The Life of Saint Eufrosine: In Old French Verse, with English Translation
- Editor: Amy V. Ogden
- Translator: Amy V. Ogden
- Pages: 216
- Published: 2021
- ISBN: 9781603295055 (Paperback)
“Ogden’s excellent side-by-side French and English translation is not only perfect for medieval and modern French courses, but it can be readily utilized in religion, history, literature, psychology, sociology, gender, and feminist study classes.”
—Studies in Medieval and Renaissance Teaching
As a young woman from a wealthy family, Eufrosine was expected to marry a nobleman. Instead, she wanted to serve God. So she cut her hair, dressed as a man, and traveled to a monastery, becoming a monk named Emerald.
Adapted from a Latin source, this saint’s life dates to about 1200 CE. Devout yet erotic, lyrical yet didactic, it blends hagiography with romance and epic in order to engage and inspire a broad audience. The tale invites readers to rethink preconceived notions of the Middle Ages, the relation between spiritual and secular values, and ideas about the history of sexuality, identity, and family.
Only fragments of the poem have been previously translated. This edition includes the first full translation alongside the Old French original as well as a glossary and other supporting material.
Acknowledgments (ix)
Introduction (xi)
Chronological List of Selected Editions and Translations of Other Versions of Saint Euphrosyne’s Life (xxxi)
Further Reading on the Old French and Other Versions of Saint Euphrosyne’s Life (xxxv)
Note on the Text (xxxix)
Note on the Translation (xlv)
De sainte Eufroysine • About Saint Eufrosine (2)
Abbreviations (151)
Glossary (153)
Works Cited (161)
“Ogden’s Eufrosine fills a need for saints’ lives in translation.”
—Maureen Boulton, University of Notre Dame
“A welcome addition to the growing corpus of medieval hagiographic works in translation designed for upper-division classroom use.”
—Nancy Vine Durling, Independent Scholar
“An accessible, engaging volume that will appeal to scholars and students alike, this long-overdue edition and English translation of the Old French saint’s Life is of principal interest to teachers of undergraduates in a variety of medieval subfields, as well as an affordable reference work for scholars.”
—Speculum: A Journal of Medieval Studies
