The Facebook of Margery Kempe

October 19, 2024 8:14 PM

The Facebook of Margery Kempe.

Margery Kempe (c. 1373 – after 1438) was an English Christian mystic, known for writing through dictation The Book of Margery Kempe, a work considered by some to be the first autobiography in the English language. Her book chronicles her domestic tribulations, her extensive pilgrimages to holy sites in Europe and the Holy Land, as well as her mystical conversations with God.

posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries (7 comments total)

This is so good.
posted by EvaDestruction at 9:11 PM on October 19 [1 favorite]

Thank you for posting this! I think it hasn't appeared here before, but it's by NaomiK, i.e. one of Metafilter's favorite writers: Naomi Kritzer.
posted by Wobbuffet at 9:12 PM on October 19 [1 favorite]

The lovely weird corners are the best part of Yuletide, I'm never much interested in the more conventional fandoms, but Bourdain in Narnia or "Expert Judgment on Markers to Deter Inadvertent Human Intrusion...", so much fun.
posted by tavella at 9:55 PM on October 19

Bringing back memories of taking (and teaching) the survey of English lit course! This is so funny and also giving me The Toast vibes (RIP).

But it was also a little…real, as someone who is constantly trying to get her elderly parents to make good decisions. Eesh. Well at least my mom doesn’t hop in cars with strangers and go to 36 different pilgrimage sites across Europe. Small blessings!
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 10:09 PM on October 19 [1 favorite]

I have never heard of this person and I loved this so much.
posted by lepus at 10:25 PM on October 19 [1 favorite]

I think this article gives a good summary of the events Kempe writes about in her Book, and when you know what happened in her real life, it makes this Facebook of Margery Kempe even better (it’s remarkably faithful to the original, all things considered!). I also think the article provides an interesting and sympathetic look at Kempe through a psychological lens. The author acknowledges she probably suffered from postpartum psychosis, but also that

Unlike many diagnosed with psychosis today, Margery Kempe had a cultural space in which to explore her experiences. Religion provided Margery with a structure that left her with her dignity and freedom, a space that valued beliefs and meaning. More recent research with voice hearers suggests that not all unusual experiences are pathological (Jackson, 2001; Jackson & Fulford, 1997; Romme & Escher, 1993; Romme et al., 1992); some may be grounded in spiritual or cultural beliefs, which requires openness on behalf of the clinician to the alternative explanations and different tropes used by individuals.

All that said, I don’t doubt for a minute that the real Margery was a pretty challenging person to be around. When even the local friar is like, “You can’t come to my sermons anymore because you’re too disruptive,” it may be time to take stock.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 12:20 AM on October 20 [2 favorites]

Oh my God this is fantastic
posted by Adridne at 8:30 AM on October 20