Old Polish mystical texts of women against the background of Spanish religious literature of the Golden Age (Teresa of Ávila and John of the Cross) Cover Image

Staropolskie teksty mistyczne kobiet na tle hiszpańskiej literatury religijnej Złotego Wieku (Teresa z Ávila i Jan od Krzyża)
Old Polish mystical texts of women against the background of Spanish religious literature of the Golden Age (Teresa of Ávila and John of the Cross)

Author(s): Kamila Żukowska
Subject(s): Studies of Literature
Published by: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Łódzkiego
Keywords: Spanish mysticism; Teresa of Ávila; John of the Cross; Old Polish women’s literature

Summary/Abstract: The article presents selected old Polish mystical texts of women (both secular and religious) against the background of the Spanish mystical tradition of the Golden Age. The text outlines the geopolitical situation of the Republic of Poland and Spain between the 16th and 18th centuries, emphasizing the specificity of women’s lives in the European periphery. The analysis made use of findings in the field of geopoetics and border studies, branches of literary studies that are now increasingly being applied to comparative research. The article presents anonymous female works written in the Carmelite circle, which are interpretations of Teresian themes or allusions to specific texts of Saint Teresa and Saint John of the Cross. In addition, the texts of the most famous old Polish religious writers, Magdalena Mortęska and Marianna Marchocka, are cited here, indicating borrowings from ascetic-mystical Spanish literature. The article also presents selected threads of secular writers, whose works may indicate the specificity of life in the periphery – which may contribute to the choice of the mystical path.

  • Issue Year: 65/2022
  • Issue No: 2
  • Page Range: 19-44
  • Page Count: 26
  • Language: Polish
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