Saint Margaret, Queen of the Scots: A Life in Perspective (The New Middle Ages)

Margaret, saint and 11th-century Queen of the Scots, remains an often-cited yet little-understood historical figure. Her world was the product of perspectives and models from Nordic, Kievan, Hungarian, Anglo-Saxon, Norman, and Scottish traditions, with all the expectations and admonitions which they pressed upon her. Likewise, her cult evolved within interconnected dynastic, political, ecclesiastical, and papal agendas. This book proposes to bridge the gap between what is known about Margaret and what has been surmised in order to provide a contextual understanding of her life and early cult. Catherine Keene's analysis of sources in terms of both time and place – including her Life of Saint Margaret, translated for the first time – allows for an informed understanding of the forces that shaped this captivating woman.