摘要
The Tractatus de Purgatorio Sancti Patricii （Treatise on Saint Patrick＇s Purgatory）, written approximately 1180-1215 for a monastic audience in England, is credited with being the earliest literary vision of purgatory. The description of purgatory in the work is basic to our understanding of it even today. The work quickly became popular and was copied in a number of versions, first in Latin for the clergy, and later in many vernacular languages. The Latin versions emphasize the religious aspects of the story, including homilies, exemplary tales, and testimonials unrelated to the basic plot, while the vernacular versions highlight the adventure of the knight Owein, downplaying or eliminating entirely many of the religious features and appealing to a lay audience who sought entertainment rather than edification. This essay considers the transformation of the Tractatus, particularly in two Anglo-Norman versions, one by Marie de France, the other by an anonymous redactor, on behalf of an audience that was becoming more familiar with romances and who craved them. Finally, the image of St. Patrick＇s Purgatory is so enduring that even today its reputed location in Ireland attracts tens of thousands of pilgrims annually.
