 |
 |
> From: Pippin Michelli [SMTP:[log in to unmask]] > I've thought that the reason "virgin" was emphasized as a female "career path" to sainthood is that there weren't many options for women. Men had more options, some of which involved virginity, some of which did not. > Somewhere (in two different places, and long ago) I read that a married > woman was considered still intact because her husband had the rest of her > completeness, and that St Kentigern pronounced a rape victim an honorary > virgin because it wasn't her fault that she was no longer intact and > therefore no longer beautiful. > Interesting. In medieval Ireland the opposite conclusion was reached: that being intact was essential as a qualification to being abbess. Knowing that, the leader of a tribe used it to his political advantage. A women's monastery in his territory was headed by an abbess who was not willing to support his political aims. So he attacked the monastery and raped the abbess. He told the church authorities that the abbess must be removed, they agreed, and an abbess of his choosing was put in her place. I'm not sure whether this was a simple case of the chieftain "persuading" the authorities to see things his way, or whether this was an established attitude. However, it may be worth considering that in Irish tradition, a maimed leader could not remain in the leadership. Francine Nicholson %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%