[MR] Wikipedia: Anchoress Julian of Norwich

[Garth Groff and Sally Sanford]

Noble Friends,

On this date in 1378, Julian of Norwich recovered from a near fatal illness
during which she experienced a series of 16 visions of Christ.

Julian (probably not her original name) was about 30 when she had her
near-death experience. She became an anchoress in a churchyard cell at St.
Julian's Church in Norwich (named for Saint Julian the Hospitaler or Saint
Julian of Le Mans). Julian of Norwich eventually wrote an account of her
religious experiences, REVELATIONS OF DIVINE LOVE, which is the earliest
verifiable English-language book by a woman. The manuscript was not
published until the 17th century, so her fame up to that point comes mainly
from the fact that she was a well-known anchoress who dispensed religious
advice and blessings. Among her followers was Marjorie Kempe, whose
biography as a pilgrim (as well as being a chronic weeper and tiresome
religious scold) mentions her taking religious instruction from Julian.
Julian of Norwich died in 1416.

Apparently Julian was allowed to keep a cat, which must have come and gone
as it pleased. Cats are awfully hard to lock up.

In 1428 Julian's now-vacant cell was occupied by another Julian, Julian(a)
Lampet. The cell continued to be home to a series of anchorites until the
Dissolution. According to Wikipedia, Norwich had 58 parish churches in the
middle ages (plus the cathedral), and 36 had anchorite cells. This suggests
becoming an anchorite or anchoress was a rather fashionable spiritual
lifestyle around Norwich, especially after the original Julian gave it
considerable cachet.

More details about Julian of Norwich are at:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julian_of_Norwich .

Julian's REVELATIONS rates its own Wiki page:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revelations_of_Divine_Love .

St. Julian's church still stands, though it was much modified over the
years, and was heavily rebuilt after being flattened by a German bomb.
Julian's garden cell is long gone, and "her" cell is inside the church
building itself: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Julian%27s_Church,_Norwich
.

Oh, and Marjorie Kempe? You can read about her at
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margery_Kempe . Several editions of her bio
are available. In addition, there are many summary and commentary books
about her life. In our library we have the very readable MEMOIRS OF A
MEDIEVAL WOMAN: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF MARGERY KEMPE by Louise Collis (1964,
reprinted as a paperback by Harper & Row in 1983).

Yours Aye,


Lord Mungo Napier, Laird of Mallard Lodge  🦆