Original scientific paper

Saint Catherine – the first learned woman in Croatian literary culture

Dunja Fališevac ; Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb, Zagreb

Abstract

The Life of St. Catherine, a Latinic prose legend about an Alexandrian martyr and saint, written down/transcribed at the end of the 15th century, is one of the most beautiful works of Croatian medieval prose: it is written in sublime style, ornamented with numerous rhetorical figures, sometimes structured as rhythmic prose. The main character of the hagiography is St. Catherine, not only a beautiful but also an educated and learned woman who, with her knowledge, wisdom and art of rhetoric defends the Christian truth. The character of a learned woman can rarely be found in Croatian medieval literature.

Keywords

Saint Catherine; hagiography; septem artes liberales; rhetoric

Hrčak ID:

65874

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/65874

Publication date:

31.12.2010.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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