Christina of Markyate

Christina of Markyate

Christina of Markyate was born in Huntingdon, England c. 1095–1100, and died perhaps after 1155. As a young girl or adolescent, named Theodora, she took a vow of chastity, so her parents' attempts to force her unwillingly into marriage led her to run away from home and go into hiding under the care of a hermit, Roger, a monk and deacon of St Albans Abbey, who lived at Markyate, Hertfordshire. During this period of secret confinement, she experienced her first visions of the Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ.

After a protracted process, her husband freed her from her marital obligations, and she was able to emerge from hiding. As her reputation for holiness and her visionary gifts became widely known, a number of other women gathered around her at Markyate, which had been left to her by Roger when he died in 1121 or 1122. Her community received considerable financial support from Geoffry de Gorham or Gorron, Abbot of St Albans, and she formally professed as a nun, in about 1130 or 1131. In 1145, the land on which Markyate stood was formally handed over to the nuns by the canons of St Paul's Cathedral, London, who owned it, in exchange for a nominal rent, and her community was formally consecrated as the Priory of Markyate and dedicated to The Holy Trinity.

There are three important records of her life:

  • a Latin manuscript containing an account of her life (first edited by C. H. Talbot; superseded by the edition of Hermite-Leclercq)
  • several biographical details in the chronicles of St Albans Abbey
  • the so-called St Albans Psalter, which she probably owned

She is also mentioned in two documents dated 1155 which suggest, but do not prove, that she was still alive in that year. [source?]

Further reading

Dyckhoff, Peter, Christina, Ein Klosterleben im Mittelalter, ISBN 3-7984-0769-X; J. F. Steinkopf Verlag, Kiel; Preis 15,90 EUR

External links



Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужна курсовая?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Markyate — Coordinates: 51°50′10″N 0°27′18″W / 51.836°N 0.455°W / 51.836; 0.455 …   Wikipedia

  • St. Albans Psalter — The St Albans Psalter, also known as the Albani Psalter or the Psalter of Christina of Markyate, is an English illuminated manuscript, one of several Psalters known to have been created at or for St Albans Abbey in the 12th century. [Rodney M.… …   Wikipedia

  • Albani-Psalter — Albani Psalter: Die Hl. Drei Könige folgen dem Stern …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • List of Christian mystics — Not everyone listed here is Christian or a mystic, but all have contributed to the Christian understanding of, connection to and/or direct experience of God. 1st Century * John the Baptist; * Paul the Apostle (? –c. 66); * John the Apostle (?… …   Wikipedia

  • Geoffrey de Gorham — (Goreham, Gorron), sometimes called Geoffrey of Dunstable or of Le Mans) (d. at St. Alban s, 26 February1146) was a Norman scholar who became Abbot of St Albans Abbey, 1119 to 1146.LifeHe was from the province of Maine, then annexed to the… …   Wikipedia

  • Ranulf Flambard — Infobox bishopbiog name =Ranulf Flambard religion =Catholic See =Diocese of Durham Title = Bishop of Durham Period = 1099 ndash;1128 Predecessor = William de St Calais Successor =Geoffrey Rufus ordination = bishops = post = date of birth = place… …   Wikipedia

  • Thurstan — Infobox Archbishop of York name = Thurstan birth name = Thurstan consecration = 16 August 1114 began=unknown term end = 21 January 1140 resigned predecessor = Thomas II successor = Waltheof birth date = circa 1070 birthplace = Normandy death date …   Wikipedia

  • List of female mystics — Bahá í Faith= * Táhirih * Bahiyyih Khánum * Ásíyih Khánum Buddhism *Alexandra David Néel author of books on Tibetan Mysticism Christianity *Beatrice of Nazareth Flemish nun *Joan of Arc French saint *Teresa of Avila Spanish saint *Hildegard of… …   Wikipedia

  • List of illuminated manuscripts — This is a list of illuminated manuscripts. 2nd century *Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale, cod. suppl. gr. 1294 (Romance Papyrus) 3rd century *Oxford, Sackler Library, Oxyrhynchus Pap. 2331 (Heracles Papyrus) 4th century *Berlin, Staatsbibliothek zu… …   Wikipedia

  • Henrietta Leyser — Infobox Writer imagesize = 150px name = Henrietta Leyser caption = pseudonym = birthdate = birthplace = deathdate = deathplace = occupation = Historian university of Oxford nationality = British period = genre = subject = Middle Ages History of… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”