Revelations of Divine Love

Revelations of Divine Love is a medieval book of Christian mystical devotions. It was written between the 14th and 15th centuries by Julian of Norwich. It is the earliest surviving example of a book in the English language known to have been written by a woman. It is also the earliest surviving work written by an English anchorite or anchoress. Julian wrote about the sixteen mystical visions or «shewings» she received when she was in her thirties. Whilst she was seriously ill, and believing to be on her deathbed, the visions appeared to her over a period of several hours in one night, with a final revelation occurring the following night. After making a full recovery, she wrote an account of each vision. She developed her ideas over a period of decades, and wrote a far more extended version of her writings.