Description
Book SynopsisAs the patron of travelers, Saint Christopher inspired one of the most popular cultsinthemedievalera,which spreadacrossEuropeand especiallythe Iberian Peninsula.Artisticrenderings of the saintwerefound nearthe doors of most Spanish Gothic churches,andparatheatrical representations of Saint Christopher werealsocommonplace in religious processions. His conversion and martyrdom wereoftenstaged between the fifteenth and early eighteenth centuries.In the theater, Juan de Benavides'sVida ymuertede San Cristóbalis one of two knowncomediasdealing with the saint, but it was heavily censored after its premiere.The immense popularity of St. Christopher and other primitive saints first drew the attention of the Council of Trent in the mid-1500s, when the Catholic Church attempted to suppress the influence of the earlier saints due to their fantastical nature.Thestoriesof these saintswere censored, rewritten or even omitted in the post-Tridentinemartyrologies. Thispublicationis the firstcritical editionof the only extant copy ofBenavides'splayscript.The circumstances surroundingBenavides's play continuea dialogue about such important topics as censorship and the influence of the churchover artistic production.
Table of ContentsI. St. Christopher in Medieval and Early Modern Spanish Hagiographies
a. Introduction to the Legend of St. Christopher
b. St. Christopher’s Life and Death in the Pasionario hispánico, Golden Legend, and Various Versions of the Flos sanctorum
c. The Valencian Obras a llaors del benauenturat lo senyor sant cristofol: The Only Extant Collection of Poetry Dedicated to the Saint
d. St. Christopher on Stage: Processional Performances and Dramatic Representations
e. Plot Summary of Vida y muerte de San Cristóbal
II. Study of Vida y muerte de San Cristóbal by Juan de Benavides
a. Authorship
b. Inquisitorial Censorship of the Play
c. Versification
d. Synopsis of Metrical Styles
e. The Manuscript
f. Works Cited
g. This edition
III. Vida y muerte de San Cristóbal by Juan de Benavides
