Teresa de Cartagena (fl. 1400)
Teresa de Cartagena (fl. 1400)
Spanish nun and writer. Flourished in 1400 in Cartagena, Spain; never married; no children.
Unfortunately almost nothing is known about Teresa de Cartagena, a Spanish nun and writer who had been born deaf. It is not certain whether she entered a convent because of her deafness, which made it unlikely that she would marry, or if only her piety led her there. It is clear that Teresa had an intense devotion to God, and experienced mystical trances and visions, which she wrote about for the enlightenment of others. She authored two books, in which she chronicles her own spiritual growth and gives guidance to others seeking the same path; she also wrote about physical deformities and handicaps, and created a cosmology in which the physically disabled could, by virtue of their suffering and unique experiences, play an important role in leading others to God.
sources:
Echols, Anne, and Marty Williams. An Annotated Index of Medieval Women. NY: Markus Wiener, 1992.
Laura York , Riverside, California