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Per Graham Jones' interest in diffusion of the cult of Mary Magdalene; the
litanies are a particularly interesting category of evidence for diffusion.
Might they perhaps witness to a slightly higher level of cultic activity than
indicated by the calendars (in general)? I certainly would like to be able to
use Mary Magd's appearance in the litanies as a dating device of sorts. Maurice
Coens, in his "Anciennes litanies des saints," in _Recueil d'etudes
bollandiennes_, Subs. Hag. #37 (Bruxelles, 1963), mentions (p. 165) that Mary
Magdalene is invoked in the eleventh century additions to a 9th century litany
of Ratisbon (Munich lat. 14816). I have seen her invoked, as well, in a 12th
cent. litany major of Corbie (Paris, BN lat. 11949, f. 31v). Coens also cites
(p. 308) a late 9th cent. addition, invoking her, in a 9th cent. litany of
Corbie (Amiens, BM 18); I do have some questions about this date for the
additions, however, on contextual grounds. Note that Mary Magd. is not invoked
in the vast majority of the litanies that Coens examined, to include another
9th century litany of Corbie (Zurich, Car. C. 161). Coens also mentions (p.
156) Mary Magdalene's appearance in an 11th century addition, in a new hand, to
the calendar in ms. 45 of Cologne, under July 22.
To Otfried's very useful bibliography, one might add:
Victor Saxer, _Le culte de Marie-Madeleine en occident des origines a la fin du
moyen-age_ (Paris, 1959).
idem, "L'Origine des reliques de sainte Marie Madeleine a Vezelay dans la
tradition historique du moyen age," _Revue des sciences religieuses_ 29 (1955):
1-18.
Patrick Geary also discusses her translatio to Vezelay in his Sacra Furta.
Dave Van Meter
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