Pregnancy, childbirth and confinement in the light of Polish Books of Miracles (from the Middle Ages to the 18th c.)

Abstract

The author used a previously unexplored type of source, namely mediaeval and early-modern books of miracles, to study the topic of diffi cult childbirth and the condition of the mother and child, at the same time formulating a number of research problems. The material proved very informative; for instance, the analysis and the chart included in the article (table 1) shows how that mothers were considered in need of supernatural intervention twice as often as new-born babies. The analysis of cases of pregnancy and childbirth described in books of miracles revealed that delivery complications were much more frequent than post-natal complications or preg-nancy problems (table 2). The author also attempted to identify some of the ailments referred to, although this proved to be possible in a limited number of cases, due to the character and purpose of the texts in question. Nevertheless, miracle books testify to cases of puerperal fever, toxaemia and intrauterine infections. The examined books of miracles contain data on live births and stillbirths (table 3). Their analysis showed that over 1/3 of babies delivered with some complications died. It is difficult to judge whether the alleged miracles involved cases of real death or misdiagnosis. Due to the character of the source, we also do not know what (if any) methods were used to revive new-born babies. It is certain, however, that some women in labour were attended by physicians and midwives, or experienced women, who probably followed established routines. If those failed, they prayed for a miracle to the Holy Virgin, Jesus or saints, and instructed the woman and her relatives to make vows and offerings.Miracle books rarely mentioned the sex of the newly-born (table 4); nevertheless, their authors primarily noted the birth or complications connected with the birth of boys (16 cases of boys and 4 of girls in the material examined). The data are not sufficient to support a claim that parents were more concerned with boys than with girls, since prayers for intervention were usually started during the labour, when the sex of the child was still unknown. The discrepancy should rather be attributed to the fact that the birth of a boy was more often noted by writers, which resulted from the parents’ pride in having a son.The area of research is further extended to cover issues of parental love, refl ected among other things, in parents’ fear of “children’s limbo” (limbus infantium) if a baby dies unbaptized, as well as of family and marital links. In connection with the fi rst issue, the analysis has revealed that parents did not always show despair when their child was stillborn or died just after birth. Mothers were sometimes greatly worried about their own life and health, which might have also been a sign of concern for their living children, who were in danger of losing their mother. Fathers, on the other hand, first of all tried to help their wives who were in labour, not their children whom they did not yet know. Furthermore, the article reflects on votive gestures recorded in books of miracles. The most common ones were: prayers, thanksgiving pilgrimages, promises of sacrifi ce and votive offerings of material and sentimental value.