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<p dir="ltr">When one thinks of the medieval past, one might think of knights with their shining armor and swords; these are warriors. My dissertation seeks to examine and expose how “warriors” are gendered as masculine; a person or character categorized as a warrior might be assumed to be a man unless otherwise specified to be a “woman warrior.” The need for the qualifying adjective (“woman” or “female”) illustrates that the maleness of warriorhood and violence is understood as implicit. This governing assumption affects how women’s actions, particularly women’s violent actions, are interpreted. This dissertation takes women’s violence as a starting point, examining characters from Judith to Chaucer’s Dido. I show how and why the violence these women enact cannot be relegated to, say, maternal instinct or spirituality. The spiritual warrior is herself impressive, of course; she is a tool, a weapon of God, through whom God fights. The idea of the spiritual warrior then allows for discussions of women without painting them as inherently violent or aggressive. Instead, the spiritual warrior is the martyr, an extension of maternal instincts and the idea that women are caretakers and, when necessary, protectors. But these self-sacrificial ideals, often associated with maternity, are not, nor should they be, a requirement for womanhood.</p><p dir="ltr">I argue that in order to create a capacious enough definition of “woman” and even femininity, we must prize definitions of femininity from the grip of the patriarchy. What if we took these women on their own terms, instead? I seek to do exactly this: to examine, throughout this dissertation, both the ways that violent women act and what they say, without considering how their behavior might, nonetheless, be understood to conform to limiting ideas of femininity (such as the virgin or the whore). I thereby invite us to think about what it means when violent women enact their will on the world; and I also attend to the physical, in addition to the spiritual, effects of this violence (like killing someone). My work suggests that, in order to take gender seriously, we must pay attention to these moments when women hurt or kill either someone else or themselves.</p>

Sexualité et maternité occupent un espace prépondérant dans l’oeuvre de Zola. Cet écrivain honni ou adulé du 19ème siècle semble avoir été très influencé par son entourage et son époque. Il était entouré de trois femmes qui l’ont beaucoup influencé à différentes étapes de sa vie : sa mère, sa femme et sa maîtresse. Mais on ne peut réduire cette influence à son milieu familial ! En effet, plusieurs littéraires ont forgé ses idées sur la maternité et la sexualité : Balzac, Michelet, Stendhal… A la lecture de ses écrits, nous constatons qu’il voit en la maternité un acte sacré. En revanche, l’avis de l’auteur naturaliste sur la sexualité est plus ambigu. En effet, il donne l’air de la dédaigner, d’avoir en horreur ceux qui ne jurent que par le vice. Mais paradoxalement, Zola fait de la sexualité un de ses thèmes de prédilection. Si bien qu’il se verra affublé de l’étiquette de pornographe. Zola a-t-il finalement horreur de la sexualité, comme il le prétend ? Ou est-il au contraire un obsédé sexuel ? / Maternity and sexuality are among the main themes of the work of Emile Zola. Despised as well as admired, this author of the nineteenth century seems to have been much influenced by his life experiences and his epoch. It seems that the fact that he has been living mainly among women Ŕ his mother, maternal grand-mother, wife and mistress Ŕ has greatly influenced his perceptions about maternity and sexuality. However, we should not obliterate that the fact that his readings of some authors have also contributed to his ideas about these two themes, mainly Balzac, Michelet and Stendhal. Zola has got a fixed idea about maternity : it’s a sacred act whose purity should be preserved. He firmly believes that a mother should make all sorts of sacrifices for her child, including her sexual life. It becomes however more difficult for us to determine how Zola perceives sexuality. He surely pretends to dislike any sexual activity but on the other hand, he writes profusely about sexuality in his work. Quite ambiguous… / Classics and World Languages / M. A. (French)

The subject of my thesis is a little-studied hagiographical work that gives important insights into rewriting processes and their significance in medieval textual culture. The anonymous Life of Christina of Hane, a thirteenth-century Premonstratensian nun from the Palatinate, is an example of bridal mysticism which combines the medieval tradition of the reception of the Song of Songs with hagiographic elements. A codicological and palaeographical analysis of the only manuscript shows it to be a sixteenth-century copy, but the type of mysticism and the theological questions that it discusses suggest that the text was initially composed in the thirteenth century, when Christina is thought to have lived. The theological and spiritual ideas in the text belong to the wider context of communicating the transcendental within the world. My thesis uses performative language analysis to address the problems of textuality and authorization in the Life of Christina of Hane. It yields new insights into the ways in which this mystical text makes use of hagiographic strategies, how gender and vernacular theology are linked, how liturgical elements support the text’s pragmatic nature, and how somatic spirituality is reflected on an allegorical level in the embodiment of God’s bride. An assessment of three communicative aspects – medial, narrative, and allegorical – highlights the textualization of the mystical experience. The appellative structure of Christina’s text invites the reader to engage with the text. This study provides the first comprehensive interpretation of the text on Christina of Hane. It compares it to other mystical texts, to a German–Latin prayerbook, and to a fragmentary legend about Mary Magdalene. It challenges existing judgments about Christina’s biography and offers alternative solutions founded in the latest scholarship on female mystical literature.

This thesis deals with image of women in romances of second half of 14th century with accent on the Czech productions. Foreign productions are mentioned as well, but this productions are mentioned marginally. At the beginning of this project, there are presented primary and secondary sources on which the project is based. Methodics of project are next. Next there is described issue of romances in european and Czech environment and there is description of real stand of woman in the Middle Ages. Afterwards there are presented characters of women in particular sources with historical context. End of project includes conclusion which is trying to explain how a woman in the 14th century was perceived in used sources.

Ce travail de thèse est consacré aux images murales de la vie terrestre de la Vierge, une séquence iconographique composée de l’histoire de la jeunesse de Marie et des épisodes de la vie du Christ auxquels la Vierge est associée, jusqu’à la Pentecôte. La recherche s’inscrit dans un cadre chronologique étendu, depuis le premier art chrétien jusqu’au concile de Trente. Elle repose sur une abondante documentation iconographique qui comporte plus de 2300 images, peintures et mosaïques murales, conservées en France et en Italie. La première partie du mémoire est consacrée à l’analyse quantitative de la documentation iconographique, selon un triple point de vue. Une analyse thématique permet de déterminer trois séquences chronologiques dans le déroulement de la vie terrestre de la Vierge, tout en précisant l’importance quantitative de chacun des thèmes iconographiques étudiés. Une analyse de la répartition géographique des différents sites de conservation répertoriés révèle des caractéristiques spatiales propres à chacun des territoires étudiés, en lien avec l’histoire locale. Enfin, une analyse chronologique permet d’intégrer les images murales recensées aux grandes phases de l’histoire de l’art, tout en mettant en lumière les décors les plus emblématiques. La seconde partie du mémoire est dédiée à l’enquête iconographique à proprement parler. En forme de préambule, les différentes sources textuelles utilisées dans le cadre de cette recherche sont présentées. Elles ont été regroupées en trois catégories : les sources canoniques, les évangiles apocryphes et les textes médiévaux. L’analyse iconographique des différents thèmes qui composent la vie terrestre de la Vierge s’organise autour des trois séquences qui ont été déterminées : les épisodes qui précèdent la naissance du Christ (jeunesse de Marie et Incarnation), ceux de l’Enfance de Jésus (de la Nativité à Jésus parmi les Docteurs) et ceux de l’âge adulte du Christ dans lesquels Marie joue un rôle (des Noces de Cana à la Pentecôte). Cette analyse a pour objectif de déterminer les éléments constitutifs des différents thèmes iconographiques étudiés, de mettre en place une typologie propre à chacun, en soulignant les constantes et les points de rupture. La mise en exergue des liens qui existent entre les images et les sources textuelles constitue également un enjeu prioritaire de cette recherche. Des questions transversales, relatives au développement d’une iconographie proprement mariale, aux processus de diffusion des images, à la perception de la figure mariale comme un modèle édifiant et à l’étude du rapport entre les images et les textes ou leur emplacement dans l’espace ecclésial sont présentées sous la forme de réflexions conclusives. En parallèle, une sélection d’images murales de la vie terrestre de la Vierge, choisies pour leur exemplarité par rapport à l’argumentation de l’analyse, est présentée sous la forme de trois catalogues correspondant aux séquences narratives déjà évoquées. Ils s’accompagnent d’une bibliographie sélective concernant les différents sites de conservation présentés dans chacun des catalogues. D’autres outils bibliographiques sont mis à disposition dans un volume d’annexes. Un répertoire thématique, récapitulant toutes les images murales qui appartiennent à la documentation iconographique de l’étude, est également fournit en annexe. / This thesis is devoted to wall images of the Virgin’s earthly life, an iconographic sequence composed of the young Mary’s history and episodes from Christ’s life which are related to the Virgin, until Pentecost. This research comes within the extended framework from the early Christian art to the Council of Trent. It is based on an abundant iconographic documentation which includes more than 2300 pictures, wall paintings and mosaics, preserved in France and Italy. The first part of the thesis is dedicated to the quantitative analysis of the iconographic documentation, according to a triple point of view. A thematic analysis identifies three phases in the chronological sequence of the Virgin’s earthly life, while specifying the quantitative importance of each of the studied iconographic themes. An analysis of the geographical distribution of different listed conservation sites reveals spatial characteristics which are specific to each territory studied, in connection with local history. Finally, a chronological analysis allows to integrate wall images from great phases of the art history, as well as to highlight the most emblematic decorations. The second part of the thesis is devoted to the iconographic investigation itself. As preamble, the various textual sources used in this research are presented. They are grouped into three categories : canonical sources, apocryphal gospels and medieval texts. The iconographic analysis of different themes about the Virgin’s earthly life are organized around three sequences : episodes preceding Christ’s birth (youth of Mary and Incarnation), those of Jesus’ Childhood (from the Nativity to Jesus among the Doctors) and those of adult Christ in which Mary plays a role (from Wedding at Cana to Pentecost). This analysis’ objective is to determine the different components of studied iconographic themes and to establish their specific typology, while stressing constants and breakpoints. The highlighting of the links between images and textual sources is also a priority of this research. Cross-cutting issues related to the development of Marian iconography itself, the process of images diffusion, the perception of the Marian figure as an edifying model and the study of the link between images and texts or their location in the ecclesial space are presented in the form of concluding reflections. In parallel, a selection of wall images of the Virgin’s earthly life, chosen according to the analysis arguments for their exemplary nature, is represented as three catalogues matching narrative sequences mentioned above. The selective bibliography on the various conservation sites is presented in each catalogue. Other bibliographic tools are provided in appendices volume. A thematic directory, listing all the wall images that belong to the iconographic documentation of the study, is also provided in appendix.

Beata Maria/Dea Vults is a thesis for the degree of master (one year) in theology.   The thesis explores the role of the Virgin Mary as a martial saint in catholic combat with Islam and muslims between the years 1119 AD to 1648 AD with a focus on symbolism. The paper is focusing on symbolism in war banners, patron saints and semiotic symbols on arms and armour. There are three different events or phenomenons in the study, separated in time as well as space.   Firstly the war banner used at the battle of Las Navas (1212 AD) during the reconquista of Spain. The banner of Mary with child is the prime subjekt as well as the myths appearing in the aftermath of the battle, and the ceremony that was devised from it.   The second phenomenon is the knights templars use of Mary as patron saint, and the ceremony that followed this relationship. There is also discussion of the belts worn that were related to Mary, the use of wich is attested in documents from the trials of the templars between 1307 and 1312 AD. Lastly the paper focuses on the armours of the polish winged husars of 1648 AD and the seige of Vienna. The thesis explores the relationship between the symbols of the armour of the husars and the religious views of King John III Sobieski of Poland.   The main question of the study is:   What were the meaning of the symbols of Mary as she was carried as a ritualistic symbol for war?   The subsequent questions are:   How do you trace a progression in the useage of Mary as a symbol from the templars all the way to the use of Mary as a symbol for the winged husars?   Which types of worship of Mary as a symbol were used primarliy in wars with muslims?   The paper is researched by qualitative methods including text analysis as well as semiotic symbolism reading. There are two theories used in the analysis. Smarts dimensions and Andersons and Hulls Warrior elites, with Smarts dimensions as the dominant theory.

Twelfth century French feudal culture witnesses the codification of new marriage laws and a rapid rise in popularity of the Cult of the Virgin Mary, with correspondingly renewed attention being paid to women by ecclesiastical intellectuals of all sects. Of particular interest to these churchmen was the duty of the medieval wife to bear children. The Lais of Marie de France, a late twelfth-century text, often focus explicitly on motherhood (both biological and symbolic) and therefore allow a deeper examination of the new cultural representations of women in the dual role of spouse and mother. The Lais further highlight the symbolic role of the child as guarantor both of a woman's social value and of the validity of the love relationship based on the tenets of fin'amors instead of formal marriage. / by Danielle Firmino Palazzolo. / Abstract in English. / Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2009. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2009. Mode of access: World Wide Web.

La Maríu saga est une saga hagiographique anonyme d’origine monastique faisant le récit de la vie de Marie, de sa conception à son Assomption, rédigée en langue vernaculaire et composée entre le dernier tiers du XIIIe siècle et la seconde moitié du XIVe siècle en Islande. Assortie d’une traduction inédite du texte, la présente étude se propose comme une nouvelle approche de la Maríu saga que nous inscrivons dans la longue tradition littéraire et théologique des Vies de la Vierge, des biographies homilétiques mariales tributaires des évangiles apocryphes composées par des moines et théologiens du VIIe au Xe siècle dans l’Empire Byzantin, et que nous situons dans le contexte littéraire et culturel européen médiéval afin de mettre en lumière les enjeux poétiques et doctrinaux que soulève l’acte d’écrire et de réécrire la vie de la Vierge en Islande au Moyen Âge. Pour ce faire, nous envisageons l’œuvre de différents points de vue, d’abord de l’histoire de la réception des textes bibliques et parabibliques, ensuite contextuel et philologique, puis littéraire et enfin théologique. Nous nous employons à montrer à travers son étude poétique et doctrinale que, à l’exemple des vies de Marie médiévales ecclésiastiques, la Maríu saga manifeste des spécificités propres au foyer culturel de son époque : medium entre la littérature et la théologie, l’œuvre est un texte hagiographique narratif qui présente le double intérêt d’être à la fois un témoin de la pratique de la réécriture hagiographique en langue vernaculaire et le reflet du développement dogmatique et de l’évolution de la réflexion théologique sur Marie, et de fait sur le Christ, en Islande médiévale. / Maríu saga is an anonymous hagiographic saga relating the story of Mary’s life, from her Conception to her Assumption, written in the vernacular and composed in the monastic milieu between the last third of the thirteenth century and the second half of the fourteenth century in Iceland. Coupled with an unprecedented translation of the text, this dissertation offers a new approach to Maríu saga that I situate within the long literary and theological tradition of the Lives of the Virgin – these Marian biographic homilies which draw on apocryphal gospels were composed by monks and theologians from the seventh to the tenth century in the Byzantine Empire –, and that I put into the European medieval literary and cultural context in order to examine the literary and doctrinal issues raised by the act of writing and rewriting the life of the Virgin in Iceland in the Middle Ages. I successively consider Maríu saga from different perspectives: in a first part, from the history of the reception of biblical and parabiblical texts; in a second part, from an historical and a philological aspect; in a third part, from a literary point of view; and in a fourth part, from a theological angle. My aim is to demonstrate through the study of its poetics and its doctrine that, like the medieval ecclesiastical lives of Mary, Maríu saga bears specific features of its cultural area of its time: medium between literature and theology, this work is a narrative hagiographic text that presents the double interest of being the witness both to the practice of hagiographic rewriting in the vernacular and to the doctrinal development and the evolution of the theological reflection on Mary, and in fact on Christ, in medieval Iceland.