Bibliographic record and links to related information available from the Library of Congress catalog
Note: Electronic data is machine generated. May be incomplete or contain other coding.
General Introduction, 3 I. Swedish Prophet and Visionary, 3 Historical Background, 3 The Prophetic Tradition, 5 Visionary States, 6 Swedish Writer, 9 II. Textual History, ii The Four Confessors, ii The Revelations during Birgitta's Life, 15 The Early Editions, 17 Medieval Manuscripts, 19 The Printed Editions, 21 Swedish "Retranslation," 22 Later Receptions, 24 III. Style, 25 Structure and Oral Style, 26 Latin Style, 27 Imagery, 27 IV. Note on the Translation and the Annotation, 29 BOOK I Introduction, 41 Prologue by Master Mathias, 47 CHAPTER I On Christ's Good Deeds and the People's Ingratitude; Birgitta Must Love Him above All Else, 53 CHAPTER 2 On the Duties of the Bride, 54 CHAPTER 3 Birgitta Must Love and Fear God and Seek Guidance from Her Spiritual Spiritual Director, 56 CHAPTER 4 Birgitta Must Learn to Discern between Good and Evil Spirits, 58 CHAPTER 5 About a Besieged Castle, 59 CHAPTER 6 On the Arming of Spiritual Knights, 61 CHAPTER 7 On Spiritual Clothing, 62 CHAPTER 8 Mary Teaches Birgitta a Prayer of Praise to God, 63 CHAPTER 9 On the Marriage of the Virgin's Parents, on Her Immaculate Conception, and Her Assumption into Heaven, 64 CHAPTER IO On Mary's Childhood, the Annunciation, and Her Son's Birth and Passion, 65 CHAPTER II On Christ's Passion and How Birgitta Can Imitate Him, 70 CHAPTER 12 Birgitta's Guardian Angel Asks for Her to Be Beaten with a Rod, 71 CHAPTER 13 An Enemy of God Possessed by Three Demons, 71 CHAPTER 14 Advice on Prayer; on Three Groups of People Who Serve God for the Wrong Reasons, 73 CHAPTER 15 About a King with Two Treasuries, 74 CHAPTER 16 Dialogue between the Virgin and a Devil Concerning the Soul of a Sinful Woman, 77 CHAPTER 17 On a Proud and Greedy Person, 79 CHAPTER 18 Instructions about a "House" (i.e., a New Monastery), 81 CHAPTER 19 On People's Ingratitude toward God, 82 CHAPTER 20 On the Chastity and Humility of the Bride, 83 CHAPTER 21 A Sorcerer Is Compared to an Ugly Frog, 85 CHAPTER 22 Reassurance for Birgitta about Her Concerns, 87 CHAPTER 23 The Moral Attributes of a Man of Great Repute Are Graphically Described; St. Lawrence Explains the Vision, 89 CHAPTER 24 A Plea for Mercy for the "Daughter" and "Bride," 91 CHAPTER 25 Why Christ Tolerates the Wicked, 92 CHAPTER 26 Spiritual Marriage Is Compared to Human Marriages, 93 CHAPTER 27 Mary Describes a Dance; and Her Suffering at Witnessing the Passion of Her Son, 97 CHAPTER 28 God Is Angry with a Man in Judgment, 99 CHAPTER 29 About Two Ladies, Pride and the Virgin Mary, Ioi CHAPTER 30 On Three Instruments of the Passion; Birgitta Must Have Three Things in Her Heart, 102 CHAPTER 31 John the Baptist Praises the Beauty and Virtues of Mary, 104 CHAPTER 32 About Three Demoniacs, Two Never Cured, and the Third Released through Birgitta's Intercession, 105 CHAPTER 33 Criticism of the Worldly Wise; Birgitta Should Be Like a Cheese in a Mold, 1o8 CHAPTER 34 The Devil Envies Birgitta's Spiritual Gifts, 1o9 CHAPTER 35 Mary Identifies with Her Son's Pain at His Passion, iii CHAPTER 36 Birgitta's Guardian,Angel Asks for Mercy for Her, Which Is Granted, 112 CHAPTER 37 Mary Describes the Will of Those Who Crucified Her Son, 114 CHAPTER 38 Birgitta Is Like a Sheep; People Are Lukewarm in Their Love of God, II6 CHAPTER 39 Advice to People with a Weak Faith, 118 CHAPTER 40 About a Wife Dressed Like a Lady and Her Husband Like a Servant, 119 CHAPTER 41 A Judgment Scene for Five Categories of People, Including the Pope, 120 CHAPTER 42 The Virgin Mary Tells of Her Virtues, 124 CHAPTER 43 On Planting a Date-Palm; and on a Ruptured Womb, 125 CHAPTER 44 The Heedless Are Like Bumblebees, 126 CHAPTER 45 Various Groups in Dialogue with Christ Witness God's Power and Glory, 127 CHAPTER 46 Christ Complains about Men's Disrespect, 130 CHAPTER 47 The Law Is Like Clothing; Christ Is Like Bread; Present-day Priests Are Admonished, 132 CHAPTER 48 The Same Priests Are Compared to Idolaters, 136 CHAPTER 49 The Same Priests Are Inhospitable to Christ, 139 CHAPTER 50 Mary Intercedes with Christ on Behalf of Those in Purgatory and on Earth, 140 CHAPTER 51 Mary Is Like a Tall Flower That Exceeds Five Mountains That Symbolize the Prophets, 143 CHAPTER 52 Birgitta Is to Take Revelations to the Archbishop and the Pope, 145 CHAPTER 53 The Virgin Is Like the Staff, the Manna, and the Tablets of the Ark of the Old Law; Birgitta Is Given Advice on Disseminating Her Revelations, 146 CHAPTER 54 An Angel Describes Two Spirits and Teaches Birgitta to Distinguish Good and Evil Thoughts; the Virgin Describes the Cities of Heaven and Hell, 149 CHAPTER 55 Parable about Judges, Defenders, and Laborers in a Town Founded by a Lord, 152 CHAPTER 56 Application of the Previous Parable to Priests, Knights, and Commoners, and Warning Them of Punishments to Follow, 154 CHAPTER 57 Christ Complains about Evil Christians, Whom He Will Abandon in Favor of Devout Heathens, 157 CHAPTER 58 The Virgin Is Sweet; Christ's Passion Is Bitter, Especially for Those Who Follow Their Own Will, 158 CHAPTER 59 Parable about a Savaged Sheep and a Negligent Shepherd, 16o CHAPTER 60 Master Mathias Is to Promote the Message, Which Is Shown to Be Authentic because Birgitta Has Driven Out Demons, 163 BOOK II Introduction, 167 CHAPTER I A Blind Man Walks toward a Crossroads; on Why People's Paths in Life Are Necessarily Different, 175 CHAPTER 2 A Judgment Scene on a Sinful Priest Who Touched the Holy Sacrament, 177 CHAPTER 3 A Pilgrim (Christ) Visits Five Houses, 18O CHAPTER 4 Christ Compares Himself to Solomon and to a Potter and Explains How He Deals with Christians and Pagans, 184 CHAPTER 5 The Three Sons of King David, 185 CHAPTER 6 About a King on a Battlefield, and His Soldiers Whose Helmets Are Back to Front, 188 CHAPTER 7 Peter and Paul Are Compared with the Priesthood and the Laity, 190 CHAPTER 8 About a Dissolute Knight Whom Other Knights Follow, 193 CHAPTER 9 Continuation of the Preceding Revelation, on Dissolute Knights, 196 CHAPTER IO Concerning Moses, Pharaoh, and the Children of Israel; and on Birgitta's Calling, 198 CHAPTER II The Rewards of True Knightly Service Are Described by Five Legions of Angels, 200 CHAPTER 12 Promise of Reward to Knights if They Convert to a Good Way of Life, 202 CHAPTER 13 A Dubbing Ritual for Knights Is Described, 206 CHAPTER 14 A Goldsmith Must Sell His Gold for Ten Talents, 209 CHAPTER 15 About Two Chambers in an Abyss; Christ's Work on the Overgrown Wilderness of the World, 213 CHAPTER I6 The Lord of a Vineyard Tasting a Mediocre Wine: An Allegory for Birgitta's Calling, 216 CHAPTER 17 On Salvation History; and on How God Makes His Will Known through Birgitta, 217 CHAPTER I8 The Image of a Phoenix and Dry Twigs Is Used to Signify How Birgitta 's Heart Should be Kindled, 220 CHAPTER 19 A Parable about a Beekeeper and His Bees, 221 CHAPTER 20 The Three Estates Are Exemplified by a Cleric, a Defender, and a Laborer, 227 CHAPTER 21 Mary Describes the Deposition of Christ; on a Virgin and Her Betrothed, 228 CHAPTER 22 TWO Teachers and Two Kinds of Wisdom, 231 CHAPTER 23 The Virgin's Cloak of Humility Protects from Stormy Weather, 233 CHAPTER 24 Mary Carries a Heavy Load, That Is, Her Son's Suffering; on Three Houses, 236 CHAPTER 25 More about the Three Houses, 237 CHAPTER 26 Explanation of the Linen, Leather, and Silk Garments, 239 CHAPTER 27 Further on the Instruments in the Third House, 242 CHAPTER 28 On Falsehoods in God's Words and in Their Fulfillment, 246 CHAPTER 29 John the Baptist Describes a Magpie and Her Chicks, 247 CHAPTER 30 About a Man Who Had Been Regarded as a Saint, 249 BOOK III Introduction, 253 CHAPTER I Advice to a Bishop about Temperance in His Daily Life, 259 CHAPTER 2 On the Pitfalls of the Narrow, Thorny, and Rocky Path That the Bishop Must Tread, 262 CHAPTER 3 On the Bishop's Miter; on His Reputation As a Bouquet of Flowers, 264 CHAPTER 4 Parable about a Prudent Canon Who Is Ridiculed by His Slack Bishop; the Humiliation of the Bishop after His Death, 266 CHAPTER 5 A Helmsman Tosses His People in a Storm; on Birgitta's Calling, 269 CHAPTER 6 An Allegory about an Adulterous Husband Who Spends Nine Out of Every Ten Hours with His Housemaid Rather Than His Wife, 270 CHAPTER 7 The Same Bishop Is Like a Bellows and a Snail; He Is Compared to St. Ambrose, 272 CHAPTER 8 Mary Is Like a Nut; She Can Discern Wisdom; Birgitta Must Ask a Scholar Three Questions, 273 CHAPTER 9 Even for Those with Impaired Senses, Disasters and Avalanches Still Occur, 275 CHAPTER IO The Church Is Near to Collapse; Mary Is Like a Rainbow; the Addendum Describes Papal Nuncios, 275 CHAPTER II John the Baptist Describes a Bishop Who Is Like a Monkey; the Addendum Describes a Cardinal Legate, 277 CHAPTER 12 Blessqd Agnes Discusses a Bishop at a Crossroads; Another Bishop Is Mentioned, 280 CHAPTER 13 On a Treasure Locked Up in a Fortified Castle, Which a Bishop Should Attempt to Penetrate, 283 CHAPTER 14 Mary Compares a Bishop to a Butterfly, 287 CHAPTER 15 Mary Continues about Another Bishop Who Is Likened to a Gadfly, and Condemns Both Men, 289 CHAPTER 16 The Same Two Bishops Enter into Dialogue; One Is Condemned at the End, 290 CHAPTER 17 The Virgin Praises Saint Dominic and His Rule, 292 CHAPTER 18 Contemporary Dominican Friars Have Relaxed the Precepts of Their Rule, 294 CHAPTER 19 Reassurance for Birgitta on Why the Above Dominican Bishop Was Called but Not Chosen, 297 CHAPTER 20 How St. Benedict Was Filled with the Holy Spirit in Creating His Rule, 300 CHAPTER 21 More on St. Benedict, with the Images of Three Fires and Three Sparks, 301 CHAPTER 22 About a Benedictine Abbot Who Is Attracted to Harlots, 304 CHAPTER 23 A Deliberation on the Day's Epistle about the Trinity, 305 CHAPTER 24 Allegory of a Maiden and Her Nine Brothers and the Love of the King's Sons for the Maiden, 306 CHAPTER 25 Mary Speaks of the World's Neglect of Her Little Son, 308 CHAPTER 26 On the Mystery of the Trinity, 308 CHAPTER 27 On the State of the City of Rome, Using a Grammatical Analogy; a Vision of Some Gardens on Earth, 311 CHAPTER 28 The Virgin Describes Four Cities Where Four Types of Love Are to Be Found, 314 CHAPTER 29 Mary Is Like the Temple of Solomon, 316 CHAPTER 30 Blessed Agnes Encourages Birgitta in Her Studies, 318 CHAPTER 31 On a Doctor, a King, and Two Imprisoned Men, 320 CHAPTER 32 Mary Is Like a Magnet, 322 CHAPTER 33 About Two Men, One Like a Square-set Stone, the Other Like a Pilgrim to Jerusalem, 323 CHAPTER 34 About a Ring That Is Too Tight, and an Unclean Filter for a Drink, 324