Katherine of Sutton facts for kids

Katherine of Sutton was a special nun who lived a long time ago, from about 1358 to 1376. She was the leader, called an Abbess, of a very important place called Barking Abbey. People think she might have been the first woman in England to write plays!

Biography of Katherine

Since Barking Abbey only accepted women from rich and important families, Katherine was almost certainly born into a noble family. Being the Abbess of Barking meant she had a rank similar to a Baroness in medieval England. This was a very powerful position.

Katherine was the Abbess from 1358 to 1376. This was a time when Barking Abbey was at its strongest. As the Abbess, she was in charge of both the political and religious matters of the convent. She also made sure all the nuns were safe and well. Plus, she led and planned the special church ceremonies.

In English convents, the highest-ranking nun had the most power and responsibility. An Abbess had to provide supplies for royal wars. She also had to house criminals until their trials. To show her power, the Abbess carried a staff. It was like the staff a bishop would carry.

One of Katherine's most important powers was changing the church services. This was a big deal because, even though some women held important church jobs back then, a man usually supervised them. An Abbess always had a bishop working with her. However, it's not clear if she had to ask him before making official changes. If she changed the church services, she would write them down in a special book. This book was called the Ordinale. It was passed down to each Abbess and was only for her to read.

Katherine made several changes to the convent's church services. She was very forward-thinking. She added performing arts to the Easter celebrations. She did this to make the audience more interested. She wanted to help them feel closer to God.

Easter Plays at Barking Abbey

Katherine is believed to have directed three special plays. These plays were sung in Latin. They were performed at Barking Abbey in the late 1300s. These plays are still around today in a manuscript. It is kept at University College, Oxford.

There is not much proof that Katherine wrote the plays herself. They follow the style of older Latin Easter plays. However, a note before the plays says Katherine changed them. She moved two plays, Descensus and Elevatio, to be performed after a certain part of the morning service. They used to be performed before it. The note says she did this to stop people from becoming "sluggish" or less devoted.

There were four plays in total: Depositio, Descensus, Elevatio, and Visitatio Sepulchri.

The Depositio Play

The first play, Depositio, was performed on Good Friday. In this play, two priests acted as Joseph and Nicodemus. They took down a sculpture of Christ from the cross above the altar. As they did this, they sang a special song. Then, they washed the sculpture's wounds with wine and water. This washing part was unique to these plays. They then placed the sculpture in a special spot in the church. They also put a wool blanket and a pillow with it. This burial showed how people in the late Middle Ages wanted to show Christ's death very clearly.

The Descensus Christi Play

Descensus Christi showed Christ going into hell after his death. He went there to save the souls trapped inside. During this play, all the nuns and the Abbess stood in a side chapel. They each held a palm branch and an unlit candle. They represented the souls of holy people in Hell. The main priest and two helpers walked to the chapel door. They sang a song that meant "tear down your gates." Then, they let the "souls" out of the chapel. They all walked in a procession through the main part of the church.

The Elevatio Play

The Elevatio play happened right after Descensus. It showed Christ's resurrection, meaning he came back to life. In the Barking version, the main priest went into the "tomb." He took out what the text called "the Lord's body in a glass." He held it up for everyone to see. As he did this, he sang "Christ is risen." This "body in glass" was likely a special container holding a consecrated host.

The Visitatio Play

The three Marys were played by nuns. They wore white robes and white veils. They visited Christ’s tomb and found that his body was gone. The play then showed Christ appearing to Mary Magdalene. She then sang the news to her friends. After that, they went to the steps in front of the altar. There, they told the apostles that Christ had risen. The play ended with a hymn, "O God we praise thee."

Legacy of Katherine's Plays

The plays from Barking Abbey helped set the stage for many other plays later on. Plays from late medieval France, Germany, and Britain showed clear influences from the Barking Abbey dramas. These plays are also important because they featured nuns playing male characters.