MENTAL DISORDERS IN ANGLO-SAXON HAGIOGRAPHIES
MENTAL DISORDERS IN ANGLO-SAXON HAGIOGRAPHIES
Author(s): Zsuzsa ZávotiSubject(s): History of Church(es), Comparative Studies of Religion
Published by: Studia Universitatis Babes-Bolyai
Keywords: madness; mental disorder; Anglo-Saxon; medicine; Old English; demon possession.
Summary/Abstract: This article examines the representation of mental disorders in Anglo-Saxon hagiographies, analyzing perceptions, symptoms, cultural contexts, and narrative purposes. Anglo-Saxon views on the mind and soul, influenced by both vernacular and classical traditions, shape understandings of madness. Old English terminology for madness reflects diverse cultural INFLUENCES, ranging from naturalistic-organic to supernatural etiologies. Analysis of the hagiographies show that there was a tendency to depict demon possession as madness, which could partly be attributed to the Anglo-Saxon way of perceiving the soul and mind, partly to the narrative purpose, and partly to the influential sources.
Journal: Studia Universitatis Babes-Bolyai - Theologia Catholica Latina
- Issue Year: 69/2024
- Issue No: 1
- Page Range: 82-102
- Page Count: 21
- Language: English