'Agite, agite et uenite!' Corrupted breath, corrupted speech and encounters with the restless dead in Geoffrey of Burton's Vita sancte Moduenne virginis

Gordon, Stephen ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7778-2555 2022. 'Agite, agite et uenite!' Corrupted breath, corrupted speech and encounters with the restless dead in Geoffrey of Burton's Vita sancte Moduenne virginis. Journal of Medieval History 48 (2) , pp. 183-198. 10.1080/03044181.2022.2060485

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Abstract

Written accounts of supernatural encounters often include reference to speech acts performed by the evil agent. In such instances, the human interlocutor may be overcome by sickness, sometimes leading to death. Despite the close relationship that existed between physical and metaphysical health in theological discourse, encounters with ‘diseased’ supernatural agents generated little in the way of overt explanatory frameworks, especially in historical or literary writings. Focusing on the tale of the Drakelow revenants found in Geoffrey of Burton’s Vita sancte Moduenne virginis (c.1118–35), this article evaluates the aetiology of interactions between the living and the undead, with particular reference to the dangerous speech exhibited by the restless ghost. The investigation begins with an exploration of the medical and theological context behind the belief in the transmission of ill health, before concluding with an examination of how such motifs were utilised for didactic effect in the creation of Geoffrey’s Vita.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Published Online
Status:	Published
Schools:	English, Communication and Philosophy
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
ISSN:	0304-4181
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	27 March 2023
Date of Acceptance:	21 February 2022
Last Modified:	08 Nov 2023 07:56
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/157586

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