This volume considers the development and transmission of the legend of St Ursula and the 11,000 virgins martyred in Cologne, and discusses a selection of the texts, songs and works of art that were inspired by their heroic martyrdom.

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Seals and Society Medieval Wales, the Welsh Marches and their English Border Region

John Bachtler; Iain Begg; David Charles; Laura Polverari

Cartwright, Jane

Ingram Publisher Services UK- Academic

English Language

United Kingdom and Ireland, United Kingdom

1, 20160615

Wales, 2016

PS, 2016

Mobilism

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Memory of the World Librarian: Quintus

The cult of St Ursula and the 11,000 virgins was one of the most popular and relic-rich of all saints’ cults in the medieval period. This volume constitutes the first interdisciplinary collection of essays in English to explore the development and transmission of the legend of St Ursula in detail, considering a wealth of different sources including physical remains, literary texts, artistic representations and medieval music.
**
Review “Focusing on one of the most widespread and intriguing of saints’ cults, this collection of essays brings together a range of languages and disciplines to explore the complex implications of Ursula’s story and the light it sheds on attitudes towards gender and violence in medieval culture.”
(Dafydd Johnston, University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies)
“This is an important collection of essays that advances our understanding of this very significant cult, which was at once international and the subject of peculiar interest in medieval England and Wales. Jane Cartwright has brought together some very distinguished contributors who between them cover a great geographical range, from Iceland to Hungary. The book should be of interest to anyone concerned with medieval saints’ cults and legends, with images of female sanctity and with cultural and religious links between medieval Britain and the Continent.”
(Barry Lewis, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies)
“Sancta Colonia , ‘Holy Cologne’, was an extremely rich medieval repository of Christian relics, and none of its churches more so than that of St Ursula, allegedly the daughter of a British king, and the eleven thousand virgins supposedly martyred with her. In this volume, the growth of Ursula’s legend, in traditions covering almost the entire continent of Europe, is examined for the first time in English, expertly and fascinatingly. The volume, which also includes discussion for the first time by the editor Jane Cartwright of the Middle Welsh version of the saint’s life, is to be warmly welcomed.”
(P''draig '' Riain, Aberystwyth University)
“This edited collection of essays places Ursula, a Welsh saint and her cult, in an international context of religious literature, hagiography, and devotional practices in Medieval Europe. Wide ranging and multidisciplinary, it is a valuable resource and essential reading for anyone interested in the religious and political culture of sainthood and feminine sanctity.”
(Cathryn A. Charnell-White, Head of Department of Welsh and Celtic Studies, Aberystwyth University)
About the Author
Jane Cartwright is professor in Welsh at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David. She has published widely on saints’ cults and hagiography.

The legend of St Ursula is an epic tale which recounts how this daughter of a British king, reluctantly agreed to marry a pagan prince in order to save her father's kingdom, but delayed the betrothal by insisting on performing one final pilgrimage to Rome in the company of 11,000 virgins. The virgins never returned to Britain, having reputedly been martyred in Cologne. In the twelfth century, a mass grave was discovered and it was claimed that these were the relics of St Ursula and her companions. This book looks in detail at the history and cult of St Ursula, and traces the development of her legend explaining why she became so popular in many different countries and regions. Medieval art, music and legend inspired by Ursula's heroic martyrdom are all discussed here for the first time.

The cult of St. Ursula and the 11,000 virgins was one of the most popular and relic-rich of all saints cults in the medieval period. In this volume, Jane Cartwright provides an interdisciplinary collection of essays that explore the medieval art and texts that were instrumental in the wide transmission of the legend of St. Ursula. The Cult of St Ursula and the 11,000 Virgins will appeal to art historians, as it details the origins of the popular symbols that appear in artistic depictions of St. Ursula and her martyred companions. The book will also be of great interest to students of medieval literature, history, gender studies, religious studies, and the history of music.

2023-06-25