Pelagia and Hagiography
A Paper by Shoeless Wanderer
Please do not redistribute without permission
Hagiographies were some of the most popular literature amongst Christians, starting in late antiquity and following well into the Middle Ages. These stories were often archetypal and had very little to do with the actual life of the saint they claimed to tell the story of. One of the most popular tropes in this genre was the repentant harlot. The story of Saint Pelagia exemplifies the repentant harlot hagiography as it tells the story of Pelagia’s conversion to Christianity and her repentant life that followed.
A hagiography is defined as a “biography of saints or venerated persons” or “idealizing or idolizing biography.” [1] Traditionally, the second definition plays a key role in the first part, as many elements of saint biographies include fictional aspects and occurrences in order to highlight the piety, faith and devotion of the saint, producing a biography that portrays them as an ideal version of a true Christian. Various elements were utilized, including conversion from pagan religions, various forms of temptation and in some cases, the devil himself would appear to try and win the saint over to the side of evil. In every case, the saint would stay faithful to God, serving as an example of faith and devotion to others. From these basic ideas came various archetypal stories, including stories of spiritual journeys, conversions, and repentant harlots. The story of Saint Pelagia serves to fulfil the hagiographic archetype of the repentant harlot. Elements of the archetype include “inspiration,” [2] and “renunciation/repentance,” [3] “followed by “the secret flight.” [4] In the case of Pelagia, there is the additional archetype of “disguise,” [5] as well as an overall “seeking the woman”[6] to create the repentant harlot trope.
Inspiration is perhaps the most important
aspect of any hagiography and is what leads any saint to seek God in the first
place. This inspiration can take many
forms. In the case of Pelagia, she is
said to have been inspired by a “glorious man” [7]
named Nonnos who was a bishop visiting
Repentance and renunciation are the next
element of hagiography in the story of Pelagia.
In many cases, repentance and renunciation are not important parts of
hagiographies, especially if the saint in question was divinely inspired as a
young child as many were said to have been.
However, as Pelagia fulfils the archetype of the repentant harlot, the
elements of repentance and renunciation and absolutely essential to the
story. According to the text, Pelagia
is baptised almost immediately after expressing her desire to become a
Christian. What is remarkable about this
is not only the speed at which this baptism occurs but at what happens afterwards. Almost immediately Satan appears, infuriated
by Pelagia’s conversion. He curses
Nonnos and then pleads with Pelagia to return to his fold, citing all of the
advantages he has given her over the years by making her such a well renowned
prostitute in
The next part of the hagiography of Pelagia is what Elliott calls “the secret flight.” According to Elliott, the secret flight is the point at which the saint departs from civilisation and “leaves behind all artefacts of civilization – the bonds of family life, friends, possessions – for all are impediments on the journey to salvation.” [11] The secret flight is most common in stories concerning monastic or ascetic saints who depart civilization to live in the desert in contemplation of God. In the case of Pelagia’s secret flight, she first gives away all of her world possessions to Nonnos in order to aid the church, and frees her servants and maids, giving each of them parting gifts. In most hagiographies, the saint in question would then depart from civilization However, the story of Pelagia is atypical in the respect that she does not do so immediately, but rather, remains in Antioch for several more days and lives with the deaconess Romana who provides her with food and shelter. Pelagia only leaves the city after receiving the permission of Nonnos to take off her baptismal robes. According to the text “that night she left dressed as a man…”[12] Although the writer reveals that Bishop Nonnos was aware of Pelagia’s departure and “rejoiced greatly,” [13] deaconess Romana is “stricken with grief.” [14] However, Pelagia’s departure is soon forgotten as the foreign bishops in the city leave.
Disguise
is a key element as the hagiography of Pelagia ends. Following the saint’s secret flight out of
The story of Pelagia also falls into
the “seeking the woman” trope. Alison
Eliot defines this particular trope as telling a story of a “woman… [who] is
not a virginal bride but a whore” and that there is always “a renunciation of
sexual activity for a life of virtuous chastity and penance” [18]
in the story. This brief description of the seeking the woman trope serves as a
concise summary of the entire story of Pelagia.
Recall that Pelagia first appears in the text as a prostitute and tool
of Satan until converted by Nonnos.
Following her baptism and several struggles with Satan himself, she
leaves
The story of Pelagia is an important piece of literature in understanding hagiographies. It is an excellent example of the formulas and tropes that define not only the story of the repentant harlot but also contains other general elements of the hagiographic genre as a whole. The fact that this story was written in the fourth century and was widely spread well into the middle ages effectively demonstrates how endearing and popular hagiographies truly were and their impact upon the believer.
Works Cited
Berseford, Andrew M. The Legends of the Holy Harlots: Thais and Pelagia in Medieval Spanish Literature. Tamesis, 2007.
Elliottt,
Alison. Roads to
“Hagiography.” The Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Eleventh edition 2004.
“The Life of
Pelagia.” Trans. Sebastian Brock and Susan Ashbrook. Christianity in Late Antiquity. Ed. Bart D.Ehrman and
Andrew S. Jacobs.
[1] Merriam-Webster’s
Dictionary 2004
[2] Bart D. Ehrman, Christianity
in Late Antiquity 404
[3] Bart D. Ehrman, Christianity in Late Antiquity 404
[4] Alison Elliott, Road to
[5] Alison Elliott, Road to
[6] Alison Elliott, Road to
[7] Bart D. Ehrman, Christianity in Late Antiquity 405
[8] Bart D. Ehrman, Christianity
in Late Antiquity 406
[9] Bart D. Ehrman, Christianity
in Late Antiquity 406
[10] Bart D. Ehrman, Christianity
in Late Antiquity 410
[11] Alison Elliott, Road to
[12] Bart D. Ehrman, Christianity in Late Antiquity 414
[13] Bart D. Ehrman, Christianity in Late Antiquity 414
[14] Bart D. Ehrman, Christianity in Late Antiquity 414
[15] Alison Eilot, Roads to
[16] Bart D. Ehrman, Christianity in Late Antiquity 415
[17] Bart D. Ehrman, Christianity in Late Antiquity 415
[18] Alison Eliot, Roads
to
[19] Andrew M. Besford, The
Legends of the Holy Harlots 61-62