The Road to Antioch: Wace's Vie de Sainte Marguerite on Crusade
Cristina Politano
This study investigates the relationship between medieval context of sainthood and contexts pilgrimage crusade as articulated in Wace's Vie de sainte Marguerite. A twelfth-century Anglo-Norman hagiography that tells life, death, posthumous miracles a young Early Christian martyr from Antioch, text gives rise to series symbols conjures legends lands peoples on southeastern shores Mediterranean Sea. As such, it enters into dialogue with contemporaneous military campaign aimed at recovery Holy Land. The symbol pearl, fundamental role city Antioch plays construction Margaret's martyrdom, discourse King Solomon embedded verse all combine suggest subliminal apology for conquest. In this way, forges an ideological space posits privileged connection readership, increasingly female lay, Late Antique virgin martyrs land literary cultural preserving memory legendary saints distant past. martyrdom resonates quest political, cultural, religious hegemony over eastern Crusader States.
Comitatus-a Journal of Medieval and Renaissance Studies