The Cult of St Ursula and the 11,000 Virgins

This volume considers the development and transmission of the legend of St Ursula and the 11,000 virgins martyred in Cologne, and discusses a selection of the texts, songs and works of art that were inspired by their heroic martyrdom. The legend of St Ursula is an epic tale which recounts how this daughter of a British king, reluctantly agreed to marry a pagan prince in order to save her father's kingdom, but delayed the betrothal by insisting on performing one final pilgrimage to Rome in the company of 11,000 virgins. The virgins never returned to Britain, having reputedly been martyred in Cologne. In the twelfth century, a mass grave was discovered and it was claimed that these were the relics of St Ursula and her companions. This book looks in detail at the history and cult of St Ursula, and traces the development of her legend explaining why she became so popular in many different countries and regions. Medieval art, music and legend inspired by Ursula's heroic martyrdom are all discussed here for the first time. The cult of St. Ursula and the 11,000 virgins was one of the most popular and relic-rich of all saints cults in the medieval period. In this volume, Jane Cartwright provides an interdisciplinary collection of essays that explore the medieval art and texts that were instrumental in the wide transmission of the legend of St. Ursula. The Cult of St Ursula and the 11,000 Virgins will appeal to art historians, as it details the origins of the popular symbols that appear in artistic depictions of St. Ursula and her martyred companions. The book will also be of great interest to students of medieval literature, history, gender studies, religious studies, and the history of music. The cult of St Ursula and the 11,000 virgins was one of the most popular and relic-rich of all saints’ cults in the medieval period. This volume constitutes the first interdisciplinary collection of essays in English to explore the development and transmission of the legend of St Ursula in detail, considering a wealth of different sources including physical remains, literary texts, artistic representations and medieval music.