Mary of Egypt, a penitent prostitute and figure of female
autonomy and authority, is a disconcerting and unconventional
saint, especially in an Anglo-Saxon context. She is not the kind
of model of idealized female virtue normally favoured by leading
churchmen in Anglo-Saxon England, and yet her life occurs in the
manuscript of Ælfric's Lives of Saints, probably the most
influential vernacular collection of saints' lives of its
period. The story of Mary has been unduly neglected by students
and teachers of Old English, but, with its gripping and intense
narrative, it raises exciting issues in the study of medieval
literature and culture, issues concerning gender, spirituality,
cultural history and other current preoccupations. This edition
makes the Old English Life conveniently and authoritatively
available to today's readers. The text is presented in an
uncluttered manner with facing-page modern English translation
and is accompanied by a detailed introduction and concise
commentary and a full glossary. A te