VIRUS Band 15, pp. 087-106, 2020/07/22
Schwerpunkt: Medizin und Religion
In this paper, the early modern miracle narratives of the Austrian pilgrimage site Maria Luggau are in the focus of attention. The overall collection consists of 1.111 reports (mainly from the 18th century) of which 134 cases deal with childbirth and the resurrection and baptism of stillborn babies. The analysis of the descriptions of physical and emotional sensations of pain and anxiety, of the everyday life and the world of ideas of the people portrayed illuminates that miracle narratives prove to be a fruitful source, especially for historians with a special interest in the social history of medicine.
Keywords: Medicine and religion, miracle collection, Early Modern Times, Maria Luggau (Carinthia/Austria), pregnancy, childbirth, resurrection and baptism of stillborn babies
