The Cult of St Katherine of Alexandria in Early Medieval Europe

St Katherine of Alexandria was one of the most popular saints in both the Orthodox and Latin Churches in the later Middle Ages, yet there has been little study of how her cult developed before c. 1200. This book redresses the balance, providing a thorough examination of the way the cult spread from the Greek-speaking lands of the Eastern Mediterranean and into Western Europe. The author uses the full range of source material available, including liturgical texts, hagiographies, chronicles and iconographical evidence, bringing together these often disparate sources to map the way in which the cult of St Katherine grew from its early stages in the Byzantine Empire up to c.1100, its transmission to Italy, and the introduction and development of the cult in Normandy and England up to c.1200. The book also includes appendices listing early manuscripts containing Katherine's Passio and including key original texts on St Katherine of the period. This study will be welcomed by scholars of medieval history and the history of medieval art, and as a case-study for all those with an interest in the development of medieval saint's cults.

Christine Walsh

Contents: Preface; Introduction; The historical Katherine; Byzantium; Sinai; Italy; The cult of St Katherine in Normandy; The introduction of the cult of St Katherine into England; Conclusion; Appendices:A: The early manuscript tradition of the passio of St Katherine; B: Translation of 3 odes to St Katherine by Alfanus, bishop of Salerno (1058-1085); C: The miracles of St Katherine: a translation of BM, Rouen, MS. U.22, fols 112r-115v; D: Analysis of 4 Winchester calendars; E: Extract from the Canterbury Missal, Corpus Christi College Cambridge 270, fols 134r-135r; Bibliography; Index.