In the year 1277, Margaret, pure in mind and fervent of heart, was praying before the crucifix which is now on the side altar of the Church of the Friars Minor, when she seemed to hear these words: "What is thy wish, poverella ?" And the Saint, enlightened by the Holy Spirit, replied: "I neither seek nor wish for aught but only Thee, my Lord Jesus."
In the period between 1200 and 1500 in western Europe, a number of religious women gained widespread veneration and even canonization as saints for their extraordinary devotion to the Christian eucharist, supernatural multiplications of food and drink, and miracles of bodily manipulation, including stigmata and inedia (living without eating). The occurrence of such phenomena sheds much light on the nature of medieval society and medieval religion. It also forms a chapter in the history of women. Previous scholars have occasionally noted the various phenomena in isolation from each other and have sometimes applied modern medical or psychological theories to them. Using materials based on saints' lives and the religious and mystical writings of medieval women and men, Caroline Walker Bynum uncovers the pattern lying behind these aspects of women's religiosity and behind the fascination men and women felt for such miracles and devotional practices. She argues that food lies at the heart of much of women's piety. Women renounced ordinary food through fasting in order to prepare for receiving extraordinary food in the eucharist. They also offered themselves as food in miracles of feeding and bodily manipulation. Providing both functionalist and phenomenological explanations, Bynum explores the ways in which food practices enabled women to exert control within the family and to define their religious vocations. She also describes what women meant by seeing their own bodies and God's body as food and what men meant when they too associated women with food and flesh. The author's interpretation of women's piety offers a new view of the nature of medieval asceticism and, drawing upon both anthropology and feminist theory, she illuminates the distinctive features of women's use of symbols. Rejecting presentist interpretations of women as exploited or masochistic, she shows the power and creativity of women's writing and women's lives.
Victor Hugo, the greatest Romantic writer of them all, is finally available in Delphi’s bestselling range of titles. This monumental eBook offers readers the most complete collection ever compiled of Hugo’s FICTIONAL works in English translation, with many bonus texts. (Version 2) * concise introductions to the novels and other works * images of how the novels first appeared, giving your eReader a taste of the original texts * ALL 9 novels in English, each with contents tables * many of the novels are fully-illustrated with their original artwork * includes BUG-JARGAL – Hugo’s first novel, which he wrote after a wager – first time in digital print! * for the first time, all novels are presented with their French versions – sample the true brilliance of Hugo’s original text, in between reading the English translations * features a large sample of English translations of poetry * BONUS selection of six Non-Fiction texts * boasts a special literary criticism section, with works by famous writers such as Dickens, Robert Louis Stevenson and Henry James, examining Hugo’s contribution to literature * includes Hugo’s Memoirs – explore the great writer’s private notebooks! * ALSO includes G. Barnett Smith’s famous biography – immerse yourself in Hugo’s literary life! * packed full of images relating to Hugo’s life, works, places and film adaptations * scholarly ordering of texts in chronological order and literary genres, allowing easy navigation around Hugo’s immense oeuvre Please note: an actual complete works of Victor Hugo in English is not possible due to copyright restrictions, scarce plays and some works having never been translated. However, we do ensure our customers that every possible major text is included. Please visit www.delphiclassics.com to browse through our range of exciting titles CONTENTS: The Novels BUG-JARGAL HANS OF ICELAND THE LAST DAY OF A CONDEMNED MAN THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE-DAME CLAUDE GUEUX LES MISÉRABLES TOILERS OF THE SEA THE MAN WHO LAUGHS NINETY-THREE The Novels in French The Poetry POEMS IN TRANSLATION ODES ET BALLADES LES ORIENTALES LES FEUILLES D’AUTOMNE LES CHANTS DU CREPUSCULE LES VOIX INTÉRIEURES LES RAYONS ET LES OMBRES LES CHATIMENTS LES CONTEMPLATIONS LA LÉGENDE DES SIÈCLES: PREMIERE SERIE LES CHANSONS DES RUES ET DES BOIS LA VOIX DE GUERNESEY L’ANNEE TERRIBLE L’ART D’ETRE GRAND-PERE LA LÉGENDE DES SIÈCLES: NOUVELLE SERIE LE PAPE LA PITIE SUPREME L’ÂNE RELIGIONS ET RELIGION LES QUATRE VENTS DE L’ESPRIT LA LÉGENDE DES SIÈCLES: DERNIERE SERIE LA FIN DE SATAN TOUTE LA LYRE DIEU LES ANNÉES FUNESTES DERNIERE GERBE POÈMES UNCOLLECTED The Plays (in French) CROMWELL THE BURGRAVES HERNANI LUCRÈCE BORGIA MARIE TUDOR RUY BLAS Selected Non-Fiction NAPOLEON THE LITTLE EXTRACTS FROM HUGO’S ESSAY ON SHAKESPEARE LETTER TO THE LONDON NEWS REGARDING JOHN BROWN ON CAPITAL PUNISHMENT EXTRACTS FROM SATIRISTS AND MORALISTS THE HISTORY OF A CRIME The Criticism VICTOR HUGO BY JOHN COWPER POWYS LETTER ON HUGO BY CHARLES DICKENS VICTOR HUGO’S LAST NOVEL BY HENRY JAMES THE LEGEND OF VICTOR HUGO BY PAUL LAFARGUE VICTOR HUGO’S ROMANCES BY ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON TO VICTOR HUGO BY ALFRED TENNYSON The Biographies THE MEMOIRS OF VICTOR HUGO VICTOR HUGO: HIS LIFE AND WORK BY G. BARNETT SMITH Please visit www.delphiclassics.com to browse through our range of exciting titles
