Who is hroswitha of gandersheim

Roswitha von Gandersheim. Hrotsvitha, approximately approximately Roswitha von Gandersheim was a female playwright and nun who lived in the tenth century, completing her works in Latin. She lived in a convent in Gandersheim and followed the Order of Saint Benedict.

He noted her deep knowledge of the scriptures, philosophers both Christian and Roman, Christian texts, and theater. She was especially influenced by the playwright Terence. While her birthdate cannot be pinpointed exactly, she was born between and into a noble family. She entered the abbey in her early twenties and remained in Gandersheim until her death, date suspected around On the other hand the themes of her six legends are quite varied: "The Martyrdom of St.

Gangolf" distichs , a Burgundian prince; "The youthful St. Pelagius" of Cordoba, whose recent martyrdom she relates in verses in accordance with reports gathered from eyewitnesses, was a contemporary of hers, hence the realism and impressiveness of the picture; the legend of "Theophilus" verses is the earliest poetical treatment of the medieval legend of Faust; of a similar tenor is the legend of St.

Basil verses , in which an unhappy youth is saved from a diabolical pact; the list closes with the martyrdom of St. Dionysius verses and that of St. Agnes verses. This last poem, which is based on the biography of the saint ascribed to St.

Ambrose , is written with great fervour. The language is simple but smooth, and frequently even melodious. But her poetical reputation rests, properly speaking, on her dramatic works.

As regards her motives in adopting this form of literary expression she herself gives sufficient explanation. Lamenting the fact that many Christians , carried away by the beauty of the play, take delight in the comedies of Terence and thereby learn many impure things, she determines to copy closely his style, in order to adapt the same methods to the extolling of triumphant purity in saintly virgins, as he has used to depict the victory of vice.

A blush often mounted to her cheeks when in obedience to the laws of her chosen form of poetical expressions she was compelled to portray the detestable madness of unholy love. This last remark applies peculiarly to the case of five of her dramas, the theme of which is sensual love. The pious nun's treatment of her subject is of course on a higher moral plane, and she is skilled in demonstrating the principle, in the midst of rather bold situations, that the greater the force of temptation the more admirable is the final triumph of virtue.

The most popular work, judging at least from the numerous transcripts thereof, is the "Gallicanus". This general of Constantine the Great , while still a pagan , seeks in marriage the emperor's daughter, Constantia , who however has long since consecrated herself as a spouse to the Lord; the suitor becomes converted and suffers a martyr's death.

Her second drama is a most singular composition, in which humour and gravity are strangely compounded. Though he does not know it, his appearance as he emerges is that of a charcoal burner, and his utter discomfiture is led up to in the merriest of scenes; the three maidens win the palm of martyrdom. It was written in prose as six comedies, all of them love stories.

She writes in her preface that her writing will appeal to many who are attracted by the charm of style. Her plays feature the chastity and perseverance of Christian women and contrast these to the perceived Latin portrayal of women as weak and emotional. The third book contains two historical writings in Lionical hexameters: the Gesta Ottonis Gesta Oddonis , a history of the Ottonians from the years to , and the Primordia coenobii Gandeshemensis , a history of the Gandersheim Monastery from the years to Since she was one of the first female writers of her time, her work was not taken with the same respect it would have been if she was a man.

People were still close-minded on who could write plays and they believed that it could only be a man. Which is why Hrotsvith continued to stress in her writings that people look past her gender because it was god given. She was very spiritual so she credited her talents to god and insinuated that her writing was what he ultimately wanted. Emmeram at Ratisbon, and were published in to the great delight of all lovers of poetry.

These poems emphasized her German ancestry, her versatility and her broad education. The thin sources on Hrotsvitha quickly led to its national appropriation: An English scholar made her the daughter of a king of Northumbria, other scholars declared her a Byzantine princess because of her knowledge of Greek. In summary, Hrotsvitha was either stylized in the reception of his work as an extraordinary figure or exposed as a forgery when writing and poetry did not fit in with the contemporary notion of femininity.

If writing and poetry fit into the female image, their activity was an expression of their female identity, and in principle Hrotsvitha was an exceptional phenomenon. Since Bad Gandersheim has annually awarded the Roswitha Prize, named for Hrosvitha, to female writers; since the Roswitha Ring has been awarded at the close of each summer season of the Gandersheimer Domfestspiele to the outstanding actress.