Saint Michael The Archangel In Medieval English Legend

187 Pages·2005·10.42 MB·English

by  RICHARD F. JOHNSON

Saint Michael the Archangel in
Medieval English Legend
AlthoughthereexistsavastbodyofscholarlyworkonStMichaeltheArch-
angel,thisbookisthefirstcomprehensivestudyofthegenesisanddiffusionof
thelegendsofthearchangelinmedievalEngland.PartIofthisstudyidentifies
andanalyzestheconcerns,conflicts,androleswithwhichStMichaelisassoci-
atedfromscripturalandapocryphalliteraturethroughthehomileticliterature
of the medieval period. Part II begins with a discussion of the vernacular
recensions of the popular account of the archangel’s earthly interventions
(BHL5948).AcloseexaminationofthelegendaryaccountsinOldEnglish,
Anglo-Norman,andMiddleEnglishofthearchangelinhisrolesasguardian,
intercessor,psychopomp,andwarrior-angelfollows.TheAppendicescontain
thefirstEnglishtranslationofthearchangel’shagiographicfoundation-myth
(BHL 5948); an annotated bibliographic list and motif index of textual
materialsrelatingtothearchangel;andanessayontheiconographicrepresen-
tations of the archangel in medieval England.
DRRICHARDF.JOHNSONisAssistantProfessorofEnglishatWilliamRainey
Harper College. He is also Chair of the Humanities Department and
Co-Coordinator of International Studies and Programs at the college.

Saint Michael the Archangel in
Medieval English Legend
Richard F. Johnson
THE BOYDELL PRESS
© Richard F. Johnson 2005
All Rights Reserved.Except as permitted under current legislation
no part of this work may be photocopied, stored in a retrieval system,
published, performed in public, adapted, broadcast,
transmitted, recorded or reproduced in any form or by any means,
without the prior permission of the copyright owner
The right of Richard F. Johnson to be identified as
the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with
sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988
First published 2005
The Boydell Press, Woodbridge
ISBN 1 84383 128 7
The Boydell Press is an imprint of Boydell & Brewer Ltd
PO Box 9, Woodbridge, Suffolk IP12 3DF, UK
and of Boydell & Brewer Inc.
668 Mt Hope Avenue, Rochester, NY 14620, USA
website: www.boydellandbrewer.com
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available
from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Johnson, Richard F. (Richard Freeman), 1961–
Saint Michael the Archangel in medieval English legend / Richard F. Johnson.
p. cm.
Summary: “A study of the representations of St. Michael in the liturgy,
literature, and iconography of the period” – Provided by publisher.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 1–84383–128–7 (alk. paper)
1. Michael (Archangel) – Cult – England – History – To 1500. 2. England –
Religious life and customs. 3. Michael (Archangel) – Legends – History and
criticism. 4. Legends, Christian – England – History and criticism. I. Title.
BT968.M5J64 2005
235'.3 – dc22 2004025427
This publication is printed on acid-free paper
Typeset by Pru Harrison, Hacheston, Suffolk
Printed in Great Britain by
Antony Rowe Ltd, Chippenham, Wiltshire
Contents
List of Tables vi
Acknowledgements ix
Abbreviations xi
Introduction 1
Part I. Genesis and Migration of the Legends
1. Literary Origins of the Archangel’s Legendary Roles 9
2. The Archangel’s Legendary History 31
Part II. The Archangel in Medieval English Legend
3. Vernacular Versions of the Hagiographic Foundation-Myth 49
4. The Archangel as Guardian and Psychopomp 71
5. The Archangel and Judgment 87
Conclusion 105
Appendices
A. Text and Translation ofBHL5948 109
B. The Michael Inventory 116
C. The Motif Index 137
D. Saint Michael in Medieval English Iconography 140
Bibliography 149
Index 171
Tables
1. Summary of St. Michael’s roles in the Latin Transitus Mariae B tradition 29
2. Summary of anomalous archangel roles in the Assumption narratives 79
For Silas, Ellie, Nate, and Blair

Acknowledgements
This work began some ten years ago as research toward the preparation of my
doctoraldissertation.Duringthattimeandsince,Ihavereceivedmuchhelpfrommany
quarters.Themembersofmydissertationcommittee,ProfessorCatherineA.Regan,
ProfessorBarbaraNewman,ProfessorWilliamD.Paden,Jr.,andProfessorThomasN.
Hall,eachdeservemyhardythanksfortheirsteadyguidanceduringthoselongyears.I
wouldespeciallyliketohonorthememoryofmyfriendandadvisorProfessorPhillip
Pulsiano.ImustalsoextendameasureofpersonalgratitudetoProfessorThomasHall,
ProfessorCharlesD.Wright,ProfessorRaymondJ.S.Grant,Dr.ChristineRauer,Dr.
JohnDamon,andDr.TimothyGrahamfortheirenduringfriendshipandencourage-
mentinmywork.IwishtothankespeciallyProfessorGordonWhatleyforhisunfailing
encouragementofmyworkandhisgeneroushelponthetranslationofSt.Michael’s
hagiographic dossier (BHL 5948) which appears as Appendix A. For permission to
reprint the Monumenta Germaniae Historica edition of the “De apparitione Sancti
Michaelis”byG.WaitzinAppendixA,IthankWolframSetz.Forhelpovertheyearsin
resolvingissuesmajorandminor,IalsothankProfessorSarahKeefer,thelateProfessor
J. E. Cross, Professor Zbigniew Izydorczyk, Professor Thomas Head, Professor R. I.
Page, Dr. Thomas Tipton, Dr. David Johnson, Dr. Mildred Budny, and Dr. John C.
Arnold.Andforherdivinepatienceandgenuinesympathy,Iwholeheartedlythank
Caroline Palmer, Commissioning Editor, Boydell & Brewer.
IwouldberemissifIdidnotacknowledgemyesteemedcolleaguesandco-chairsof
theEnglishDepartmentatWilliamRaineyHarperCollege,KurtNeumannandSeema
Kurup(andmostrecentlyCatherineRestovich),forcreatingadepartmentalenviron-
mentconduciveofthissortofscholarlyendeavorandfortheirsupremeindulgenceof
myschedulingneeds.IwouldalsoliketothankTimothyPhilbinoftheInterlibrary
Loan Department of Harper College for his uncanny and indefatigable skills at
procuringmanyoftheworksIconsulted,andWilliamPankey,CoordinatorofLibrary
Technologies, for his comments on and enthusiasm for my work on St. Michael. I
should also thank my Honors students at Harper College for patiently and uncom-
plaininglyreadingportionsofPartIofthiswork;yourcommentshavemadethistext
marginallymorereadable.AndthankstoPatti,Janet,Diana,Judy,andevenKeithfor
putting up with me and this obsession.
Finally,IowethedeepestdebttomywifeBlairandourchildren,Silas,Elspeth,and
Nathaniel,whohavesufferedpatientlythedemandsthisprojecthasmadeonmytime
and energy. In some small measure of recompense, I dedicate this book to them.
Naturally these acknowledgements of gratitude and debt involve no reciprocal
complicity in whatever errors or infelicities remain in the text. I alone assume the
responsibility for any such indiscretions.
Harper College R.F.J.
Feast of St. Michael the Archangel
29 September 2004