The Latin Lives of 'Trans(vestite) Saints' in Context
Final Report Abstract
The project explored conceptions of gender and sanctity in the Early Medieval Latin West through the Latin vitae of monachoparthenoi (lit. 'monk-virgins'), also often referred to as 'transvestite saints' - saints described as female at the beginning of their vita who adopted a male identity as part of their ascetic/monastic conversion. Many of these widely popular narratives originating in the Greek-speaking Eastern Mediterranean were translated into Latin – often multiple times. However, while scholarly debate has long focused on the Greek originals (and later vernacular translations), the Latin versions remained understudied. This project addressed that gap, analyzing how Western scribes reshaped these texts through processes of réécriture, i.e. rewriting, to fit the needs of new audiences. Some Latin writers attempted to clearly define the protagonists as female, while others did not problematize their gender transitions. At least two cases were identified where new translations explicitly rejected earlier versions’ gendered interpretations, highlighting contested understandings of gender and sanctity in the Latin West. The project combined quantitative and qualitative methods, laying the groundwork for a database cataloguing all pre-13th-century manuscripts transmitting these vitae, so that the contexts within which these vitae are transmitted can be assessed. This analysis is especially relevant today amidst increased visibility of and often violent backlash against trans identities. The findings reveal that debates over gender identity and transition are not modern phenomena. Early Medieval scribes grappled with similar issues, sometimes (arguably unsuccessfully) attempting to impose rigid gender binaries onto their texts, but just as often viewing the transcendence of gender boundaries inherent in these narratives as unproblematic, even positive aspects. By uncovering these dynamics, the project provides a deeper context for contemporary discussions on gender, as well as significantly advancing our understanding of how gender, sanctity, and textuality were negotiated in the Middle Ages.
Publications
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I, monster: queerness and the Liber Monstrorum in early medieval St Gall. Early Medieval Europe, 32(4), 543-564.
Eber, Michael
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Trans Saints in Context, or: What counts as one manuscript?, in: Digital Palaeography
Eber, Michael
