In His Own Hands: Autonomy in the Legend of Theophilus

honors thesisCollege of HumanitiesWorld Languages & CulturesJerry RootLooking at stories that embodied medieval values, there are none that do it so well as the "Legend of Theophilus," the story of a man who, after making a contract with the Devil to regain his lost status in his community, prays to Mary to save him from his sins. After Theophilus's extended repentance, Mary agrees to retrieve his contract and ultimately saves him from damnation. While the Virgin is the one who retrieves the contract from the Devil, seemingly saving Theophilus, it is actually Theophilus who is the most present in his salvation. By comparing two different scenes that mirror one another, those of homage and prayer, one theme in particular pervades into every version of the legend: the autonomy of Theophilus when returning to Christianity, and God. Autonomy, an idea that became increasingly pronounced in medieval texts, requires the sinner to set in motion his or her own salvation. In the legend, Theophilus first "saw the error of this ways [that had] cast him for the future into everlasting fires" and then chooses to return to the church to repent (Malmesbury 17). Theophilus's salvation is not driven by repentance, which can be perceived as the physical presence before the Virgin accompanied by sobbing and fasting, but the realization of sins and the following decision to repent for them. The emphasis on self-determination can be observed in the legend of Theophilus by comparing Theophilus's interaction with the Devil to interactions with Mary. These scenes, in both written and visual media, are rich with information and insight. They offer the viewer an idea of the battle between good and evil, not only from the Devil and the Virgin, but also within Theophilus. While the contract with the Devil in the legend of Theophilus can be accomplished through coercion, Theophilus's choice, or a mix of the two - this is not the case when Theophilus prays to the Virgin Mary. When Theophilus prays to Mary, he is not pushed nor compelled by the divine to return to Godliness. It is his own reflection of his past that guides him to Mary. Theophilus chooses his fate, he chooses repentance and this is why he is revered. Analyzing each version of every homage and prayer scene would be overwhelming. Luckily, by narrowing the focus and looking exclusively at the hands of the characters in the legend, we can see our theme of self-determination develop. Therefore, through the depiction of hands, to a medieval society, Theophilus is the perfect example of how, regardless of our sins and how they occurred, the choice to return to Christianity is a portal to eternal salvation if only we set our mind and, as it turns out, our hands on it