Holy Mothers in Pain: Childbearing and Breastfeeding in Byzantine Martyrdom Narratives
Holy Mothers in Pain: Childbearing and Breastfeeding in Byzantine Martyrdom Narratives
Author(s): Christodoulos PapavarnavasSubject(s): Christian Theology and Religion, Gender Studies, Cultural history, Theology and Religion, History of Religion
Published by: AV ČR - Akademie věd České republiky - Slovanský ústav and Euroslavica
Keywords: motherhood; martyrdom; Byzantine narratives; Perpetua and Felicity; Pistis, Elpis; Agape; Sophia; literary-critical approach; sainthood; spirituality; Greek Passions; Christian context;
Summary/Abstract: The goal of this article is to study the nexus between motherhood and martyrdom through a close reading of two early and middle Byzantine narratives whose protagonists are mothers and martyrs: the Passion of Perpetua and Felicity (BHG 1482, translated from the Latin original), and the Passion of Pistis, Elpis, Agape, and their mother Sophia in its pre-Metaphrastic and Metaphrastic versions (BHG 1637z and 1638). A literary-critical approach to these martyr narratives will show two seemingly opposed perceptions of motherhood: being a mother as a serious obstacle to martyrdom and sainthood, and being a mother as a prerequisite for achieving holiness. In both cases, the separation of the mother from her child proves to be a sign of spirituality. Overall, the investigation of these examples from Greek Passions contributes to a more nuanced understanding of the concept of motherhood in a Christian religious and literary context.
Journal: Byzantinoslavica - Revue internationale des Etudes Byzantines
- Issue Year: LXXXI/2023
- Issue No: 1-2
- Page Range: 80-104
- Page Count: 25
- Language: English
- Content File-PDF
