medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture

But there may be some other factors to consider in attempting to 
associate all three panels with the Thecla traditions. The story of 
"Paul and Thecla" contains significant variations in what is preserved 
in the various versions. At one point, Thecla is said to dress like a 
man when she follows Paul (a detail much discussed in the modern 
literature) -- "And she took young men and maids, and girded herself, 
and sewed her mantle into a cloak after the fashion of a man, and 
departed into Myra, and found Paul ..." (M.R.James,  section 40; see 
http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/actspaul.html). Whether this 
tradition is adequate to locate Thecla, as a male, in the top panel is a 
question worth asking.

I don't know what to do with the person holding a scroll on the left 
side of the top panel. It's not Paul, but perhaps could be Thecla as a 
male preacher/teacher. And the water scene to the right is a bit 
unusual, even for the Moses tradition (but see 
http://www.corbisimages.com/Enlargement/DE003102.html and 
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ana_sudani/3322867891/ and 
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ana_sudani/3860003274/ ). Thecla does end 
up in a cave near the end of her career, but whether a water flow is 
involved is not clear to me, nor who the two chaps with "oriental" head 
coverings might be. Here is the summary given by M.R.James (he doesn't 
give a translation of any specific text): "A long appendix is given by 
other Greek copies, telling how in Thecla's old age (she was ninety) she 
was living on Mount Calamon or Calameon, and some evil-disposed young 
men went up to ill-treat her: and she prayed, and the rock opened and 
she entered it, and it closed after her." Perhaps some tradition has 
water flowing from the closed up entrance, and the young men drinking 
from the water, but there is nothing like this in the available old 
translation at http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf08.vii.xxvi.html.

As for the middle panel, here is the relevant M.R.James text: "she cast 
herself into the water in the name of Jesus Christ; and the seals, 
seeing the light of a flash of fire, floated dead on the top of the 
[tank of] water" (34). Right after that, her mother Tryphaena faints and 
is thought to be dead (36), but recovers and expresses belief in 
resurrection (39). How she is revived and whether Thecla has anything to 
do with it is not clear, although in the context, the previously naked 
Thecla is supplied with some sort of covering -- "the governor ... 
commanded garments to be brought and said [to Thecla] : Put on these 
garments" (38). So it is possible that the middle panel relates to that 
part of the story, with Thecla bowed down in front of the bed and the 
governor standing by with someone else.

In any event, very interesting panels, whatever their interpretation! Is 
it normal with such panels for the story line to run from the lower to 
the upper?

Bob Kraft, UPenn


John Dillon wrote:
> medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
>
> On Thursday, September 30, 2010, at 11:34 pm, Genevra Kornbluth wrote:
>
>   
>> Dear John,
>> While it would be lovely to see the life of Thecla played out 
>> extensively on these panels, I'm afraid that there are some major 
>> problems with that interpretation. The top panel really can't be T 
>> receiving water, as all figures shown are male.
>>     
>
> Dear Genevra,
> You're quite right about this.  I should have noticed the obviously male dress of the figure drinking the water from the rock.
>
>   
>> ... and both he and the man behind him 
>> wear "oriental" hats (not the loose hair or veils of women).
>>     
> Are women never shown wearing such headgear?  Thecla appears to be wearing something similar in the scene of her listening to Paul preach (of course, then she's still pagan):
> http://tinyurl.com/29neypn
>  
>   
>> The second panel is generally thought to show the resurrection of 
>> Tabitha by Peter, a servant woman reacting in amazement on the left.
>>     
>
> I'm trying to remember where it was that I saw this panel interpreted as Thecla being handed over to Tryphaena and, at left, T. next to her baptismal pool in the amphitheatre.  It was a recollection of that interpretation which led to my misguided statements about the panels.  Thank you for the prompt correction.
>
> Best again,
> John Dillon
>    
> PS: I had also written: 
>   
>> The British Museum's text accompanying that image describes only the 
>> lowest of the three panels shown.
>>     
>
> The BM has parallel texts for the other two panels (just not linked to from that particular page):
> http://tinyurl.com/2fghdmc
> http://tinyurl.com/27s6mt3
>
> **********************************************************************
> To join the list, send the message: join medieval-religion YOUR NAME
> to: [log in to unmask]
> To send a message to the list, address it to:
> [log in to unmask]
> To leave the list, send the message: leave medieval-religion
> to: [log in to unmask]
> In order to report problems or to contact the list's owners, write to:
> [log in to unmask]
> For further information, visit our web site:
> http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/medieval-religion.html
>
>   

**********************************************************************
To join the list, send the message: join medieval-religion YOUR NAME
to: [log in to unmask]
To send a message to the list, address it to:
[log in to unmask]
To leave the list, send the message: leave medieval-religion
to: [log in to unmask]
In order to report problems or to contact the list's owners, write to:
[log in to unmask]
For further information, visit our web site:
http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/medieval-religion.html