CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2021
| Author | Sajni, Eszter Ramona |
|---|---|
| Title | The Ambitious Mystic: Public Sanctity And Its Pitfalls In The Case Of Magdalena De La Cruz |
| Summary | This research focuses on the figure of Magdalena de la Cruz, a once revered holy abbess from Córdoba living in the sixteenth century, who was condemned as a heretic. Scholars have previously shown that Magdalena strategically planned her image as a living saint, implementing motives from the lives of esteemed female mystics such as Catherine of Siena. Following these theories, this thesis provides a comparison of her case with two of the most successful female mystics: Catherine of Siena and Bridget of Sweden; and with one mystic who just like Magdalena, was once admired for her divine gifts but was eventually accused to feign her sanctity – Lucia Brocadelli da Narni. The thesis aims to draw a clearer picture of what episodes was used from the life of Catherine of Siena; to see if the claimed mystical pregnancy was modelled after Bridget of Sweden; and to compare what aspects that led the downfall of Magdalena and Lucia. The first chapter serves as a theoretical background and introduction to the objects of comparison. The second chapter deals with the life of Magdalena de la Cruz, both her successful career and her downfall; then it presents the comparative analysis. The research argues that some of the miracles claimed by Magdalena show similarity with episodes from the Legenda maior of Catherine, but not without modifications. Such inspirational connections cannot be found regarding the mystical pregnancy. Finally, similar patterns can be found in the downfall of Magdalena de la Cruz and Lucia Brocadelli da Narni. |
| Supervisor | Gábor Klaniczay |
| Department | Medieval Studies MA |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2021/sajni_eszter-ramona.pdf |
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