You can see when Holy Lives and Horrid Deaths is next running and how to book a specific class in Next available at the end of this page.
Medieval Europe teemed with saints. Whether they were officially canonized by the Church in Rome, or simply the objects of local reverence, they had a profound and enduring impact on the daily lives of people across all social classes.
But who were these holy men and women? How was their sanctity manifested? How were their stories passed on in a world in which few people were able to read, and why are so many of those stories so gruesome?
Join celebrated medievalist Dr Sarah James to explore the lives, deaths and cults of some of these charismatic figures, ranging from the mythical virgin martyrs of antiquity, through to the 'holy kings' of medieval Europe and murdered boys.
With Sarah we will examine the remarkable stories told about medieval saints, from the mundane to the truly miraculous, but also look at visual and material culture associated with the variouscults of saints, including buildings, sculptures, wall paintings, stained glass and relics, as well as written sources, and try to recapture something of their extraordinary appeal.
Course Programme (subject to possible change)
- Week 1: Introducing hagiography – saints and cults – source materials – miracles and magic
- Week 2: Challenging sexual conventions – virgins, cross-dressers and prostitutes – the mythical martyrs of antiquity
- Week 3: Soldiers of Christ – fighting and dying for God
- Week 4: Lives of suffering – holy women, pain and power
- Week 5: Child martyrs and the Jewish blood libel
- Week 6: Saints and their cults in the modern world