"Rule of lyf alle folk to sewe": Lay responses to the cult of St Katherine of Alexandria in late-medieval England, 1300-1530

This thesis proposes some of the reasons why the cult of St Katherine of Alexandria attained such a prominent place in the devotions of the laity role model. The texts of her life offer paradigms of religious, spiritual, social in late-medieval England. It argues that although she was a powerful intercessor, an extremely important part of her appeal was her status as a and cultural conduct. Using an interdisciplinary methodology this thesis argues that St Katherine was presented as a model of the ideal lay Christian, and explores whether the laity perceived her to be relevant and validating or extrinsic and unattainable. The projected lay readings of St Katherine which this thesis presents have been obtained by considering the setting within which texts of her life and other material relating to her cult would have been encountered by her devotees. St Katherine embodied no one essential meaning but served a variety of functions and had a number of cultural roles assigned to her. Chapter 1 introduces the various sources upon which the subsequent analysis is based. Chapter 2 provides an account of the early cult of St Katherine, in order to establish the basis for its status in late-medieval England. This chapter also explores the nature of her sanctity. Chapters 3 and 4 consider some possible meanings and functions of the cult within the parish and the household respectively. Chapter 5 explores the relevance of St Katherine for lay women in particular, seeking to establish whether she was a patron and exemplar of positive value to them. By this approach this thesis seeksto demonstrate the value of saints' cults not only for what they can tell us about devotion to individual saints, but for the light they can shed on the societies in which they flourish.