Preview

Knight Owein's Journey to Saint Patrick's Purgatory

Powerful Essays
Open Document
Open Document
965 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Knight Owein's Journey to Saint Patrick's Purgatory
HI789/790: The Art of Death The knight Owein's journey through Saint Patrick Purgatory 03/12/2007 Picard Marion Introduction The knight Owein's journey through Saint Patrick Purgatory is a story written by a monk named H. of Saltrey because we don't know his first name. Another monk had told him this story and H. wrote it down. Maybe this report was one of those the monks used to tell among us and so story would rely on oral transmission. Brief summary: It took place in the early 12th century. The knight wanted a penance according to the measure of his sins: a journey in Saint Patrick purgatory. What is this? Since Saint Patrick didn't succeed in converting Irish people to the Christian faith, the Christ showed him a hole and explained that, if somebody wanted to know what happen after you die, he could go into the hole and see the punishments in store for the sinners and the joy of the saints. If he avoided temptation, he would be clear of all his sins. That was why Owein entered Saint Patrick purgatory through a cavern after devoting fifteen days to fasting and prayers despite the warning of the bishop and of the prior. In the hole, fifteen men dressed as monks explained to him what he had to do and they withdrew. Then Owein visited places where people suffered terribly but always managed to stay safe invoking the name of Christ protect him but the devils told him: « this is not hell » and they showed him the infernal punishments. After crossing a bridge, Owein came to a door and visited a wonderful place with a lot of happy people, sweet fragrances, a strong light... people dressed as archbishops explained to him what he had seen. Then, the knight came back to earth with a purged soul. Comments of a general nature: -Owein' journey was described like an act of chivalry. Maybe because the writer wanted to entertain the reader. That means that the audience included mostly knights. -Owein took risked a great deal, he risked everything. If he truly believed in God,
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    THEO 202 Quiz 8 Study Guide
    • 829 Words
    • 4 Pages

    THEO 202 Quiz 8 Study Guide

    Be familiar with the prominent perspectives on hell during the period of the church fathers and the Middle Ages. Pg 812-814…

    • 829 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Death of Thomas Becket: Case Analysis
    • 602 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The Death of Thomas Becket: Case Analysis

    “The murderers came in full armour, with swords and axes. The monks cried out to the Archbishop to flee to the church. But he had long since yearned for martyrdom and dreaded that it would be delayed if he fled to the church. But the Monks pulled, dragged and pushed him into the church. The four knights followed with rapid strides. The Archbishop ordered the doors of the church to be kept open.…

    • 602 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Johann Tetzel's 'The Sale Of Indulgences'
    • 759 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Johann Tetzel's 'The Sale Of Indulgences'

    “The Sale of Indulgences” contains an excerpt from the sermons of a German friar, Johann Tetzel, in 1515. During and before the 16th century, the Catholic Church sold indulgences, which ensured Christians a direct passage to heaven after death, skipping purgatory in exchange for money or gifts. In “The Sale of Indulgences,” Tetzel expands on this need to purchase indulgences, especially putting emphasis on the pain of purgatory.…

    • 759 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Summary Aboout The Myth Of St. Patrick's Day
    • 118 Words
    • 1 Page

    Summary Aboout The Myth Of St. Patrick's Day

    This bullentin board represents a rainbow and a pot of gold. In the month of March, students learned about a topic and wrote an opinion summary aboout the myth of St. Patrick’s Day. Students had written a short opinion about what they thought about finding a pot of gold. Students had learned that opinions are not facts. Students learned that opinions are adjectives using adverbs to convey to the reader, its believeable. Maybe at one time it existed or occurred once before. The students wrote what they would do with a pot of gold. This student wrote about, if he found a pot of gold he would buy a playstation, a big t.v, and an ice cream store.…

    • 118 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Consider the Significance of Death in the Pardoner's Tale
    • 2108 Words
    • 9 Pages

    Consider the Significance of Death in the Pardoner's Tale

    When Chaucer was writing the Canterbury Tales in the 14th century the Black Death had killed approximately one quarter to one third of the European population within 2 years; even without the plague the average persons’ life expectancy was 28 years. Literature at the time, even books my medics believed that God was the giver and taker of life, Therefore the relieving of sin by a priest in the 14th century is similar to the relieving of pain by a doctor today. In essence only God could begin and end their lives or so it was thought; wounds and diseases were metaphors for sins. It is no wonder that society relied on God and the church because they were constantly reminded that they could die at any time and more importantly their sins were seen as a measure of their behaviour. Let’s make the point clear: in the 14th century your health was a result of your conduct; if you lived a God fearing chastened life then you had nothing to fear, the church preached, however if you fell into the bottomless pit of the temptation of the seven deadly sins then they must face the judgement that awaits you at death. The plague according to Bishop Edendon ‘is a fire which blazed as a result of Adam’s sin. . . . . . . producing a multitude of sins which have provoked the divine anger, by a just judgement, to His revenge.’ Here Edendon is preaching to the petrified that their sins are the cause of the plague, because they are so insurmountable, they have angered God; he has got revenge by giving sinners the cruel Black Death, beware you who sin, was the message, you are the maker of your own death.…

    • 2108 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Rhetorical Constructions Of Dante's Inferno
    • 1633 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Rhetorical Constructions Of Dante's Inferno

    In his mildly satiric epic poem The Inferno (1317), Dante Alighieri asserts that individuals must learn to reconcile their sympathy and emotional naiveté for the acceptance of suffering and the violence of God's justice. He suggests that pity for sinners clouds an individual's pursuit of stringent moral standards and could make him or her unfit for entrance into Purgatory or Heaven. Dante elicits his argument against the notion of pity through the use of a dual narrative structure to juxtapose two different schools of thought--the compassionate sinner (protagonist) and the omniscient poet (narrator). Dante also illuminates…

    • 1633 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Bloody Chamber Fascination with Death
    • 996 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Bloody Chamber Fascination with Death

    Death itself is seen as supernatural of which the audience will have much belief in things such as witches and even though there is evidence of blasphemy they were still quite religious and God himself would be seen as supernatural or have supernatural qualities including being omniscient. Moreover, the Pardoner himself preaches against sins such as drinking and gluttony of which eventually could lead to death, even though the medieval audience will be aware of this they will still be…

    • 996 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Saint Patrick Research Paper
    • 650 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Saint Patrick Research Paper

    Saint Patrick is one of the most well known saints in the Christian faith. He is known as the patron saint of Ireland who converted all of Ireland to Christianity, drove all the snakes out of Ireland, and used the three-leafed shamrock to symbolize the Holy Trinity. His feast day is on March 17, and it is a holiday known for its large scale celebrations in Ireland and all over other Christian countries, including the United States.…

    • 650 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Divine Comedy Hell Analysis
    • 430 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The Divine Comedy Hell Analysis

    Empires throughout the world were taught that in order to have and gain redemption, they must first grasp the moral truths that surround communities. In and amongst the pages of Dante’s The Divine Comedy, we are educated of diverse ways to relate to life through Hell, Purgatory and Paradise. This voyage Dante takes his readers on is one of uncertainty, ambivalence and inconstancy, as if we are touring an encyclopedia to increase this circle of knowledge.…

    • 430 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Dante's Inferno: Contrapasso
    • 757 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Dante's Inferno: Contrapasso

    “No green leaves, but rather black in color, no smooth branches, but twisted and entangled, no fruit, but thorns of poison bloomed instead.” (XIII, 4) No longer humans, but trees, they stand in a fruitless wood, being eaten by half-woman, half-bird creatures called Harpies. These sinners have committed Violence against themselves. They destroyed their bodies on earth so they have been denied any resemblance to a body in hell. Harpies are perched on them, eating their leaves as they scream in pain. When leaves or branches are ripped from them, they bleed and feel as though limbs are being torn from their bodies. Their wounds heal so as to reoccur, making it so the harpies may eat them eternally. This is not a reasonable form of justice, as once thought in Dante’s time. The Christian church has changed its opinions on suicide since the publishing of Dante’s work. Once not even awarded a Christian burial, people who commit suicide are now considered not in the right state of mind. Since they have suffered in life, they should not be forced to suffer for eternity in death.…

    • 757 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Best Essays

    "Everyman" Perception of Death
    • 2147 Words
    • 9 Pages

    "Everyman" Perception of Death

    “Everyman” is a metaphorical story that illustrates the value of life and death. The famous medieval play of the 20th century elucidates around the lifetime journey, the sins, family, and the day of reckoning. Death is perceived distinctively in various cultures and tends to impact an individual personally as compared to a group. The journey to death is associated with life’s morals, values, and experiences witnessed in life, but each person’s reactions to death are quite different. Following the brief overview of the “Everyman,” the essay discusses death in several cultures and how individuals treat death with support from scholars.…

    • 2147 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Best Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Burial Rituals of Native American Culture
    • 1187 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Burial Rituals of Native American Culture

    At some point in our lives, we all come to realize that death is a part of life. Cultural diversity provides a wide variety of lifestyles and traditions for each of the unique groups of people in our world. Within these different cultures, the rituals associated with death and burial can also be uniquely diverse. Many consider ritualistic traditions that differ from their own to be somewhat strange and often perceive them as unnatural. A prime example would be the burial rituals of the Native American people.…

    • 1187 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Life After Death Essay
    • 1611 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Life After Death Essay

    It is a research that presents the different arguments that have been brought forward with regards to death. It goes without saying that death is a universal human experience but societal responses towards death are different. Certain factors influence the ways in which different communities or groups of people react with regards to death. The research will focus on determining the conceptualizations of death from the Eastern Orthodox perspective and also from the medieval perspective. This paper will also seek to relate the similarities and the differences of the two perspectives taking keen interest in their…

    • 1611 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Divine Comedy Analysis
    • 496 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The Divine Comedy Analysis

    “Like the rest, we shall return to claim our bodies, but never again to wear them— wrong it is for a man to have again what he once cast off” (102-103). The seventh layer of hell: where the suicides’ go to forever take on the body of a tree, and to have life begin to grow only to be eaten by Harpies. Dante Alighieri, author of the poem, “The Divine Comedy” derives the meaning behind the “forest of suicides” and the “bush-souls” from the influence the Catholic Church played in Florence around the 1300’s. The “forest of suicides can be explained through the Last Judgment, and how the sinners punishment compliments their crime. As for the “bush- souls” it reflects Florence’s turn to Christianity, and the change from mythological legend to John the Baptist.…

    • 496 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The First Knight Essay
    • 359 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The First Knight Essay

    A. Introduction: Write an introduction that introduces the themes of courtly love and chivalry; also,…

    • 359 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More

Related Topics