Tag Archives: heroines

‘Maidens and Monsters’ by Chantry Westwell

How wonderful to have a whole book that focuses on women in mediæval manuscripts, but also in it being such an informative and comprehensive book. In the Middle Ages women were often put into very restrictive categories of virgin, saint, temptress and crone. Chantry enlarges these categories to Warriors, Murderesses and Femmes Fatales; Holy Women; Powerful Women; Tragic Heroines; Partners and Lovers; Mystical, Magical and Allegorical Women.

 

 

The research done by Chantry is really impressive, for example that on Salome considers that, in the Herodian dynasty, there were three women named Salome – which one was she? Intriguingly, Salome, despite her connection to John the Baptist, here holding his head on a platter, is not named in the New Testament, this happening only in the latter part of the first century by Flavius Josephus. There is, though, no mention of her suggestive or acrobatic dancing as in some stories and it is thought more likely that Herod executed John for political reasons rather than rewarding Salome for her cool moves!

 

Margaret of Antioch appears in the Holy Women section. In manuscripts she is often shown with a dragon, either with a foot on the dead body in victory or climbing out of its stomach. In fact Margaret had quite a tortuous journey before she got to this point, refusing the Roman governor of the province in which she was living resulted in her being put on the rack, beaten and raked with iron combs until her bones were exposed, attacked by this dragon and then a black demon, and also boiled in a cauldron as here – not the luckiest woman!

 

Hairy Mary, or St Mary of Egypt, enjoyed life to the full as it were until she joined a group of pilgrims, ‘servicing’ them along the way, until she had a sudden conversion. She then went into the desert with little food and eventually her skin became black, her hair white, and, in some versions, grown all over her body for modesty. In this image she really is miraculous being in the desert with monkeys!

This is such a marvellous and enjoyable book, full of information with the results of Chantry’s extensive research presented in the most user-friendly way. It is very highly recommended and not just for those interested in women, but also those who love stories, who are interested in manuscripts, and those who just like a good read!