Saint Margaret of Antioch

“Margaret of Antioch was a fourth-century noblewoman martyred by the Romans for her faith. According to the Golden Legend, she had a vision while in prison of being swallowed by a dragon; when she made the sign of the cross, the dragon disgorged her from its belly unharmed. As a result, Margaret became the patron saint of pregnancy and childbirth; she is usually depicted with hands clasped in prayer, emerging from the dragon that tormented her. Her cult grew in popularity in the later Middle Ages, particularly in England, Burgundy, and Champagne. She was one of the saintly voices heard by Joan of Arc and was also the patron saint of three duchesses: Margaret of Flanders, Margaret of Bavaria, and Margaret of York . . . Freestanding devotional statues were produced in large numbers across France in the late Middle Ages. There are a fair number of statues of Saint Margaret still in churches in Champagne and Burgundy (Baudoin 1996, 88). The Glencairn work should be seen in this context; it was probably produced for a parish church, to be displayed on an altar or in a niche.”

Sources:
- Joan A. Holladay and Susan L. Ward, _Gothic Sculpture in America III: The Museums of New York and Pennsylvania_, 2016, 349-350.