An ugly subject, but one that needs to be treated thoroughly and comprehensively, with a discreet wit and no excessive relish. These needs are richly satisfied in Larissa Tracy's bold and important book. DEREK PEARSALL, Professor Emeritus, Harvard University. Torture - that most notorious aspect of medieval culture and society - has evolved into a dominant mythology, suggesting that the Middle Ages was a period during which sadistic torment was inflicted on citizens with impunity and without provocation: popular museums displaying such gruesome implements as the rack, the strappado, the...

The Gilte Legende was widely read as a model for everyday life, including the education of women through examples set by early Christian martyrs. This book divides the lives of female saints into: the "ryght hooly virgins," who vocally defend their bodies against Roman persecution; "holy mothers," who give up their traditional role to pursue a life of contemplation; the "repentant sinners," who convert and voice their defiance against a society that demanded silence in women; and the "holy transvestites," who cast off their gender identity to find absolution and salvation. Their lives reach...

Essays exploring medieval castration, as reflected in archaeology, law, historical record, and literary motifs.