Spiritual and Biological Mothering in Berceo’s Vida De Santa Oria

Gonzalo de Berceo’s thirteenth-century poem, the Vida de Santa Oria, challenges traditional interpretations by revealing it as a dual vita that explores both spiritual and biological mothering. The work, centered on Saint Oria and her mother Amunna, demonstrates how Amunna's emotional attachment to Oria evolves from an obstacle to sanctity into a source of sanctity itself. This interpretation provides a feminine perspective on Christ’s admonition about familial attachments (Matthew 10:37), highlighting the complex negotiation of female bonds in the pursuit of holiness. The study employs close textual analysis to uncover this dual narrative, offering new insights into medieval spiritual literature and the representation of mother-daughter relationships within religious contexts.

Francomano, E. C. (2011). Spiritual and Biological Mothering in Berceo’s Vida De Santa Oria. The Inner Life of Women in Medieval Romance Literature, 159–177. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230339330_8