St Wilgefortis and Her/Their Beard: The Devotions of Unhappy Wives and Non-Binary People

Abstract

This image (figure 1) of St Wilgefortis hangs in the abbey Church of St Etienne in Beauvais. We see a bearded saint, dressed in late medieval women’s clothing, with luscious long plaits, curvaceous breasts and a look at once of suffering, relief and compassion. Wilgefortis’ story is dramatic and unforgettable. She was, the legend tells us, a young Christian woman, the daughter of the king of Portugal, and devoted to her faith. But her ambitious father promised her in marriage to the pagan king of Figure 1: St Wilgefortis at the Church of St Etienne in Beauvais, c. 1500 (image: Jean-François Madre, secrétaire de l’Association Beauvais Cathédrale)