Medieval Anchorites in their Communities (Studies in the History of Medieval Religion, 45)

Essays challenging the orthodox opinion of anchorites as entirely divorced from the world around them.Much of the research into medieval anchoritism to date has focused primarily on its liminal and elite status within the socio-religious cultures of its day: the anchorite has long been depicted as both solitary and alone, almost entirely removed from community and living a life of permanent withdrawal and isolation, in effect dead to the world. Considerably less attention has been afforded to the communal sociability that also formed part of the reclusivelife during the period, The essays in this volume, stemming from a variety of cross-disciplinary approaches and methodologies, lay down a challenge to this position, breaking new ground in their presentation of the medievalanchorite and other types of enclosed solitary as playing a central role within the devotional life of the communities in which they were embedded. They attest also to the frequent involvement of anchorites and other recluses in local, national and, sometimes, international matters of importance. Overall, the volume suggests that, far from operating on the socio-religious periphery, as posited previously, the medieval anchorite was more often found at theheart of a sometimes intersecting array of communities: synchronic and diachronic; physical and metaphysical; religious and secular; gendered and textual. CATE GUNN has taught in the Continuing Education and LiteratureDepartments of the University of Essex; LIZ HERBERT MCAVOY is Professor of Medieval Literature at Swansea University. Contributors: Diana Denissen, Clare Dowding, Clarck Drieshen, Cate Gunn, Catherine Innes-Parker, E.A. Jones, Dorothy Kim, Liz Herbert McAvoy, Godelinde Perk, James Plumtree, Michelle Sauer, Sophie Sawicka-Sykes, Andrew Thornton OSB, Essays challenging the orthodox opinion of anchorites as entirely divorced from the world around them. Much of the research into medieval anchoritism to date has focused primarily on its liminal and elite status within the socio-religious cultures of its the anchorite has long been depicted as both solitary and alone, almost entirely removed from community and living a life of permanent withdrawal and isolation, in effect dead to the world. Considerably less attention has been afforded to the communal sociability that also formed part of the reclusivelife during the period, The essays in this volume, stemming from a variety of cross-disciplinary approaches and methodologies, lay down a challenge to this position, breaking new ground in their presentation of the medievalanchorite and other types of enclosed solitary as playing a central role within the devotional life of the communities in which they were embedded. They attest also to the frequent involvement of anchorites and other recluses in local, national and, sometimes, international matters of importance. Overall, the volume suggests that, far from operating on the socio-religious periphery, as posited previously, the medieval anchorite was more often found at theheart of a sometimes intersecting array of synchronic and diachronic; physical and metaphysical; religious and secular; gendered and textual. CATE GUNN has taught in the Continuing Education and LiteratureDepartments of the University of Essex; LIZ HERBERT MCAVOY is Professor of Medieval Literature at Swansea University. Diana Denissen, Clare Dowding, Clarck Drieshen, Cate Gunn, Catherine Innes-Parker, E.A. Jones, Dorothy Kim, Liz Herbert McAvoy, Godelinde Perk, James Plumtree, Michelle Sauer, Sophie Sawicka-Sykes, Andrew Thornton OSB, Frontcover -- Contents -- List of Illustrations -- Acknowledgements -- List of Contributors -- Abbreviations -- Introduction: 'No Such Thing as Society?' Solitude in Community -- 1 'O Sely Ankir!' -- Part I. Religious Communities -- 2 The Anchoress of Colne Priory: A Solitary in Community -- 3 Anchorites in their Heavenly Communities -- 4 Rule Within Rule, Cell Within Cloister: Grimlaicus's Regula Solitariorum -- Part II. Lay Communities -- 5 English Nuns as 'Anchoritic Intercessors' for Souls in Purgatory: The Employment of A Revelation of Purgatory by Late Medieval English Nunneries for Their Lay Communities -- 6 'In aniversaries of ower leoveste freond seggeth alle nihene': Anchorites, Chantries and Purgatorial Patronage in Medieval England -- 7 'Item receyvyd of ye Anker': The Relationships between a Parish and its Anchorites as Seen through the Churchwardens' Accounts -- 8 The Curious Incident of the Hermit in Fisherton -- 9 Was Julian's Nightmare a Māre? Julian of Norwich and the Vernacular Community of Storytellers -- Part III. Textual Communities -- 10 Anchoritic Textual Communities and the Wooing Group Prayers -- 11 The Anchoress Transformed: On wel swuðe god ureisun of God almihti and þe wohunge of ure lauerd in the Fourteenth-Century A Talkyng of the Love of God -- 12 Ancrene Wisse and the Egerton Hours -- Bibliography -- Index Introduction - Liz Herbert McAvoy and Cate Gunn'O Sely Ankir!' - E.A. JonesThe Anchoress of Colne Priory: A Solitary in Community - Cate GunnAnchorites in their Heavenly Communities - Sophie Sawicka-SykesRule Within Rule, Cell Within Cloister: Grimlaicus's Regula Solitariorum - Andrew ThorntonEnglish Nuns as 'Anchoritic Intercessors' for Souls in Purgatory: The Employment of A Revelation of Purgatory by Late Medieval English Nunneries for Their Lay Communities - Clarck Drieshen'In anniversaries of ower leoveste freond seggeth alle nihene': Anchorites, Chantries and Purgatorial Patronage in Medieval England - Michelle M. Sauer'Item receyvyd of ye Anker': The Relationships between a Parish and its Anchorites as seen through the Churchwardens' Accounts - Clare DowdingThe Curious Incident of the Hermit in Fisherton - James PlumtreeWas Julian's nightmare a Mare? Julian of Norwich and the Vernacular Community of Storytellers - Godelinde Gertrude PerkAnchoritic Textual Communities and the Wooing Group Prayers - Catherine Innes-ParkerThe Anchoress Transformed: On wel swude god ureisun of God almihti and the wohunge of ure lauerd in the Fourteenth-Century A Talkyng of the Love of God - Diana DenissenAncrene Wisse and the Egerton Hours - Dorothy KimBibliographyIndex Much Of The Research Into Medieval Anchoritism To Date Has Focused Primarily On Its Liminal And Elite Status Within The Socio-religious Cultures Of Its Day. The Anchorite Has Long Been Depicted As Both Solitary And Alone, Almost Entirely Removed From Community And Living A Life Of Permanent Withdrawal And Isolation: In Effect Dead To The World. The Essays In This Volume, Stemming From A Variety Of Cross-disciplinary Approaches And Methodologies, Lay Down A Challenge To This Position, Breaking New Ground In Their Presentation Of The Medieval Anchorite And Other Types Of Enclosed Solitary As Playing A Central Role Within The Devotional Life Of A Whole Range Of Complex And Multifaceted Communities: Ones That Were Simultaneously Synchronic And Diachronic, Physical And Metaphysical, Religious, Secular, Textual - And Gendered. It Therefore Offers Its Readers A New Way Of Understanding The Operations Of The Solitary Life In The Middle Ages And Its Interdependence With A Whole Array Of Communities, Ultimately Adding To Our Knowledge Of How Spiritual Aloneness Could Be Pursued Ardently, Even In The Midst Of Communal Interaction. Edited By Cate Gunn And Liz Herbert Mcavoy. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Much of the research into medieval anchoritism to date has focused primarily on its liminal and elite status within the socio-religious cultures of its day. The anchorite has long been depicted as both solitary and alone, almost entirely removed from community and living a life of permanent withdrawal and isolation: in effect dead to the world. The essays in this volume, stemming from a variety of cross-disciplinary approaches and methodologies, lay down a challenge to this position, breaking new ground in their presentation of the medieval anchorite and other types of enclosed solitary as playing a central role within the devotional life of a whole range of complex and multifaceted communities: ones that were simultaneously synchronic and diachronic; physical and metaphysical; religious and secular; gendered and textual. It therefore offers its readers a new way of understanding the operations of the solitary life in the Middle Ages and its interdependence with a whole array of communities, ultimately adding to our knowledge of how spiritual "aloneness" could be pursued ardently, even in the midst of communal interaction