Medieval Painting of a Female Saint - ?Catherine/Mary Magdalene, Heydon, Norfolk

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Female Saint (?Catherine, Mary Magdalene) Heydon Norfolk (‡Norwich), after 1470

Photos:T.Marshall Female Saint (?Catherine, Mary Magdalene) [41KB]

The identity of this female saint at Heydon seems likely to remain for ever in doubt. She is painted on the south wall of the south aisle, facing the painting of the Adoration of the Magi on the north wall across the aisle. The east wall, at right angles to both subjects, probably once had an altar, but there is nothing painted on the wall above it now.
This crowned Virgin saint may nevertheless be the Virgin Mary herself, with the Christ Child originally painted at the left beneath the replastered area. But this seems unlikely, mainly because the figure seems to be holding something in front of her with her right hand. Whatever this is, it is likely to be her attribute, and St. Catherine (with the wheel) or Mary Magdalene (with her cruse of anointing oil) are possibilities.

The figure, obscured below by a memorial tablet, is painted on a large scale, far larger than any of the other painted figures at Heydon. It must date from after 1470, when the aisles were extended to their present length, and I suspect that there may have been a subsidiary altar below it.
As well as the Adoration of the Magi linked above, there are paintings of the Three Living & the Three Dead and Herod’s Feast, with Salome in the church.

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28/6/2001

St. Andrew Martyred, Stoke Dry, Rutland	St. Anne teaching the Virgin to read-Corby Glen, Lincolnshire	St. Antony and the Pig, Barton, Cambridgeshire	St. Barbara : Hessett, Suffolk	St. Bartholomew : Selling, Kent	St.Catherine of Alexandria, life of : Castor, Cambs	St Catherine of Alexandria, Cold Overton, Leicestershire *NEW*	St.Catherine of Alexandria : Hardley Street, Norfolk
St.Catherine of Alexandria : Old Weston, Northants	St.Catherine of Alexandria : Pickering, N. Yorks	St.Catherine of Alexandria, life of : Sporle, Norfolk	St. Catherine of Alexandria, Martyrdom of: Burton Latimer, Northants *NEW*	St. Catherine of Alexandria or another female saint : Ashley, Hampshire *NEW*	St. Clement : South Leigh, Oxon.	Scenes from the life of St. Cuthbert : Pittington, Co. Durham *NEW*	St. Dunstan holding the Devil by the nose : Barton, Cambs
St.Edmund : Boxford, Suffolk	St. Edmund : Lakenheath, Suffolk	St. Edmund, Martyrdom of : Bishopsbourne, Kent	St.Edmund, Martyrdom of : Fritton, Norfolk	St. Edmund (or St. Walstan) : Gisleham, Norfolk	St. Edmund, Martyrdom of : Pickering, N.Yorks	St. Edmund, Martyrdom of : Stoke Dry, Rutland	St. Edmund, Martyrdom of : Troston, Suffolk
St. Edmund, Martyrdom of : Weare Giffard, Devon	St.Eloi, Broughton, Bucks	St. Eloi and the possessed horse, Slapton, Northants	St. Eloi, as bishop & blacksmith, Wensley, N.Yorks	St.Erasmus, Martyrdom of : Chippenham, Cambs	St. Etheldreda : Willingham, Cambs	St. Francis Preaching to the Birds : Little Kimble, Bucks	St.Francis Preaching to the Birds : Wissington, Suffolk
St. Francis Receiving the Stigmata, Slapton, Northants	St. George & Dragon : Banningham, Norfolk	St. George & Dragon : Broughton, Bucks	St. George & Dragon : Earl Stonham, Suffolk	St. George & Dragon : Fritton, Norfolk	St. George & Dragon : Hornton, Oxon	St. George dedicating himself to the Virgin : Astbury, Cheshire	St. George, with the princess : Little Kimble, Bucks
St. George & the Dragon : Kirtlington, Oxon *NEW*	St.Helena, Broughton, Bucks	St.James the Great : Hales, Norfolk	Life of St. James, Stoke Orchard, Gloucestershire	St. James the Great, meeting pilgrims : Wisborough Green, Sussex	St. James the Great, Yelden (or Yielden), Beds *NEW*	St. John the Baptist, Martyrdom of : Chalfont St. Giles, Bucks	St. John the Baptist, Martyrdom of : Heydon, Norfolk
St. John the Baptist, Martyrdom of : Idsworth, Hampshire	St. John the Baptist, Martyrdom of : Old Weston, Northants	St. John the Baptist, Martyrdom of : Pickering, N. Yorks	Life of St. John the Baptist : Cerne Abbas, Dorset	St. John the Evangelist, Selling, Kent	St. John the Evangelist, Weston Longville, Norfolk	St. Margaret of Antioch : Old Weston, Northants	St. Margaret and the dragon : South Newington, Oxfordshire
St. Margaret of Antioch Martyred, Stoke Dry, Rutland	St. Margaret of Antioch, Life of : Charlwood, Surrey	Life of St. Margaret, Wendens Ambo, Essex	Martyrdom of St. Margaret, Duxford, Cambridgeshire	Martyrdom of St. Margaret, Ashby St Ledgers, Northamptonshire *NEW*	St. Martin dividing his cloak, Chalgrave, Beds	St. Martin dividing his cloak, Wareham, Dorset	St Michael, with kneeling donor, South Newington, Oxfordshire
St.Nicholas of Myra, life of : Little Horwood, Bucks
St. Nicholas of Myra, two miracles of : Wissington, Suffolk	St. Nicholas of Myra & the Boys in the Barrel, Padworth, Berkshire	St. Nicholas of Myra & the Boys in the barrel, Bishopsbourne, Kent *NEW*	St.Paul : Black Bourton, Oxon	St. Paul : Beckley, Oxon	St. Paul : Selling, Kent	St. Peter : Beckley, Oxon
St.Peter : Black Bourton, Oxon	St. Peter, Martyrdom of : Chacombe, Northants	St. Peter : Selling, Kent	SS. Peter & Paul, Old Idsworth, Hampshire *NEW*	St. Roch : Pinvin, Worcs	St. Sexburga? : Willingham, Cambs	S. Stephen, Martyrdom of, North Stoke, Oxon	St. Stephen, Stoning of: Black Bourton, Oxon
St. Stephen, Stoning of: Catfield, Norfolk	St.Swithun (?) enthroned : Old Weston, Northants	Scenes from the life of St. Swithun : Corhampton, Hampshire	St. Thomas Becket, blessing, Hauxton, Cambs.	Archbishop, possibly Thomas Becket, blessing, Shorthampton, Oxfordshire *NEW*	St. Thomas Becket, Murder of, Marston Magna, Somerset	St. Thomas Becket, Murder of, North Stoke, Oxfordshire	St.Thomas Becket, Murder of : South Burlingham, Norfolk
St. Thomas Becket, Murder of : South Newington, Oxfordshire	St. Walstan of Bawburgh? or St. Edmund : Gisleham, Norfolk	St. Zita : Horley, Oxon	St. Zita : Shorthampton, Oxon	Unidentified female saint : Heydon