Golden Legend: Saint Margaret
Growing up with devout Catholic parents, I am surprised I have not heard of many of the women saints. Also, the language in these religious stories is much more detailed and intricate compared to the Aesop folk stories I read last week. After researching more, I gained some geographical context; St. Margaret's story took place in Antioch of Pisidia found currently in central Turkey. The story introduces her unusual upbringing. For one, she was raised by non-christian parents who essentially abandoned her at an infant and gave her away to "nurses" to raise her. This "nurse," which I assume to mean a caregiver in context, was the woman who introduced St. Margaret first to the church through baptism and through the foundations of christianity. When confronted by Olybrius, a lustful and greedy man, she does not sacrifice her beliefs for the conveniences and privileges she would've received is she agreed to be his mistress. Instead, St. Margaret confidently stands up, challenges, and even shames Olybrius for is misunderstandings on why Jesus died on the Christ. I found it almost humorous how her standing up to him was so frustrating to the degree that he made the drastic decision to literally lock her up in prison— like she could ever be a threat to humanity or society. The author used intense and in-depth imagery to describe the gruesome torture and the amount of blood Olybrius intended to draw. Even with these horrific words, she continues to speak her truth and does not back down to the men.
The devil is brought to life and disguised through the mystical dragon creature. Typically, the devil is symbolized with a serpent, so a much bigger and more ferocious reptile inflicts a fearful tone into the reader. The symbol of St. Margaret rupturing the dragon's belly by making the sign of the cross represents how her Christian faith was strong enough the defeat any evil. The dragon also used methods of temptation, similar to the well-known biblical story Adam and Eve and other stories of the devil tempting Jesus. And ultimately, her Christian faith remained strong in the face of temptation.
Growing up with devout Catholic parents, I am surprised I have not heard of many of the women saints. Also, the language in these religious stories is much more detailed and intricate compared to the Aesop folk stories I read last week. After researching more, I gained some geographical context; St. Margaret's story took place in Antioch of Pisidia found currently in central Turkey. The story introduces her unusual upbringing. For one, she was raised by non-christian parents who essentially abandoned her at an infant and gave her away to "nurses" to raise her. This "nurse," which I assume to mean a caregiver in context, was the woman who introduced St. Margaret first to the church through baptism and through the foundations of christianity. When confronted by Olybrius, a lustful and greedy man, she does not sacrifice her beliefs for the conveniences and privileges she would've received is she agreed to be his mistress. Instead, St. Margaret confidently stands up, challenges, and even shames Olybrius for is misunderstandings on why Jesus died on the Christ. I found it almost humorous how her standing up to him was so frustrating to the degree that he made the drastic decision to literally lock her up in prison— like she could ever be a threat to humanity or society. The author used intense and in-depth imagery to describe the gruesome torture and the amount of blood Olybrius intended to draw. Even with these horrific words, she continues to speak her truth and does not back down to the men.
The devil is brought to life and disguised through the mystical dragon creature. Typically, the devil is symbolized with a serpent, so a much bigger and more ferocious reptile inflicts a fearful tone into the reader. The symbol of St. Margaret rupturing the dragon's belly by making the sign of the cross represents how her Christian faith was strong enough the defeat any evil. The dragon also used methods of temptation, similar to the well-known biblical story Adam and Eve and other stories of the devil tempting Jesus. And ultimately, her Christian faith remained strong in the face of temptation.
St. Margaret of Antioch, Wikimedia
Bibliography: F.S. Ellis, Golden Legend: Saint Margaret (link)
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