Uncertain Refuge: Sanctuary in Medieval Literature

In medieval England, any felon could avoid prosecution under the law by running to a church. Ideally, the practice of sanctuary aligned divine aegis with royal mercy and human law to protect the lives of desperate people. But because it is a legal exception, sanctuary can also be resolutely unsafe. Jurisdictional arguments and violations of sanctuary dramatize questions about the relations between law, kingship, and divine aegis. Beginning with the strange miracle of a stag in sanctuary, this paper explores the ways in which uncertain refuge takes on political significance in a range of literary and documentary contexts