Genevieve in the Revolution Delany is author of many articles and books in medieval and early modern literature and culture including on Chaucer, Christine de Pizan, Elias Levita and others.
Genevieve was by no means without a presence in revolutionary France. Nor were all the other saints, whether local or national, ancient or modern, real or fictional. These stories were kept before the rural and urban population in every medium: oral, textual, and visual. Its original aim was constitutional monarchy on the British model along with a constitutional Catholic church that would eliminate the most blatant abuse and corruption in the clerical hierarchy. It need not surprise us, then, that St.
Occupied with important national affairs, we have ignored those military celebrations and processions, objects of entertainment and expense, which daily are seen to proliferate in this capital ; for if we lack bread and laws, at least splendor and devotion console us. Today, though, one of those parades appears which draws public attention: it is the national guard citizens from neighborhoods in the Saint-Antoine suburb who have reunited, headed up by young virgins of those neighborhoods.
Their numerous cortege is going to be blessed by Saint Genevieve and to place under the protection of this patron saint of the capital, a model of the Bastille. This model, four feet high, recalls the moment of the siege of this fortressβ¦They have imitated everything, the weapons, the men, the flags, the cannons, and this model produced all the effect one might have expected. But that is precisely what strikes the modern reader: that the Bastille, symbol of popular revolt, is not only associated with but blessed by the symbol of combined Church and monarchy, for among St.
Il marcha toujours droit, sans regarder les cieux. What is new about his legendary? A number of things, and to illustrate them I shall focus on his treatment of St. Few hagiographers have made this choice, as is understandable considering that only about a quarter of saints, and few authors, were women. In , when anti-clerical and anti-religious sentiments were not uncommon in Paris, and were spreading to the provinces, this doubtless seemed a realistic hope.
