Hrotsvitha dulcitius
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Hrosvitha
(b. circa 935, possibly Lower Saxony, Germany; d. circa 1000, Gandersheim, Germany)
Hrosvitha is the earliest-known woman poet in Germany, and some scholars even consider her the first dramatist, or playwright, since ancient times. The various spellings of her name include Hroswitha, Hrosvit, Hroswitha, and Roswitha, but recent research indicates the spelling she used was Hrotsvit, derived from the Saxon words that translated to Clamor Validus in Latin (“Forceful Testimony” in English), a reference to her authorship of stories about Christianity and its saints. During her lifetime, Hrosvitha divided her own works into three manuscripts: Book of Legends, Book of Drama, and Epics (dates uncertain). The legends and plays still exist, but the two works included in Epics are lost.
Very few details are known about Hrosvitha’s life and those that are known are often disputed. We do know that she was a nun, or canoness, at the Benedictine monastery of Gandersheim in Saxony (modern-day Germany). Gandersheim was founded in 852 as a monastery for t
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Hrotsvitha of Gandersheim was a tenth-century German canoness, dramatist, and poet (a canoness is basically like a nun, but with less strict vows). Hrotsvitha is remarkable: she has been called the first Western playwright since antiquity, as well as the first known woman playwright.
I first came across her work in a theatre history class back in college, and I’ve reread her plays several times since. I’m a big fan of them. Despite being over 1,000 years old, her plays are interesting, meaningful, and funny.
Hrotsvitha wrote six plays in Latin, in which she attempts to Christianize the work of Terence, the Roman comic playwright. In the preface to her plays, Hrotsvitha says that the nuns of Gandersheim Abbey enjoyed reading Terence for his beautiful Latin and his comedy, although they were horrified by the immoral content of his work. She writes:
There are many Catholics, and we cannot entirely acquit ourselves of the charge, who, attracted by the polished elegance of the style of pagan writers, prefer their works to the holy scriptures. There are others who, alt
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Abraham (Hrotsvitha play)
Latin play by Hrotsvit of Grandersheim
Abraham or Fall and Redemption of Mary is a play in Latin written by Hrotsvit of Grandersheim (c. 935–973).
The play follows a young orphan, Mary, who is persuaded by her uncle Abraham, a hermit, and his companion, Effrem, to lead a life of complete chastity and devotion to God. When Mary submits to temptation and loses her virginity, she flees her religious life to become a prostitute. Years later, when Abraham comes to her disguised as a lover, Mary returns to her life of devotion and submits to a strict regimen of penance.[1] Hrotsvit's play is considered a story about the divine forgiveness and the power of Mary's redemption.
Characters
- Abraham - a hermit
- Effrem - a hermit
- Mary - Abraham's niece
- A Friend of Abraham
- The Master of an Inn
Summary
Scene 1
In the desert near Lampsacus, Abraham approaches his co-hermit, Effrem, outside of his cell and asks for a moment to talk. Effrem assures Abraham that as long as their talk is in praise of God, he is at
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