Katherine Group

The so-called "Katherine Group" is a group of five 13th century Middle English texts composed by an anonymous author of the English West Midlands. The texts are all addressed to anchoresses (religious recluses) and praise the virtue of virginity.
*the sermon "Hali Meiðhad" "holy maidenhood", directed at anchoresses or recluses, praising the virtues of virginity over worldly marriage. It was written in ca. 1190–1225 (dated to after 1224 by Fletcher 1993) in the West Midlands of England.
*the allegory "Sawles Warde" "refuge of the souls"
* "Seinte Juliene", life of Juliana of Nicomedia
*"Seinte Margarete", life of Margaret of Antioch
*"Seinte Katherine", life of Catherine of Alexandria.

All five texts are preserved in the manuscript "Bodley 34". All except "Hali Meiðhad" also in "Royal 17 A XXVII". Additionally, "Cotton Titus D XVIII" has "Sawles Warde", "Seinte Katherine" and "Hali Meiðhad"

J. R. R. Tolkien has repeatedly published on the Katherine Group, in "Holy Maidenhood" (1923), "Some Contributions to Middle-English Lexicography" und "The Devil's Coach-Horses (1925)", "Ancrene Wisse and Hali Meiðhad" (1929) and "Iþþlen" in Sawles Warde" (1947).

Editions

Hali Meiðhad

*Early English Text Society (1922).
*A. F. Colborn (1940).
*B. Millet (1972), ISBN 9780197222867.

Literature

*Bella Millett, "Ancrene Wisse, the Katherine Group, and the Wooing Group" (1996) ISBN 0859914291
*B. Millett, Bella, J. Wogan-Browne, "Medieval English Prose for Women : Selections from the Katherine Group and Ancrene Wisse" Clarendon Press (1990), ISBN 9780198112051.
*A. J. Fletcher, "Black, white and grey in 'Hali Meidhad' and 'Ancrene Wisse.' (evidence for dating from mention of religious orders' habits) ", Medium Aevum (1993).
*J.R.R. Tolkien, "Ancrene Wisse and Hali Meiðhad"
*J.R.R. Tolkien, "The Devil's Coach Horses"

ee also

*Ancrene Wisse
*AB language

External links

* [http://www.ling.upenn.edu/hist-corpora/PPCME2-RELEASE-2/info/katherine-group.htm Katherine Group] (upenn.edu)