Abstract
The Adepta Sororitas ranks among the most extreme representations of nuns in popular culture. Their habit-like armour and religious accessories make them easily recognizable as women of the cloth. But if they are nuns, what kind exactly? This paper argues that the most important inspiration for the Sororitas is the female branch of the Dominican Order, which was founded by Saint Dominic in the early 13th century to fight the Cathar heresy. To argue my point, I will investigate three striking similarities between the Sororitas and the devotional culture of medieval Dominican nuns: first, their veneration of saints and their relics (Saint Dominic and Alicia Dominica; Saint Catherine, the Christian saint and the sister of battle respectively); second, their role as virgin-brides of a higher power (Christ and the Emperor); third, the importance of penitence (self-flagellation and penitent engines). Various sources will serve as evidence for my argument. On the side of Warhammer 40.000, I will draw on the Sororitas codices published by Games Workshop (2nd to 10th edition) and selected Black Library novels. On the medieval side, I will consider the Latin saints lives of Saint Dominic and Saint Catherine and the Middle High German revelations of Elsbeth von Oye.
Author bio
Jonas Hermann:
- BA in German Studies and English and American Studies, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg
- MSt in Modern Languages (Medieval German), University of Oxford
- MA in German Literature, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg
- PhD Candidate in Germanic Languages and Literatures and Medieval Studies, Harvard University
- Akademischer Mitarbeiter, Deutsches Seminar – Germanistische Mediävistik, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg
