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Vézelay, Mary Magdalene, and Translatio Vézelay, Mary Magdalene, and Translatio
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Eugenia, Temptation, and Transformation Eugenia, Temptation, and Transformation
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Ganymede in Hell Ganymede in Hell
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Benedictine Regulations of Sex Benedictine Regulations of Sex
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Ganymede Revisited: Ambivalence, Translatio, Divine Love Ganymede Revisited: Ambivalence, Translatio, Divine Love
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The Sex Crimes of Priests The Sex Crimes of Priests
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Cite
Abstract
This chapter considers how twelfth-century monks in the abbey church of Vézelay experienced Ovid in translation. Undertaking a detailed analysis of carvings from the church’s sculpted capitals with sexual themes, the chapter focuses on the medieval monastery as a site for what (after Virginia Burrus) might be called the “countererotics” of religious enclosure. The chapter begins by discussing the abbey’s dedication to Mary Magdalene, whose reputation as a penitent prostitute provided monks with a model for their own pursuit of chastity. This is followed by a detailed analysis of a carving within the church representing the rape of Ganymede; a capital showing an episode from the life of Saint Eugenia, which highlights the protagonist’s ambiguous gender identity; and scenes depicting the sexual temptation of Saint Benedict. These examples demonstrate the transformative work of religious art as a means of fostering chastity and the love of God. The chapter concludes by considering the role played by age hierarchy in erotic scenarios, such as the myth of Ganymede. Why did age-structured pederasty—so troublesome from the perspective of modern sensibilities—occasionally play a symbolic role within medieval Christianity?
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