Book of Hours
The woman first saw the stranded pilgrim, babe in arms, on a poster on the wall of the Medieval Center at the University of Bordeaux the year she finally studied abroad. The black-and-white illustration showed a mother kneeling on the.
The article begins with a young woman studying abroad in Bordeaux, France, where she encounters a poster depicting a medieval legend at the University of Bordeaux’s Medieval Center. The illustration shows a pilgrim stranded on the beach near Mont Saint-Michel, a tidal island in Normandy, during a storm. The Virgin Mary appears to save the woman, who is in labor, by sheltering her in her sleeves, which are described as a protective and sacred space. The pilgrim gives birth to a son named Peril and later dedicates him to the priesthood as a sign of gratitude. The legend is part of a manuscript called Miracula Beatae Mariae Virginis (Miracles of the Virgin), compiled by two English monks, Dominic of Evesham and William of Malmesbury, in the first half of the 12th century. The pilgrim’s story is set against the backdrop of Mont Saint-Michel, a site of religious significance, accessible only during low tide.
The young woman learns in her medieval women’s literature class that the legend of the pilgrim’s miraculous delivery was originally attributed to Saint Michael, the archangel, not the Virgin Mary. The English monks who compiled the Miracula Beatae Mariae Virginis manuscript rewrote the story, attributing the miracle to the Virgin Mary instead. This act is described as a theft by her professor, Professor Compère, who explains that the monks likely altered the story to elevate the Virgin Mary’s status. The original legend, Le Roman du Mont-Saint-Michel, described Saint Michael saving the pilgrim, but the monks added a postscript acknowledging that while Saint Michael was credited in the original, it was the Virgin who truly performed the miracle. The class discusses why the monks might have made this change, questioning whether they believed the Virgin was the true source of the miracle or if they were intentionally reshaping the narrative.
The young woman later reads Le Roman du Mont-Saint-Michel, the original version of the legend, to compare it with the rewritten miracle. In the original, the pilgrim’s husband is less devout, and the circumstances of Saint Michael’s intervention are different. After giving birth in the ocean, the pilgrim tells her companions that an archangel blessed her, though they do not see the angel themselves. The young woman reflects on why the pilgrim’s word was accepted as sufficient proof of the miracle, questioning the reliability of women’s testimonies in medieval society. She wonders if the belief in miracles was flexible enough that any saint or angel could be credited with performing one, as long as the believer experienced it as real. This reading deepens her curiosity about medieval literature and its cultural context.
During her year in Bordeaux, the young woman studies medieval manuscripts, including Miracula Beatae Mariae Virginis and Le Roman du Mont-Saint-Michel, under Professor Compère. These texts blur the line between academic study and personal faith for her. She realizes that the binary she had internalized—between religious devotion and intellectual pursuit—does not need to exist. She stops attending church regularly, finding the experience unfulfilling compared to the intellectual and artistic richness of her studies. Away from home, she feels liberated to explore her faith on her own terms, though she still grapples with the hypocrisy of cherry-picking her beliefs. Her newfound freedom extends to her personal life, where she begins a relationship with a fellow student, experiencing intimacy and connection she had not previously sought.
After returning to her university in California, the young woman feels a sense of disorientation but also confidence, having mastered French and immersed herself in medieval studies. She decides to add an emphasis in medieval studies to her French major and begins researching PhD programs in medieval literature. Her fascination with manuscripts, their illuminations (decorative illustrations), and marginal notes drives her ambition. She approaches Professor Brown, a medievalist specializing in women of the Middle Ages, who becomes a mentor. The young woman shares her discovery of the stolen miracle and her plan to translate Le Roman du Mont-Saint-Michel. Professor Brown explains that the Virgin Mary’s cult status in the Middle Ages made such narrative shifts common, as she was often credited with miracles to elevate her role in the church.
In her senior year, the young woman dedicates herself to translating *Le Roman du Mont-Saint-Michel* and preparing graduate school applications. She works late into the night, correcting translations and researching word choices, often losing track of time. Her focus is intense, leaving little room for distraction. This period of concentration coincides with her first encounter with Ted, a fellow student at a Catholic-themed party. Ted is dressed as a bunch of grapes, a playful reference to the Eucharist (the Christian ritual involving bread and wine symbolizing Christ’s body and blood). Their conversation reveals shared experiences of Catholic school, and they bond over their mutual discomfort with the party’s themes. The encounter marks the beginning of a new chapter in her personal life, though the article ends before detailing its progression.
