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medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture From: Anne Willis <[log in to unmask]> > I have often wondered why such persons as Edmund King and Martyr and Margaret of Scotland are numbered with the Saints. well, of course there could be any number of reasons why the memory of some person (or personage) might be thought worthy of being revered --especially among those who knew him/her in life and, thus, might have instituted some sort of local (more or less) "cult" following (which may or may not have blossomed into the mellifluous Fruit of formal Canonization). that process is understandable enough. in the case of Countess Adela, as i say, i've simply never come across any sort of rustle of a whisper of a hint that she was ever --even locally-- considered a fitting subject for suchlike treatment. which is not to say that she wasn't, of course, only that i've never come across the suggestion. among other things, she was a pretty Tough Cookie (the proper technical term, i believe) when dealing with purely mundane matters, a hard-headed, determined and pragmatic ruler with a clear strategic sensibility --as the articles and books of Kimberly LoPrete certainly make clear. doesn't disqualify her for sainthood, certainly, but doesn't qualify her for it, either. she was the recipient of a letter or two from Bishop/St. Ivo, and it/they are quite courteous (as i dimly recall), but Ivo was something of a pragmatist himself, and his dealings with her were certainly founded on the principle that she was a Force to be Reckoned With. she did have some sort of Tiff with some local ecclesiastical institution over one of her immediate staff --a fellow named Hugo Black, i believe-- down in Blois (she was, officially, Countess of Blois/Chartres)-- and this generated some sort of _petite scandale_, which may have involved Ivo (i can't recall), but it never went so far that she was excommunicated. (Ivo was pretty Big on Excommunication.) she has entries in the various Chartraine necrologies marking her death (and numerous benefactions), of course, but i know of no source --primary or secondary-- which suggests any sort of local cult for her. c ********************************************************************** 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