In Praise of the Saints: Introducing Medieval Hagiography into the British Literature Survey

Despite increased interest in hagiographic writing among scholars of early literature in the last few decades, serious study of saints’ lives in the undergraduate classroom remains rare. To some degree, this is a result of poor representation in the leading anthologies,[1]but another contributing factor has been the perception of a distinction between hagiographic and other medieval writing it terms of genre or of literary value. Such distinctions, however, are modern inventions, and do not accurately reflect the medieval reader or writer’s view. Nor is the inclusion of the literature alongside the expected “great works” difficult or jarring; a short section on hagiography can in fact be introduced into a survey course with great ease. Indeed, because many texts already common to these surveys assume a reader’s intimate knowledge of the cult of the saints, most commonly-offered surveys (especially courses such as World Literature to 1500 and the ubiquitous survey of pre-1800 British Literature) will actively benefit from the inclusion of hagiographic writing. Students exposed to hagiographic materials will understand the traditions influencing Bede’s biographical sketches, make deeper connections with Gawain’s fealty to the Marian cult, and of course illuminate the import of the “hooly blisful martir” whose shrine the Canterbury pilgrims seek. This short essay offers several suggestions for incorporating the saints into an undergraduate curriculum

Saint's Law: Anglo-Saxon Sanctuary Protection in the Translatio et Miracula S. Swithuni

Lantfred of Winchester's Translatio et Miracula S. Swithuni is one of many hagiographical texts incorporating legal and customary traditions connected to the sanctuary privilege as proof of the saints' protection of holy places. Lantfred's specific usage of sanctuary episodes highlights Swithun's intercessory role in secular as well as spiritual matters. Analysis of the "wheat thief" narrative (previously unrecognized as a sanctuary case) along with other tales in the miracle collection suggests Lantfred's strategic use of Winchester's sanctuary space as a rebuke to overzealous enforcers of later Anglo-Saxon law. The text carefully presents Swithun as a merciful alternative to the harshness of royal justice — a notable feat considering the Wessex royal family's close involvement with Winchester and Swithun's early cult

A Response to A Description of Merger Applied to the Montana State University Context

This article presents a comment on the study A Description of Merger Applied to the Montana State University Context. The Merging section reflects quite accurately on key issues from the perspective of students, parents, staff, taxpayers, alumni, and the general public. The manuscript section focused upon the Eastern Montana College-Montana State University merger presents many excellent insights into the merger/affiliation process that were and continue to be real experiences and perceptions, accurate or inaccurate, of an institution being forced into the merger/affiliation. The merger/affiliation process appears to have produced modes, positive shifts in public perceptions regarding the Montana University System. Perhaps, the most significant, unfilled promise of the merger process has been the University System\u27s failure to demonstrate to the taxpayers, legislators, and the public at large, significant savings

SWECS tower dynamics analysis methods and results

Several different tower dynamics analysis methods and computer codes were used to determine the natural frequencies and mode shapes of both guyed and freestanding wind turbine towers. These analysis methods are described and the results for two types of towers, a guyed tower and a freestanding tower, are shown. The advantages and disadvantages in the use of and the accuracy of each method are also described

Symbiont 'bleaching' in planktic foraminifera during the Middle Eocene Climatic Optimum

Many genera of modern planktic foraminifera are adapted to nutrient-poor (oligotrophic) surface waters by hosting photosynthetic symbionts, but it is unknown how they will respond to future changes in ocean temperature and acidity. Here we show that ca. 40 Ma, some fossil photosymbiont-bearing planktic foraminifera were temporarily 'bleached' of their symbionts coincident with transient global warming during the Middle Eocene Climatic Optimum (MECO). At Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Sites 748 and 1051 (Southern Ocean and mid-latitude North Atlantic, respectively), the typically positive relationship between the size of photosymbiont-bearing planktic foraminifer tests and their carbon isotope ratios (δ13C) was temporarily reduced for ∼100 k.y. during the peak of the MECO. At the same time, the typically photosymbiont-bearing planktic foraminifera Acarinina suffered transient reductions in test size and relative abundance, indicating ecological stress. The coincidence of minimum δ18O values and reduction in test size–δ13C gradients suggests a link between increased sea-surface temperatures and bleaching during the MECO, although changes in pH and nutrient availability may also have played a role. Our findings show that host-photosymbiont interactions are not constant through geological time, with implications for both the evolution of trophic strategies in marine plankton and the reliability of geochemical proxy records generated from symbiont-bearing planktic foraminifera