Biography Mother Teresa

Mother Teresa (1910–1997) was a Roman Catholic nun who devoted her life to serving the poor and destitute around the world. She spent many years in Calcutta, India where she founded the Missionaries of Charity, a religious congregation devoted to helping those in great need. In 1979, Mother Teresa was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and became a symbol of charitable, selfless work. In 2016, Mother Teresa was canonised by the Roman Catholic Church as Saint Teresa.

“It is not how much we do,
but how much love we put in the doing.
It is not how much we give,
but how much love we put in the giving.”

– Mother Teresa

Short Biography of Mother Teresa

Mother Teresa was born in 1910 in Skopje, the capital of the Republic of Macedonia. Little is known about her early life, but at a young age, she felt a calling to be a nun and serve through helping the poor. At the age of 18, she was given permission to join a group of nuns in Ireland. After a few months of training, with the Sisters of Loreto, she was then given permission to travel to India. She took her formal religious vows in 1931 and chose to be named after St Therese of Lisieux – the patron saint of missionaries.

On her arrival in India, she began by working as a teacher; however, the widespread poverty of Calcutta made a deep impression on her, and this led to her starting a new order called “The Missionaries of Charity”. The primary objective of this mission was to look after people, who nobody else was prepared to look after. Mother Teresa felt that serving others was a fundamental principle of the teachings of Jesus Christ. She often mentioned the saying of Jesus,

“Whatever you do to the least of my brethren, you do it to me.”

As Mother Teresa said herself:

“Love cannot remain by itself – it has no meaning. Love has to be put into action, and that action is service .” – Mother Teresa

She experienced two particularly traumatic periods in Calcutta. The first was the Bengal famine of 1943 and the second was the Hindu/Muslim violence in 1946, before the partition of India. In 1948, she left the convent to live full-time among the poorest of Calcutta. She chose to wear a white Indian sari, with a blue border, out of respect for the traditional Indian dress. For many years, Mother Teresa and a small band of fellow nuns survived on minimal income and food, often having to beg for funds. But, slowly her efforts with the poorest were noted and appreciated by the local community and Indian politicians.

In 1952, she opened her first home for the dying, which allowed people to die with dignity. Mother Teresa often spent time with those who were dying. Some have criticised the lack of proper medical attention, and their refusal to give painkillers. Others say that it afforded many neglected people the opportunity to die knowing that someone cared.

Her work spread around the world. By 2013, there were 700 missions operating in over 130 countries. The scope of their work also expanded to include orphanages and hospices for those with terminal illnesses.

“Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.”

—- Mother Teresa

Mother Teresa never sought to convert those of another faith. Those in her hospices were given the religious rites appropriate to their faith. However, she had a very firm Catholic faith and took a strict line on abortion, the death penalty and divorce – even if her position was unpopular. Her whole life was influenced by her faith and religion, even though at times she confessed she didn’t feel the presence of God.

The Missionaries of Charity now has branches throughout the world including branches in the developed world where they work with the homeless and people affected by AIDS. In 1965, the organisation became an International Religious Family by a decree of Pope Paul VI.

In the 1960s, the life of Mother Teresa was brought to a wider public attention by Malcolm Muggeridge who wrote a book and produced a documentary called “Something Beautiful for God”.

In 1979, she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize “for work undertaken in the struggle to overcome poverty and distress, which also constitutes a threat to peace.” She didn’t attend the ceremonial banquet but asked that the $192,000 fund be given to the poor.

In later years, she was more active in western developed countries. She commented that though the West was materially prosperous, there was often a spiritual poverty.

“The hunger for love is much more difficult to remove than the hunger for bread.”

-— Mother Teresa

When she was asked how to promote world peace, she replied,”Go home and love your family”.

Over the last two decades of her life, Mother Teresa suffered various health problems, but nothing could dissuade her from fulfilling her mission of serving the poor and needy. Until her very last illness she was active in travelling around the world to the different branches of The Missionaries of Charity. During her last few years, she met Princess Diana in the Bronx, New York. The two died within a week of each other.

Following Mother Teresa’s death, the Vatican began the process of beatification, which is the second step on the way to canonization and sainthood. Mother Teresa was formally beatified in October 2003 by Pope John Paul II. In September 2015, Pope Francis declared:

“Mother Teresa, in all aspects of her life, was a generous dispenser of divine mercy, making herself available for everyone through her welcome and defense of human life, those unborn and those abandoned and discarded,”

“She bowed down before those who were spent, left to die on the side of the road, seeing in them their God-given dignity. She made her voice heard before the powers of this world, so that they might recognize their guilt for the crime of poverty they created.”

Mother Teresa was a living saint who offered a great example and inspiration to the world.

Awards given to Mother Teresa

• The first Pope John XXIII Peace Prize. (1971)
• Kennedy Prize (1971)
• The Nehru Prize –“for promotion of international peace and understanding”(1972)
• Albert Schweitzer International Prize (1975),
• The Nobel Peace Prize (1979)
• States Presidential Medal of Freedom (1985)
• Congressional Gold Medal (1994)
• U Thant Peace Award 1994
• Honorary citizenship of the United States (November 16, 1996),

Katharine Hepburn Biography

Katharine Hepburn (1907 – 2003) Multiple Oscar-winning American actress, Hepburn starred in many successful films including The African Queen (1951) The Rainmaker (1956) and On Golden Pond (1981)

“Life is to be lived. If you have to support yourself, you had bloody well better find some way that is going to be interesting. And you don’t do that by sitting around wondering about yourself.”

– Katherine Hepburn

Katharine Hepburn is one of the most famous actresses of the twentieth century. In a career lasting several decades, she landed four Oscars – a record even today.

She was an unconventional Hollywood actress, fiercely independent and often displaying a standoffish attitude to the media. However, her wide variety of roles and acting skills made her famous on screen, and she was ranked the greatest female film star by the American Film Institute.

Early Life Katharine Hepburn

Katharine Hepburn was born in Hartford, Connecticut. Her mother, Katharine Martha Haughton was a suffragette, and her strong views and independence influenced the young Katharine. As a teenager, Katharine was free spirited getting involved in sports such as swimming, skating and gymnastics; she had a fearless streak and was suspended from school for smoking and breaking curfew. She later admitted to going swimming naked in the middle of the night. As she later was quoted as saying:

“If you obey all the rules, you miss all the fun.”

One significant incident which had a bearing on her early life involved finding her dear brother hanging from a rafter by a piece of rope. Her family tried to deny it was suicide, but it looked as if it was and the incident had a lasting impact on Katherine.

Aged 21, Katherine married for the first time to socialite Ludlow Ogden Smith. The marriage did not last a long time, and they divorced six years later. However, they remained friends, and Katherine remained grateful for his support in her early years.

Early acting career

Katherine’s early acting career developed on stage, and from the theatre, she graduated to film. By 1933 she had won her first Oscar for her performance in Morning Glory, a story about a woman who rejects romance for her work.

There then followed a series of successful films such as:

• Alice Adams – earned her a second Oscar nomination
• State of the Union – directed by Frank Capra. Hepburn plays opposite Spencer Tracy in a film about an idealistic industrialist’s foray into politics.

By the late 1930s, her acting career had started to decline, and she was once even labelled as ‘toxic for the box office’ along with people like Fred Astaire and Marlene Dietrich. In addition to a string of forgettable films, she also displayed dismissiveness towards other female actresses and had a reluctance to sign autographs or give interviews. She always retained a reluctance to give interviews to the press until she was much older. Hepburn nearly gained a prominent role in the Oscar Winning film – Gone with the Wind. But, she wasn’t keen, and the role was giving to Vivien Leigh.

After the war, Hepburn’s career picked up. She gained an Oscar nomination in 1951 for her portrayal of a stern missionary in the film – African Queen – starring alongside Humphrey Bogart. The film was a great success, though she ended up becoming quite ill with dysentery and malaria due to the water. She later wrote about this challenging experience.

Notable Films of Katherine Hepburn

• Summertime (1955)
• The Rainmaker (1956)
• Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (1967) winner of 2 academy awards including Katherine Hepburn as best actress. Starred alongside Sidney Poitier and Spencer Tracy. It tells of a groundbreaking interracial marriage which set against the backdrop of the civil rights movements of the 1960s
• The Lion in Winter. Katharine played Eleanor of Aquitaine.
• On Golden Pond (1981) – another Oscar-winning performance by Katharine Hepburn

Oscars for Best Actress

•  1933: Morning Glory
•  1967: Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner
•  1968: The Lion in Winter
•  1981: On Golden Pond

Oscar Nominations

•  1935: Alice Adams
•  1940: The Philadelphia Story
•  1942: Woman of the Year
•  1951: The African Queen
•  1955: Summertime
•  1956: The Rainmaker
•  1959: Suddenly, Last Summer
•  1962: Long Day’s Journey into Night

Fiercely independent, Katherine Hepburn played a major role in providing a role model for women beyond the dutiful Hollywood blonde bombshell. Revealingly she speaks of her own self-image

“Everyone thought I was bold and fearless and even arrogant, but inside I was always quaking.”

– Katherine Hepburn

Katherine embodied feminine beauty but also an inner strength and reserve. She was an important cultural icon and a forerunner for women of the Twentieth Century who lived with greater independence and freedom of action.

Queen Victoria Biography

Short Biography of Queen Victoria (1819 –1901)

Queen Victoria was born 24 May, 1819. She was the granddaughter of George III, and her father, Edward was fourth in line to the throne. But when the prince of Wales died early, his brothers sought to get married and maintain the line of succession.

Edward married Princess Victoria from Germany and the couple had just one child, Alexandrina Victoria, who was born at Kensington Palace in 1819. As a young girl, Victoria’s father died, followed 6 days later by King George III. The throne then passed to  King William IV, but, he too died early. This left Victoria to be crowned at the age of 18, in June 1837. Queen Victoria was to reign until her death on 22nd January 1901.

Queen Victoria and Nineteenth Century Britain

The 19th Century was a time of unprecedented expansion for Britain in term of both of industry and Empire. Although her popularity ebbed and flowed during her reign, towards the end of her crown, she had become a symbol of British imperialism and pride.

The Victorian period also witnessed great advances in science and technology. It became known as the steam age, enabling people to easily travel throughout the UK and the World.

Queen Victoria was emblematic of this period. She was an enthusiastic supporter of the British Empire. She celebrated at Lord Kitchener’s victory in the Sudan, she supported British involvement in the Boer War. She was also happy to preside over the expansion of the British Empire, which was to stretch across the globe. In 1877 Queen Victoria was made Empress of India, in a move instigated by the imperialist Disraeli. Famously, at the end of the Victorian period, people could say ‘the sun never set on the British Empire’

Queen Victoria was conservative in her politics and social views. This led to an unfortunate episode. When she saw a servant who appeared to be pregnant, Victoria claimed she was having an affair. The Queen actually made her take a test to prove she was a virgin. The test was positive and the growth in her stomach was actually a form of cancer; a few months later the servant died and Queen Victoria suffered a decline in her popularity as a result of this episode.

In the early part of her reign she become a close friend and confident of the Prime Minister, Lord Melbourne. She spent many hours talking to him and relied on his political advice. Lord Melbourne was a Whig, with conservative attitudes. He tried to shield Queen Victoria from the extreme poverty that was endemic in parts of the UK.

Queen Victoria was also highly devoted to her husband, Prince Albert; together they had nine children. When Prince Albert died in 1861, at the age of 41, Queen Victoria went into deep mourning and struggled to overcome this loss. She became reclusive and was reluctant to appear in public. Parliament and Benjamin Disraeli had to use all their persuasive power to get her to open parliament in 1866 and 1867. Her hiding from the public led to a decline in popularity. However, by the end of her reign, her popularity was restored. This was partly due to the rise of Great Britain as the leading super power of the era.

For various reasons, several attempts were made on the life of Queen Victoria. These were mostly between 1840 and 1882. She was always unharmed, but her courageous attitude helped to endear her to the public.

Biography Queen Elizabeth I

Queen Elizabeth I was an influential Queen of England reigning during a time of economic, political and religious upheaval. She presided over an era of economic and political expansion, which lay the framework for Britain’s later dominance as a world power. It was Queen Elizabeth who also established the supremacy of Protestantism in England.

Major achievements of Queen Elizabeth I

• United the country in a period of suspicion between Catholics and Protestants.
• Inspired troops to defeat the Spanish Armada
• Presided over a period of cultural and literary development in England.

Life of Queen Elizabeth I

Elizabeth was born in Greenwich, England on 7th September 1533. She was the daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. Anne Boleyn was Henry’s second wife. He divorced his first wife Catherine of Aragon after she had failed to produce a male heir. Unfortunately Anne Boleyn also failed to produce a male heir and would be executed for treason when Elizabeth was only 2 years old.

Elizabeth was brought up at Hatfield house, Hertfordshire. Later she would be brought up in London with Catherine Parr (Henry’s sixth wife) acting as step mother. As a child Elizabeth proved to be precocious and quick to learn. She excelled in academic studies and also sports; she learnt the art of public speaking, which proved to be most significant later in her reign.

Following the death of Henry VIII and his only son Edward, there was uncertainty about who would inherit the throne. For 9 days a cousin of Edward, Lady Jane Grey was made queen before being disposed and then executed by Mary I. Mary’s reign was unpopular as she sought to revert England to Catholicism. Her popularity was further weakened by her distant marriage to Phillip of Spain. At one time Elizabeth’s life was in danger and Mary I had her half sister arrested and kept in the Tower of London. However Elizabeth was able to convince Mary she posed no threat to her throne and eventually Mary came to trust the protestant Elizabeth and named her successor to the throne.

In 1558 Mary died leaving Elizabeth as queen. Despite Mary exhorting her to retain the Catholic faith, Elizabeth ignored her wish, and she re-established Protestantism as the faith of England. However Elizabeth wished to avoid the religious extremes of Mary and Edward’s reign and she sought to allow people to practise their religion of choice in private. However, later in her reign, it was alleged Catholic plotters were seeking to kill the Queen. As a consequence laws against Catholics were tightened. One figure head for the potential Catholic rebellion was Mary Queen of Scots. As a sign of her real perceived threat, Elizabeth eventually agreed to her capture and later execution (in 1587.)

As a consequence of Mary’s execution Catholic opposition to England grew. In particular Phillip II of Spain was determined to return Catholicism to England. There was a real threat of a Spanish invasion and in September, 1588 the powerful Spanish Armada set sail for England; threatening to make invasion a reality. Threatened with potential invasion Queen Elizabeth showed her real strength as a leader. She personally visited the troops at Tilbury and gave a famous speech. Her words included:

“I know I have the body but of a weak and feeble woman; but I have the heart and stomach of a king, and of a king of England too.”

Her speech was enthusiastically greeted by her troops. The subsequent defeat of the heavily fortified Spanish Armada was greeted as a triumph for England and in particular Queen Elizabeth. Her personal popularity reached an all time high. It is said she was an early skilled operator of PR. She often met her subjects in person; by being highly visible she made the monarchy accessible and popular as never before. Towards the end of her reign she is reported to have said.

“This I account the glory of my crown, that I have reigned with your loves”.

She had many important skills as both Queen and statesman. She was quick witted, intelligent and articulate. She surrounded herself with skilled advisors and defused many potential crises. However she was also criticised for being at times both ruthless and indecisive. Several political opponents were executed for treason, although in comparison to her grandfather Henry VIII her reign was comparatively enlightened.

Throughout her life she remained unmarried, despite the frequent attempts of parliament to persuade her to provide a heir. However despite many relationships with members of the court Elizabeth never gave any indication she wished to marry. For this reason she was often referred to as the “Virgin Queen”. However her lack of direct heir meant she was the last of the Tudor monarchs. After her death the Crown passed to James I.

       Mirabai Biography

Mirabai was a great saint and devotee of Sri Krishna. Despite facing criticism and hostility from her own family, she lived an exemplary saintly life and composed many devotional bhajans. Historical information about the life of Mirabai is a matter of some scholarly debate. The oldest biographical account was Priyadas’s commentary in Nabhadas’ Sri Bhaktammal in 1712. Nevertheless, there are many oral histories, which give an insight into this unique poet and saint of India.

Early Life Mirabai

Mira was born around the start of the 16th Century in the Chaukari village in Merta, Rajasthan. Her father was Ratan Singh a descendent of Rao Rathor, the founder of Jodhpur. When Mirabai was only three years old, a wandering Sadhu came to her family’s home and gave a doll of Sri Krishna to her father. Her father took saw this as a special blessing but was initially unwilling to give it to her daughter, because she felt she would not appreciate it. However, Mira had, at first sight, become deeply enamoured with this depiction of Lord Krishna. She refused to eat until the doll of Sri Krishna was given to her. To Mira, this figure of Sri Krishna embodied his living presence. She resolved to make Krishna her lifelong friend, lover, and husband. Throughout her turbulent life, she never wavered from her youthful commitment.

On one occasion, when Mira was still young, she saw a wedding procession going down the street. Turning to her mother, she asked in innocence, “Who will be my husband?” Her mother replied, half in jest, half in seriousness. “You already have your husband, Sri Krishna.” Mira’s mother was supportive of her daughter’s blossoming religious tendencies, but she passed away when she was only young.

At an early age, Mira’s father arranged for her to be married to Prince Bhoj Raj, who was the eldest son of Rana Sanga of Chittor. They were an influential Hindu family and the marriage significantly elevated Mira’s social position. However, Mira was not enamoured of the luxuries of the palace. She served her husband dutifully, but in the evening she would spend her time in devotion and singing to her beloved Sri Krishna. While singing devotional bhajans, she would frequently lose awareness of the world, entering into states of ecstasy and trance.

“Go to that impenetrable realm
That death himself trembles to look upon.
There plays the fountain of love
With swans sporting on its waters.”

– (1) Go To That Impenetrable Realm

Conflict with Family

Her new family did not approve of her piety and devotion to Krishna. To make things worse, Mira refused to worship their family deity Durga. She said she had already committed herself to Sri Krishna. Her family became increasingly disproving of her actions, but the fame and saintly reputation of Mirabai spread throughout the region. Often she would spend time discussing spiritual issues with Sadhus, and people would join in the singing of her bhajans. However, this just made her family even more jealous. Mira’s sister-in-law Udabai started to spread false gossip and defamatory remarks about Mirabai. She said Mira was entertaining men in her room. Her husband, believing these stories to be true, tore into her room with sword in hand. However, he saw Mira only playing with a doll. No man was there at all. Throughout these hysterical slanders, Mirabai remained unmoved by both the criticism and praise of the world.

“This infamy, O my Prince
is delicious!
Some revile me,
others applaud,
I simply follow my incomprehensible road
A razor thin path
but you meet some good people,
A terrible path but you hear a true word

Turn back?
Because the wretched stare and see nothing?
O Mira’s Lord is noble and dark,
and slanderers
rake only themselves
over the coals”

(2)

Mirabai and Akbar

Mira’s fame spread far and wide, and her devotional bhajans were sung across northern India. In one account, it is said that the fame and spirituality of Mirabai reached the ears of the Moghul Emperor Akbar. Akbar was tremendously powerful, but he was also very interested in different religious paths. The problem was that he and Mirabai’s family were the worst enemies; to visit Mirabai would cause problems for both him and Mirabai. But Akbar was determined to see Mirabai, the Princess – Saint. Disguised in the clothes of beggars, he travelled with Tansen to visit Mirabai. Akbar was so enamoured of her soulful music and devotional singing that he placed at her feet a priceless necklace before leaving. However, in the course of time, Akbar’s visit came to the ears of her husband Bhoj Raj. He was furious that a Muslim and his own arch enemy and set eyes upon his wife. He ordered Mirabai to commit suicide by drowning in a river. Mirabai intended to honour her husband’s command, but as she was entering the river, Sri Krishna appeared to her and commanded her to leave for Brindaban where she could worship him in peace. So with a few followers, Mirabai left for Brindaban, where she spent her time in devotion to Sri Krishna. After a while her husband became repentant, feeling that her wife was actually a real saint. Thus he travelled to Brindaban and requested her to return. Mirabai agreed, much to the displeasure of the rest of her family.

However soon after Mira’s husband died; (fighting in battles with the Moghul emperors). This made the situation even worse for Mirabai. Her father in law, Rana Sanga, saw her husband’s death as a way to get rid of Mirabai. He commanded her to commit Sati (when the wife commits suicide by throwing herself on her husband’s funeral pyre). However, Mirabai, with the direct inner assurance of her beloved Sri Krishna, said that she would not do this. Her real husband, Sri Krishna had not died. She would later say in her poetry.

“sati na hosyan girdhar gansyan mhara man moho ghananami“,

“I will not commit sati. I will sing the songs of Girdhar Krishna, and will not become sati because my heart is enamoured of Hari.” (3)

After this experience, her family continued to torture her. They restricted her movements and sought to make her life as uncomfortable as possible. In the face of all these trials and tribulations, she remained detached from her physical suffering. There was nothing that could disturb her inner connection to Giridhara (epithet of Sri Krishna as young cowherd boy). It is said that twice her family tried to kill her, once through a venomous snake and once through poisonous drink. On both occasions, it is said Mirabai, protected by the Grace of Sri Krishna, came to no ill harm.

Mirabai in Brindaban

However, the relentless torments and hostility interfered with her life of devotion and contemplation on Krishna. She sought the advice of learned men and saints. They advised her to leave the palace and return to Brindaban. Secretly, with some followers, she slipped out of the palace and escaped to the holy city of Brindaban. In Brindaban Mirabai was free to worship Giridhara to her heart’s content. She would spend her time in singing bhajans and in ecstatic communion with Krishna. Like a true Bhakti, she worshipped God wholeheartedly. The riches of the world offered no attraction to Mirabai; her only satisfaction came from her single-minded devotion to Sri Krishna. Her soul was ever yearning for Krishna. She considered herself to be a Gopi of Vrindaban, mad only with pure love for Krishna.

“I am mad with love
And no one understands my plight.
Only the wounded
Understand the agonies of the wounded,
When the fire rages in the heart.
Only the jeweller knows the value of the jewel,
Not the one who lets it go.
In pain I wander from door to door,
But could not find a doctor.
Says Mira: Harken, my Master,
Mira’s pain will subside
When Shyam comes as the doctor.”

(4) I am Mad

Her devotion and spiritual magnetism were infectious. She inspired many to follow the path of Vaishnavism. As Swami Sivananda stated:

“Mira wafted the fragrance of devotion far and wide. Those who came in contact with her were affected by her strong current of Prem. Mira was like Lord Gauranga. She was an embodiment of love and innocence. Her heart was the temple of devotion. Her face was the lotus-flower of Prem. There was kindness in her look, love in her talk, joy in her discourses, power in her speech and fervour in her songs.” (5)

Even learned Sadhus would come to her for inspiration. There is a story of one respected Spiritual Master, who refused to speak to Mirabai because she was a woman. Mirabai replied there was only one real man in Brindaban, Sri Krishna; everyone else was a Gopi of Krishna. On hearing this, the spiritual Master accepted the wisdom of Mirabai and agreed to talk to her. Later, Mirabai would become his student.

Poems of Mirabai

Much of what we know about Mirabai comes from her poetry. Her poetry expresses the longing and seeking of her soul for union with Sri Krishna. At times, she expresses the pain of separation and at other times the ecstasy of divine union. Her devotional poems were designed to be sung as bhajans, and many are still sung today.

“Mira’s songs infuse faith, courage, devotion and love of God in the minds of the readers. They inspire the aspirants to take to the path of devotion and they produce in them a marvelous thrill and a melting of the heart.” – Swami Sivananda. (6)

Mirabai was a devotee of the highest order. She was immune to the criticism and suffering of the world. She was born a princess but forsook the pleasures of a palace for begging on the streets of Brindaban. She lived during a time of war and spiritual decline, but her life offered a shining example of the purest devotion.  Many were inspired by her infectious devotion and spontaneous love for Sri Krishna. Mirabai showed how a seeker could attain union with God, only through love. Her only message was that Krishna was her all.

“My Beloved dwells in my heart,
I have actually seen that Abode of Joy.
Mira’s Lord is Hari, the Indestructible.
My Lord, I have taken refuge with Thee,
Thy slave.”

(7) That Dark Dweller

It is said in her death she melted into the heart of Krishna. Tradition relates how one day she was singing in a temple when Sri Krishna appeared in his subtle form. Sri Krishna was so pleased with his dearest devotee that he opened up his heart centre, and Mirabai entered leaving her body while in the highest state of Krishna consciousness. (8)

Sri Chinmoy says of Mirabai.

“Mirabai was a devotee of the high, higher, highest order. Among the saints of India, she is absolutely unparalleled. She composed many, many bhajans, which are prayerful songs to God. Each song Mirabai wrote expressed her inspiration, aspiration and sleepless self-giving.” (9)

    Mary Magdalene Biography

Mary Magdalene is mentioned four times in the Gospels as a close devotee of Jesus Christ. She was with Jesus during the crucifixion and the first person to see Jesus after the resurrection. Due to a sermon by Pope Gregory the Great in the sixth century, she developed a reputation as being a prostitute and repentant sinner. However, there is no evidence she was, and it appears there was confusion with other Marys mentioned in the Bible. In the Bahai religion and Eastern orthodox tradition, she is considered a great saint.

Information about the life of Mary Magdalene come from Canonical gospels included in the New Testament, plus other texts, which were not included when the New Testament was finalised. Gnostics also believe there was a gospel of Mary, which may have been written by Mary Magdalene or some later follower.

In Luke 8:1-3, there is a passage where Mary Magdalene had seven demons cast out by Jesus.

The Twelve were with him, and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out—and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means.

— Luke 8:1-3

It is possible that this passage refers to another Mary with (Magdalene) added at a later date. Scholars also suggest that the casting out of demons may have been illness or negative emotions.

Mary Magdalene is mentioned by other gospel writers for being present at the crucifixion, including staying after male disciples had left the scene. In John 20:16 and Mark 16:9 Mary Magdalene is also mentioned as the first witness to the resurrection of Jesus. The gospels of Mark and Luke report that the other male disciples did not believe what Mary reported, until they saw with their own eyes.

In apocryphal and gnostic texts, the character of Mary Magdalene is further developed, suggesting she was one of the most advanced disciples and had visionary power herself. Other Gnostic writings, such as the Gospel of Phillip, suggest that the closeness of Mary Magdalene created tensions with other disciples, who found it difficult for a woman to have more influence and prestige than themselves.

The early church, which came to be dominated by men, tended to downplay the role of women. Therefore, it is significant that even in the canonical gospels, Mary Magdalene appears very devoted and close to Jesus. The fact she was first witness to his resurrection is significant, because at the time, women generally were not considered reliable as witness.

In the Gospel of Mary, first discovered in 1896, Mary Magdalene again appears to be the most prominent disciple of Jesus.

“Peter said to Mary, “Sister we know that the Savior loved you more than the rest of woman. Tell us the words of the Savior which you remember which you know, but we do not, nor have we heard them.” Mary answered and said, “What is hidden from you I will proclaim to you.” And she began to speak to them these words: “I,” she said, “I saw the Lord in a vision and I said to Him, Lord I saw you today in a vision.”

Some scholars have taken this as evidence that Mary Magdalene was the ‘Beloved disciple’ mentioned in the gospel of John.

The Eastern Orthodox church have always seen Mary Magdalene as a virtuous women, and a different person to the repentant Mary, who anoints Jesus in the gospel of Luke.

In the Catholic tradition, Mary Magdalene has been more associated with a repentant sinner. This view has often been romanticised in art, and was given credence by a speech by Pope Gregory the Great in the sixth century. However, the Catholic church later modified their view. In 2006, Pope Benedict XVI spoke of Mary Magdalene as “a disciple of the Lord who plays a lead role in the Gospels.

Sappho Biography

       Sappho Biography

Sappho was a female ancient Greek poet who wrote lyrical poetry famous for its intense passion and description of love. Being born on the Isle of Lesbos she is also referred to as the first Lesbian poet.

Little is known of her actual life, though she was born around 620BC, and died approximately 50 years later.

Unfortunately, much of her poetry has been lost, although some poems have been painstakingly pieced together through surviving fragments.

Details of her life are hard to piece together as there are few reliable sources. For example, historians are unsure about whether to take her poetry as reliable autobiographical evidence.

However, evidence from the period suggests she was temporarily exiled to Sicily because of political troubles on the island of Lesbos.

Sapphos is sometimes referred to as a lesbian. The word lesbian is actually derived from her place of birth – lesbos. However, there is no hard evidence about her sexuality. Her poems expressing great passion for a variety of people – both men and women may have been autobiographical or not.

A philosopher, Maximus of Tyre, wrote that the friendships of Sappho were similar to those of Socrates – suggesting Sappho had a circle of like minded friends brought together by a love of art, poetry and culture. It has been suggested, with little authority, that Sappho may have been the head of some formal academy like a school. However, it is more likely to be a less formal circle of friends.

Poetry of Sappho

The poetry of Sappho often revolves around themes of love and passion, and has a clarity and simplicity of language; within her poetry there is great vividness and directness. The style is often conversational – giving an impression of immediacy and action. The poems were also sung to music, meaning they needed to be lyrical in form.

Come back to me, Gongyla, here tonight,
You, my rose, with your Lydian lyre.
There hovers forever around you delight:
A beauty desired.

(from: Please by Paul Roche)

Her poetry also involved retellings of famous Greek classics such as:

Some an army of horsemen, some an army on foot
and some say a fleet of ships is the loveliest sight
on this dark earth; but I say it is what-
ever you desire:
and it it possible to make this perfectly clear
to all; for the woman who far surpassed all others
in her beauty, Helen, left her husband —
the best of all men —
behind and sailed far away to Troy; she did not spare
a single thought for her child nor for her dear parents
but [the goddess of love] led her astray
[to desire…]
[…which]
reminds me now of Anactoria
although far away,

–Translated by Josephine Balmer

Her poems were written in Aeloic Greek dialect; as this dialect was quite rare, it explains why her poems became increasingly lost as fewer people were able to translate them.

The difficulties of the Aeloic Greek metre, also means there is considerable variance in English translations.