief

152 Louerd, he sede, nou ich habbe my wordlis blisse vorlore. lost

153 Wat ssolde 3eo, Louerd, here ded? Ynot ware hire burie, I dont know where to

bury her

154 3uf 3e were atom to luer wo3! Me inke it were murie! bad luck, pleasant

155 at child, vor defaute ofsouke lay, and wep wel sore. f. 85b mothers milk, wept

156 at brak almest e vadir herte, alas noinge more.

157 Louerd, he sede, wiwilnidich child habbe be my wif, why did I want158 Wan ic habbeylore wif and child, alas of mi lif! lost

159 e mariners wolde is womman into e se caste, cast into the sea

160 (Vor e se nele bere no ded inge) leste hy adreinteat laste. will not carry anything

dead, lest theywould

drown, in the end

161 o gan e man pitousliche merci crie, andgrede, cried out

162 Ne bringe me in namore wo, for e loue of God! he sede.

163 Ne ssaltou no3t, qua e mariners, on vs so crie andgrone, groan

164 at 3eo ne ssal rairgo in e se, an we a drenche echone! rather, each of us

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165 A merci! qua is godeman, par auenture 3eo isyswowe! perhaps, swooned

166 Abidivorte 3e yse at soe mesechi such casynowe! abide, un

Documents

The Legend of Saint Mary Magdalene. Edition of lines 1-250 of MS Egerton 2810, Ff. 83b-87