CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2011
| Author | Konrad, Eszter |
|---|---|
| Title | The Legend of St. Elizabeth of Hungary of the Legenda Aurea and its Vernacular Adaptations |
| Summary | St. Elizabeth of Hungary was the only thirteenth-century female saint whose vita was included in the Legenda Aurea, the most widespread legendary of the Dominican legendae novae, written by James of Varazze. Originally the collection was written in Latin and intended primarily for the preachers of the mendicant orders as an ancillary source for sermons, but due to the rapidly growing number of laypeople who sought to engage in an active devotional life, these legendaries were soon translated in the vernacular, thus hagiography came into direct contact with people from all social groups. The Life of Elizabeth of the Legenda aurea was translated, adapted and reworked in different parts of Europe in different times. This paper presents through an in-depth study how her Latin legend was reshaped in five different vernacular adaptations examining, comparing and putting them into the context of their reception. The two Italian volgarizzamenti of her vita were transmitted independently from the legendary, and in the later version, dated to the fifteenth century, Elizabeth is regarded as the member of the Third Order of the Franciscans. The Middle English versified Life of St. Elizabeth of Hungary was composed at the request of a noblewoman by Osbern Bokenham, who made subtle but significant changes and interpolations in the original legend to better suit the needs of primarily a lay female audience. The Hungarian sermon on Elizabeth is centred around the three stages of her life, and the saint is presented as a model to follow for those who chose to live in celibacy. The peculiarity of her Old Czech legend, reported in the vernacular version of the Legenda Aurea, the Pasional, is that it is not based on James of Varazze’s text but on the two earliest biographical accounts of the saint, composed in the first half of the 1230s. |
| Supervisor | Klaniczay, Gábor |
| Department | Medieval Studies MA |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2011/konrad_eszter.pdf |
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