’Ce livre monstrera a tous vraye lumier de verité’ Marguerite Porete’s "Le mirouer des simples ames" as a mystagogic text

359 Pages·2013·20.3 MB·English

by  Imke de Gier

Universiteit
Antwerpen
Faculteit Letteren en Wijsbegeerte
Departement Letterkunde
‘CE LIVRE MONSTRERA A TOUS VRAYE LUMIERE DE VERITE’
Marguerite Porete’s Le mirouer des simples ames as a mystatogic text
Proefschrift voorgelegd tot het behalen
van de graad van doctor in de Letterkunde
aan de Universiteit Antwerpen te verdedigen door
Imke de Gier
Promotor: Prof. dr. Veerle Fraeters
Antwerpen, 2013
UMI Number: 3579656
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‘Ce livre monsrera a tous vraye lumiere de verite Marguerite Porete ’s Le mirouer
des simples ames as a mystatogic text. © Imke de Gier, University of Antwerp,
October 2013. All rights reserved. Cover design by Nik Romer. Printed by
Universitas (Deume).
ISBN: 9789057284281
Depot number: D/2013/12.293/21
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Marc, this is for you

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
It was Ian P. Wei who first introduced me to Marguerite Porete. The simple question
he posed during one tutorial about the Mirouer provided the starting point for this
thesis: why did Marguerite Porete write the way she did? I would like to thank him
for sparking my interest in the Middle Ages and for setting me off on this research
path.
I am extremely grateful to the University of Antwerp for funding this project
through the BOF-NOI (Bijzonder Onderzoeks Fonds - Nieuwe Onderzoeks
Initiatieveri) grant. It has been a particularly great privilege to carry out this study
within the Ruusbroecgenootschap which includes connoisseurs of Marguerite Porete’s
Mirouer. I would like to thank Paul Verdeyen s.j. in particular for his generous
insights and demonstration of an unparalleled depth of knowledge of the text during
our regular meetings to read the Mirouer. The same goes for Marleen Cre who always
brought a fresh perspective to the readings and a clear love for Marguerite Porete’s
book. I would also like to thank Guido de Baere s.j. for his much-valued contributions
during the Mirouer reading group as well as his constructive criticism of my initial
work.
I was lucky enough to be able to benefit from the Ruusbroecgenootschap’s
library which is unrivalled in the richness of its collection in terms of literature
relating to the history of spirituality in the Low Countries. My thanks goes to Bart
Clymans, Patricia De Bruyn, and especially Ema van Looveren for whom no request
was too much and whose warmth and encouragement always made it a joy to visit the
library. I also benefited from being able to use the British Library, the Bodleian
Library, and the Taylor Institution Library whose staff were always so effient and
helpful. I’m very grateful for the support and company of the PhD students within the
Ruusbroecgenootschap and the Department of Literature and Philosophy, particularly
Daniel Ermens, Jonas van Mulder, and Patricia Stoop. I also appreciated briefly
sharing my office with the visiting scholar Barbara Zimbalist whose thoughts on
Marguerite Porete and other medieval female mystics were particularly refreshing.
There are many colleagues who have contributed this study, some of whom
have taken part in workshops organized in relation to this project, and others whom I
have met at conferences or lectures. Numerous stimulating discussions, literature tips,
and email exchanges have shaped this work and my thanks go to Emma Cayley, Ann
Faems, Amy Hollywood, Sylvie Huot, Zan Kocher, Stefaan van Liefferinge, Anneke
Mulder-Bakker, Sara Poor, Dieuwke van der Poel, Chris van Put, Bart Ramakers,
Irene van Renswoude, Walter Simons, Robert Stauffer, Wendy R. Terry, Alessia
Vallarssa, Paul Wackers, Geert Wamar.
I have been very lucky to have a hugely supportive and knowledgeable
doctoral commission. Thank you to Virginie Minet who was instrumental in
formulating the methodology for the initial research application of this project and
who has introduced me not only to literary theory previously unknown to me, but also
texts and ideas I would otherwise not have encountered. Jeroen Deploige has been
incredibly generous with his time and level-headed historical perspective on this
project. He has been willing to contribute a huge amount of time taking part in related
workshops and meetings and his insights have been invaluable. I have also benefited
greatly from the thoughtful and detailed reading of my work by Thom Mertens who
has lead the commission and who has been so generous with his time. I took one of
Catherine Leglu’s courses on the Troubadours and Foucault as an undergraduate at
Bristol University which was my first insight into the possibilities of applying
contemporary theory to medieval texts and I am very grateful that our paths crossed
again and that she was willing to join my doctoral commission at a later stage when
her expertise on French medieval literature in particular was extremely valuable.
My supervisor Veerle Fraeters was intrepid enough to support as well as
formulate a research proposal on the Mirouer based only on a scrap of paper I left
behind on her desk having only met me briefly. It has been a real privilege and
stimulating to together on this project and her input has been enormous and
influential. After having entered her office on many an occasion with trepidation to
discuss an aspect or chapter of my research, I would emerge energized and full of
enthusiasm at the many possibilities and improvements that I could explore and
undertake.
Many friends have encouraged and supported me and I would like to thank, in
particular my former neighbours, running partners, but above all friends, Katalin
Balogh and Katrijn Krekels with whom I ran along the Schelde so often. Thanks to
Rosamund Wilks who shared with me the excitement of the initial research idea while
she was trying to avoid getting her bicycle wheels stuck in the Antwerp tram rails. To
Elizabeth Ross for her excellent advice on undertaking a PhD, also to Helen Moss
with whom I shared not only childcare but many cups of tea and who has shown such
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interest in this work. Also to Daisy Huet, Isabelle Malmaeus, Joana Shoniwa, Lucy
Dickinson, Madeleine Knight, Gus Tugendhat, Hanneke du Ry for their
encouragement. Thank you too: Helma Lintsen, Dymph van Straelen, and Georgie
Hine without whom I could not have competed this project. I am also very grateful to
the friends and family who have somehow taken a particular interest in Marguerite
Porete: Jacques Wintermans, Ronald Commers, Paola Somaini, Edward Risso-Gill,
and Maria Peverelli.
Lastly, thank you to my family. My father for inspiring in me a love of
history, my mother for providing support of every kind imaginable, my brother for
giving me brutal pep talks when necessary, and to my wonderful children: Sophie,
Noemi, and Samuel for putting up with mummy writing for what must have seemed
like for ever and ever. Lastly, to my husband Marc who has been unwavering in his
support, encouragement, and patience and with whom I enjoyed many conversations
about medieval literature and Marguerite Porete.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction, thesis, and methodology 13
Marguerite Porete’s life and trial 15
1.1 Marguerite Porete’s life 15
1.1.1 The southern Low Countries in the late
thirteenth and early fourteenth century 16
1.1.2 Beguines and female spirituality 17
1.1.3 Female literacy and learning 21
1.2 Marguerite Porete’s trial 23
1.2.1 Historiography of the trial 23
1.2.2 Events leading up to the trial 24
1.2.3 Imprisonment and trial 26
The Mirouer 31
2.1 The Mirouer and its spiritual and literary
context 31
2.1.1 Spiritual context 31
2.1.2 Literary context 36
2.2 Mystical theology and the notion of ‘annihilation’ in
the Mirouer 45
2.2.1 Seven stages 46
2.2.2 Ames adnienties 47
2.2.3 The issue of orthodoxy 49
2.3 An overview of the Mirouer's structure 52
2.3.1 Structure 52
2.3.2 Personifications 55
2.4 The manuscripts 57
Thesis and methodology 63
3.1 Overview of Marguerite Porete studies 63
3.2 Thesis 67
3.3 Methodology 70
ii Marguerite Porete and her book 81
4 Analyzing the use of the term livre 83
4.1 Approach 83
4.1.1 Status quaestionis 83
4.1.2 Methodology 85
4.2 Statistical analysis of the term livre in the
Mirouer 87
4.2.1 Frequency and distribution of term
livre 87
4.2.2 Personifications uttering the word
livre 88
4.2.3 Subject matter broachedw hen livre
occurs 90
5 The literal book 95
5.1 A concrete book 95