dr Małgorzata Dowlaszewicz

Section 13.: Exposing power: Women's agency in medieval literature and art

Alijt Bake (1415–1455), a mystic and reformer within the Devotio Moderna movement, asserted her agency through writing, leadership, and resistance to ecclesiastical authority. As prioress of the Galilea convent, she sought to reform monastic spirituality, emphasizing an intensely personal and interiorized devotion. Central to her intellectual legacy is the compilation of manuscript KB 643-44, a collection of theological and mystical texts, including works by Eckhart, Tauler, and Bake herself. Bake’s involvement in selecting and adapting these texts reflects her role as both author and curator, shaping religious discourse within her community. This paper shall discuss how Bake refers to her own agency (especially in her autobiography) that demonstrates how women in medieval religious communities manifested power through literary and intellectual production..