Niebrzydowski, Sue (1998) Verry matrymony : representations of the Virgin Mary and her mother, Saint Anne, as wives in medieval England, 1200-1540. PhD thesis, University of Warwick.

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Abstract

This interdisciplinary study of devotional literature, drama and the visual arts
examines the representation of Mary and her mother, Saint Anne, as wives in
England between 1200 and 1540, and women's responses to these images. The
thesis addresses a lacuna in modem Marian and Anne scholarship which has,
hitherto, paid little attention to the fact of both saints' representation as wives in
this period, and reclaims the meaning, function and reception of these forgotten
images. The thesis commences with a synopsis of Marian and Anne devotion up
until the central Middle Ages in order that English awareness of Mary and Anne as
wives might be contextualised. Chapter Two presents evidence of this awareness;
a chronological catalogue of medieval English representations of Mary and Anne as
wives, in a variety of media. Chapter Three presents an historical account of the
social context of medieval marriage; it examines the legal, social and canonical
definition of marriage and demonstrates how this instruction reached the laity for
whom it was intended. Chapter Four articulates how the representations of Mary
and Anne as wives fitted into both contemporary marital discourse and its social
practice. Chapter Five returns to the representations and interrogates their meaning
and function, using medieval ars memorativa as the critical tool with which to do
so, and demonstrates how real women responded to these images. The thesis
concludes that Mary and Anne's wifely status was invoked by some theologians,
canon lawyers and clerics to serve as an aide memoire and marital exemplar : of
the Church's ideal wedding ceremony and of desired wifely behaviour(s) but that
women's responses to these representations were less and other than that which
their producers might have intended : generally they were met with silence.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BR Christianity N Fine Arts > N Visual arts (General) For photography, see TR P Language and Literature > PN Literature (General)
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Mary, Blessed Virgin, Saint -- Art, Anne (Mother of the Virgin Mary), Saint -- Art, Mary, Blessed Virgin, Saint -- In literature, Anne (Mother of the Virgin Mary), Saint -- In literature, Christian literature -- History -- To 1500, Christian art and symbolism -- Medieval, 500-1500, Wives -- Great Britain -- History -- To 1500
Official Date:	July 1998
Dates:	Date Event July 1998 Submitted
Institution:	University of Warwick
Theses Department:	Department of English and Comparative Literary Studies
Thesis Type:	PhD
Publication Status:	Unpublished
Extent:	368 leaves
Language:	eng

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