Katherine Group
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The so-called ''Katherine Group'' is a group of five 13th century
Middle English Middle English (abbreviated to ME) is a form of the English language that was spoken after the Norman conquest of 1066, until the late 15th century. The English language underwent distinct variations and developments following the Old English p ...
texts composed by an anonymous author of the English
West Midlands West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth. Etymology The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some ...
, in a variety of Middle English known as
AB language In English philology, AB language is a variety of Middle English found in the Corpus manuscript, containing ''Ancrene Wisse'' (whence 'A'), and in MS Bodley 34 in Bodleian Library, Oxford (whence 'B'). The Bodley manuscript includes what is known a ...
. The texts are all addressed to anchoresses (religious recluses) and praise the virtue of
virginity Virginity is the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. The term ''virgin'' originally only referred to sexually inexperienced women, but has evolved to encompass a range of definitions, as found in traditional, modern ...
.


The texts

* The sermon ''Hali Meiðhad'' ("holy maidenhood"), directed at anchoresses or recluses, praising the virtues of virginity over worldly marriage. It was written in ca. 1182–1198 in the
West Midlands West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth. Etymology The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some ...
of England. * The allegory '' Sawles Warde'' ("refuge of the souls") * ''Seinte Juliene'', life of
Juliana of Nicomedia Saint Juliana of Nicomedia is said to have suffered Christian martyrdom during the Diocletianic persecution in 304. She was popular in the Middle Ages, especially in the Netherlands, as the patron saint of sickness. Historical background Both th ...
* ''Seinte Margarete'', life of
Margaret of Antioch Margaret, known as Margaret of Antioch in the West, and as Saint Marina the Great Martyr ( grc-gre, Ἁγία Μαρίνα) in the East, is celebrated as a saint on 20 July in the Western Rite Orthodoxy, Roman Catholic Church and Anglicanism, o ...
* ''Seinte Katherine'', life of
Catherine of Alexandria Catherine of Alexandria (also spelled Katherine); grc-gre, ἡ Ἁγία Αἰκατερίνη ἡ Μεγαλομάρτυς ; ar, سانت كاترين; la, Catharina Alexandrina). is, according to tradition, a Christian saint and virgin, wh ...
. All five texts are preserved in the manuscript Oxford, Bodleian Library, Bodley 34. All except ''Hali Meiðhad'' are also in British Library, Royal 17 A XXVII. Additionally, British Library
Cotton Titus This is an incomplete list of some of the manuscripts from the Cotton library that today form the Cotton collection of the British Library. Some manuscripts were destroyed or damaged in a fire at Ashburnham House in 1731, and a few are kept in othe ...
D XVIII has ''Sawles Warde'', ''Seinte Katherine'' and ''Hali Meiðhad''.


Editions


Hali Meiðhad

*
Early English Text Society The Early English Text Society (EETS) is a text publication society founded in 1864 which is dedicated to the editing and publication of early English texts, especially those only available in manuscript. Most of its volumes contain editions of ...
(1922) *A. F. Colborn (1940) *Bella Millett (1972),


Literature

* Fletcher, A. J. (1993) "Black, white and grey in ''Hali Meidhad'' and ''Ancrene Wisse'': evidence for dating from mention of religious orders' habits", in: ''Medium Aevum'' (1993) * Millett, Bella (1996) ''Ancrene Wisse, the Katherine Group, and the Wooing Group'' * Millett, Bella & Wogan-Browne, J. (1990) ''Medieval English Prose for Women: selections from the Katherine Group and Ancrene Wisse''. Oxford: Clarendon Press *
Tolkien, J. R. R. John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (, ; 3 January 1892 – 2 September 1973) was an English writer and philology, philologist. He was the author of the high fantasy works ''The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of the Rings''. From 1925 to 1945, Tolkien was ...
: ** ''Holy Maidenhood'' (1923) ** ''
The Devil's Coach Horses "The Devil's Coach Horses" is a 1925 essay by J. R. R. Tolkien (" devil's coach horse" is the common name of a particular kind of rove beetle). Tolkien draws attention to the devil's steeds called ''eaueres'' in '' Hali Meidhad'', translated "bo ...
'' (1925) ** ''Some Contributions to Middle-English Lexicography'' (1925) ** ''
Ancrene Wisse and Hali Meiðhad "Ancrene Wisse and Hali Meiðhad" is a 1929 essay by J. R. R. Tolkien on the thirteenth century Middle English treatise ''Ancrene Wisse'' ("The Anchoresses' Rule") and on the tract on virginity '' Hali Meiðhad'' ("Holy Maidenhood"). The essay ha ...
'' (1929) ** ''"Iþþlen" in Sawles Warde'' (1947)


Related groups of texts

The Katherine Group is similar in language and content to the ''
Ancrene Wisse ''Ancrene Wisse'' (also known as the ''Ancrene Riwle'' or ''Guide for Anchoresses'') is an anonymous monastic rule (or manual) for female anchoresses written in the early 13th century. The work consists of eight parts: divine service, keeping the ...
'' and the ''
Wooing Group The Wooing Group (or Wohunge Group) is a term coined by W. Meredith Thompson to identify the common provenance of four early Middle English prayers and meditations, written in rhythmical, alliterative prose. The particular variety of Middle English ...
''.Michelle M. Sauer, 'Wooing Group', in ''Encyclopedia of Medieval Literature'' (2013), http://medieval_literature.enacademic.com.


References


External links


Katherine Group
(upenn.edu) {{Middle English devotional literature Christian hagiography Cotton Library Middle English literature Women of medieval England