The Old Norse-Icelandic saga of St. Agnes of Rome,
Agnesar saga, concerns the life and martyrdom of a thirteen-year-old Christian maiden living in Rome during the fourth century. The pagan prefect Symphronius’ unnamed son wanted to marry Agnes, but she refused his hand, as she was a virgin who had dedicated herself to Christ. In order to force her to change her mind, Agnes was first interrogated and, when she still refused to marry the prefect’s son, she was tortured by being stripped naked and led to a brothel, after which point a series of miraculous events took place: first, Agnes’ naked body was covered by the growth of her hair and an angel cast a bright light over her and presented her with a garment with which to cover her body; next, the brothel was transformed into a house…
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Citation: Van Deusen, Natalie M. "Agnesar saga". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 30 January 2023 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=40946, accessed 21 November 2024.]
