The Apocryphal Adam and Eve in Medieval Europe : Vernacular Translations and Adaptations of the Vita Adae Et Evae

What happened to Adam and Eve after their expulsion from paradise? Where the biblical narrative fell silent apocryphal writings took up this intriguing question, notably including the Early Christian Latin text, the Life of Adam and Eve . This account describes the (failed) attempt of the couple to return to paradise by fasting whilst immersed in a river, and explores how they coped with new experiences such as childbirth and death. Brian Murdoch guides the reader through the many variant versions of the Life , demonstrating how it was also adapted into most western and some eastern European languages in the Middle Ages and beyond, constantly developing and changing along the way. The study considers this development of the apocryphal texts whilst presenting a fascinating insight into the flourishing medieval tradition of Adam and Eve. A tradition that the Reformation would largely curtail, stories from the Life were celebrated in European prose, verse and drama in many different languages from Irish to Russian. Contents......Page 12 Conventions of Reference......Page 13 Abbreviations......Page 14 1. Apocrypha, Pseudepigrapha, the Adambooks, and the Vita Adae et Evae......Page 16 2. Ireland......Page 57 3. England, Wales, and Cornwall......Page 89 4. The Holy Roman Empire and Beyond......Page 152 5. France, Brittany, and Italy......Page 223 6. Iconography......Page 254 7. Litteras Achiliachas: Conclusion......Page 267 Appendix: An Overview of the Vernacular Texts......Page 278 Bibliography......Page 282 B......Page 302 G......Page 303 L......Page 304 P......Page 305 W......Page 306 Z......Page 307 Contents 12 Conventions of Reference 13 Abbreviations 14 1. Apocrypha, Pseudepigrapha, the Adambooks, and the Vita Adae et Evae 16 2. Ireland 57 3. England, Wales, and Cornwall 89 4. The Holy Roman Empire and Beyond 152 5. France, Brittany, and Italy 223 6. Iconography 254 7. Litteras Achiliachas: Conclusion 267 Appendix: An Overview of the Vernacular Texts 278 Bibliography 282 Index 302 A 302 B 302 C 303 D 303 E 303 F 303 G 303 H 304 I 304 J 304 K 304 L 304 M 305 N 305 O 305 P 305 Q 306 R 306 S 306 T 306 U 306 V 306 W 306 Y 307 Z 307 This text explores what happened to Adam and Eve after their expulsion from Paradise. Professor Murdoch considers the varied development of the apocryphal material, and presents an analysis of the flourishing medieval tradition of Adam and Eve, celebrated in European prose, verse, and drama