medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
I heard a paper once on legal penalties for anyone who struck a pregnant
woman, inducing abortive delivery of the fetus. This might be such a case.
Tom Izbicki
Madeleine Gray wrote:
> medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
>
> Not specifically chapels but I’m vaguely aware of archaeological
> evidence for neonatal burials near the walls of churches, which I have
> speculated might be burials of unbaptised children.
>
> And it’s post-medieval but in Bedwellty in south-east Wales the
> min-C17 curate recorded in his parish registers the burials of several
> infants described as ‘abortivi’ which I took to mean stillborn and
> possibly premature, but in one case he recorded twins, one which he
> baptised, the other described as ‘abortivus’ which he buried.
>
> Maddy
>
> Dr Madeleine Gray, in the foothills of God's golden county of Gwent
>
> Senior Lecturer in History
>
> School of Education/Ysgol Addysg
>
> University of Wales, Newport/Prifysgol Cymru, Casnewydd
>
> Caerleon Campus/Campws Caerllion, PO /Blwch Post 179
>
> Newport/Casnewydd NP18 3YG, Wales/Cymru
>
> Tel: +44 (0)1633.432675
>
>
> 'I ask you for help. And all you give me is ...papers!'
> (Magda in Gian Carlo Menotti's //The Consul//)
>
> History at University of Wales, Newport: http://timezone.newport.ac.uk
> Gwent County History Association website:
> http://gwent-county-history-association.newport.ac.uk
> Cistercian Way: http://cistercian-way.newport.ac.uk
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> *From:* medieval-religion - Scholarly discussions of medieval
> religious culture [mailto:[log in to unmask]] *On Behalf
> Of *Maureen A. Tilley
> *Sent:* 06 March 2008 03:33
> *To:* [log in to unmask]
> *Subject:* Re: [M-R] Babies & Glendalough
>
> medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
>
> The chapel in Oberburen for the reanimation of stillborn and other
> unbaptized babies brings to mind the Women's Church aka Chapel of St.
> Mary (Tempall Mhuire) the directly outside the monastic walls at
> Glendalough in Ireland. An informant who was amassing lore about
> Glendalough mentioned that under the English the grounds of this
> abandoned chapel were used to bury not only unbaptized infants but
> anyone else who could not be buried in hallowed ground. (Photos at
> http://www.faculty.de.gcsu.edu/~dvess/ids/medieval/glendalough/womchur.htm
> <http://www.faculty.de.gcsu.edu/%7Edvess/ids/medieval/glendalough/womchur.htm>)
> Does anyone on the list know of any documentation on this or similar
> chapels specifically for those who could not be buried in Christian
> cemeteries, e.g., excommunicated persons, persons buried in time of
> interdict, etc?
>
> With thanks in advance,
>
> Maureen A. Tilley
> Visiting Professor of Theology
> Fordham University
> 113 W. 60th Street
> New York, NY 10023
> 212-636-6369
>
> -----medieval-religion - Scholarly discussions of medieval religious
> culture <[log in to unmask]> wrote: -----
>
> To: [log in to unmask]
> From: jbugslag <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent by: medieval-religion - Scholarly discussions of medieval
> religious culture <[log in to unmask]>
> Date: 03/05/2008 12:31PM
> Subject: Re: [M-R] Babies
>
> medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
>
> Diana,
>
> In the late 15th and early 16th centuries, the chapel of the Virgin
> Mary at Oberburen in Switzerland served as a "sanctuaire a repit"
> where still-born infants were brought for miraculous momentary
> reanimation, so they could be baptized and buried in consecrated
> ground. In the 1990s, the cemetery was excavated, and something like
> 250 skeletons of babies were found, some obviously foetal in
> development and thus, obviously, premature births. If you're
> interested in following this up, there is an entry on Oberburen in the
> exhibition catalogue, Iconoclasme. Vie et mort de l'image medievale
> (Strasbourg, 2001), pp. 252-53, with the following bibliography:
>
> Susi Ulrich-Bochsler, "Jenseitsvorstellungen im Mittelalter. Die
> Wiederbelebung von totgeborenen Kindern. Archäologische und
> anthropologische Untersuchungen im Marienwallfahrtszentrum von
> Oberbüren im Kanton Bern/Schweiz," in Guy De Boe and Frans Verhaeghe,
> eds, /Death and Burial in Medieval Europe. Papers of the "Medieval
> Europe Brugge 1997" Conference /, vol. 2 (Zellik, 1997), pp. 7-14;
> Susi Ulrich-Bochsler and Daniel Gutscher, "Wiederentdeckung von
> Totgeborenen. Ein Schweizer Wallfahrtszentrum im Blick von Archäologie
> und Anthropologie," in Jürgen Schlumbohm et al., eds, /Rituale der
> Geburt. Eine Kulturgeschichte /(Munich, 1998), pp. 244-68; Daniel
> Gutscher, Susi Ulrich-Bochsler and Kathrin Utz Tremp, "«Hie findt man
> gesundheit des libes und der sele». Die Wallfahrt im 15. Jahrhundert
> am Beispiel der wundertätigen Maria von Oberbüren," in /Berns grosse
> Zeit. Das 15. Jahrhundert neu entdeckt /, ed. Ellen J. Beer et al.
> (Berne, 1999), pp. 380-91. A monograph on the ancient pilgrimage
> centre of Oberbüren is in preparation. It will appear in the
> collection /Publications périodiques de la Direction de l'instruction
> publique de canton de Berne /.
>
> Hope this helps,
>
> Jim Bugslag
>
> On 3 Mar 2008 at 16:09, Diana Wright wrote:
>
> > medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and
>
> > culture
>
> >
>
> > This is somewhat off the topic of this list, because so many of you
>
> > are medievalists, perhaps you can direct me: I would like to find out
>
> > anything I can about premature medieval babies. Do you know of any
>
> > sources that mention a premature birth & an infant who survives?
>
> >
>
> > DW
>
> >
>
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