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The Golden Legend

Readings on the Saints

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410 Seiten
15 Lesestunden

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Depicting the lives of saints through a mix of factual and fictional stories, The Golden Legend was one of the most widely read texts after the Bible in the late Middle Ages. Compiled around 1260 by Jacobus de Voragine, a scholarly friar and later archbishop of Genoa, it aimed to captivate and edify the faithful while preserving church legends and traditions. In his new translation, the first complete English version, William Granger Ryan captures the immediacy of this rich work, serving as a guide for those interested in medieval art, literature, and popular religious culture. These stories animate the saints as real figures from the late thirteenth century, showcasing extraordinary deeds. For instance, St. Juliana thrashes a dull-witted demon, St. Hilary confronts a corrupt pope, and St. James the Dismembered joyfully proclaims his love for God despite his gruesome fate. Arranged by the saints' feast days, the narratives explore various cultural and historical topics, including the Christianization of Roman holidays and the symbolism of the monk's tonsure. The stories also draw on Holy Scripture to illuminate Christian mysteries, with chapters on Christ and the Blessed Virgin exemplifying the blend of doctrine and narrative that brings dogma to life.