I certainly ought to have included her, as my Community of the Holy Family
was given St Pega's Hermitage. It is said in the legend that when she
arrived as a pilgrim in Rome, having disobediently buried her brother
Guthlac, all the bells began ringing - like that moment in 'St Erkenwald'.
Her emblem is the swan. Perhaps I forgot her because she was too close to home!
Julia
At 11.37 04/04/97 -0500, you wrote:
>Actually, on the topic of sisters, there is Pega, the sister of the
>Anglo-Saxon St. Guthlac, who was essential in burying his body, moving the
>relics etc. She is in the Latin vita, but is curiously missing from the
>version in the Exeter Book - although it has been argued by John Pope that the
>missing section of the ms. had to contain her part of the stpry. Prof.
>Stephanie Hollis, one of the truly inspired feminist Anglo-Saxonists working
>today, has noted that Pega goes from being the quintessential, virtuous
>sister-in-Christ to somewhat morally suspect in later interpretations. She
>seems to be "missing" from a few manuscripts. Interesting stuff, indeed.
>Regards, Terry
>
>
____
Julia Bolton Holloway, Hermit of the Holy Family
via del Partigiano 16, Montebeni, 50014 FIESOLE, ITALY
http://members.aol.com/juliansite/Juliansite.htm
Gregory on Benedict: 'quia animae videnti Creatorem angusta est omnis creatura'.
Julian of Norwich: 'For a soul that seth the Maker of al thyng, all that is
made semyth fulle lytylle'.
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