medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Hi, Theresa
Yes indeed, some males are Virgins too. Cf. Samantha Riches, "St George as a Male Virgin Martyr", in Riches and Sarah Salih, _Gender and Holiness: Men, Women and Saints in Late Medieval Europe _ (Routledge, 2002), pp. 65-85.
But are they so characterized in their hagiographic labels (brief notices in a calendar, titles/headings of Passiones, etc.)? It's chiefly the matter-of-fact way that Usuard says this of Jovita in a very brief entry (the first for these saints in the "historical" martyrologies) that causes people to think that he's inferring (or transmitting a now lost earlier inference) from the form of the name that J. is female. Here's the entry in its entirety:
"Civitate Brixa, sanctorum martyrum Faustini et Iobitae virginis."
Does anyone know whether Usuard ever characterizes a male saint as "virgo"?
Best again,
John Dillon
On Friday, February 16, 2007, at 9:52 am, Theresa Gross-Diaz wrote:
>
> Maybe Usuard does think J. is female, but aren't some male saints
> described as "virgins" too? I seem to recall having seen that...
> TGD
>
> >>> John Dillon <[log in to unmask]> 2/15/2007 7:48 PM >>>
> medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
>
> Today (15. February) is the feast day of:
>
> 1) Faustinus and Jovita (d. early 1st cent., supposedly). .....
> Usuard, who lists them for today, seems not to know their story and,
> presumably thinking him female, characterizes as J. a virgin.
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