Saints, Wives, and Other 'Hooly Thynges': Pious Laywomen in Middle English Romance

Description: Addresses medieval writers' uses of saints' lives in Middle English romances of persecuted laywomen. "Le Bone Florence of Rome," "The King of Tars," "Emare," and MLT exemplify the influence of, and variations from, early pious romances. The conclusions, however, endorse a new kind of legend: one that affirms the value of family, marriage, and social order and praises the saint who sacrifices to protect her family and obey her husband.; The vindication of patriarchal authority found in these romances resulted from insecurities about gender issues in the late Middle Ages.