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Document Details :

Title: Lieve Jehan, goede vrient
Subtitle: Visioenen in het mirakelboek van Halle
Author(s): VAN MULDER, Jonas
Journal: Ons Geestelijk Erf
Volume: 81    Issue: 4   Date: December 2010   
Pages: 311-338
DOI: 10.2143/OGE.81.4.2056313

Abstract :
This article offers a examination of the character and function of the lay visions in the miracle book of Halle, a collection of sixty miracle accounts (ca.1380-1526). While visionary experiences in (semi-)monastic contexts as well as visions of spiritually gifted saintly individuals in the world are well-testified, the visionary experiences of ordinary lay people of different social strata are ephemeral phenomena that have scarcely left any trace in history, and of which miracle books provide the only testimonies. However, a profound study of lay visions in miracle books is yet to be undertaken. Possibly, this article can inform such future research by pointing at the existence of gender specific patterns, the catalyzing influence of the night and crises on the visionary incident, the role of the cult statue and the relation between vision accounts and authorship.

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