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THAISIS

@thaisisproject.bsky.social

MSCA-PF project, 2025-27: Rethinking medieval & modern sexualities through the ‘harlot saint’ Thais. Researcher: Alicia Smith, @timekeptcity.bsky.social. Follow for updates on ongoing research on this complex and fascinating figure in medieval culture!

Posts Replies Media

THAISIS @thaisisproject.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

New blog post: Here's an image I wasn't expecting. In fact, I had to look twice to really believe it: had this medieval manuscript illustrator really chosen to depict this saint up her neck in her own shit? www4.uib.no/en/research/...

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THAISIS @thaisisproject.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

One of my favourite images of Thais: something of a sly smile, and what is she looking at? 👀 Bibliothèque Nationale Française, MS Esp. 44, f.219v.

A medieval manuscript page with an illuminated initial T showing a woman with a wimple looking out of the window of a small building.

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THAISIS @thaisisproject.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

most recently, I got to present some new manuscript evidence at the 'big medieval conference' as I describe it to my family - brief report here: www4.uib.no/en/research/...

www4.uib.no

THAISIS at Leeds International Medieval Congress

Researcher Alicia Smith presented new evidence about the transmission of a life of Thais at the International Medieval Congress at the University of Leeds.

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THAISIS @thaisisproject.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

Thanks for checking out my research - sex, money, power in the medieval and postmedieval figure of sex worker turned saint Thais. More details and permanent links at the project page: www4.uib.no/en/research/...

www4.uib.no

Research project: THAISIS

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THAISIS @thaisisproject.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

and I've uncovered lots of fascinating leads for post-medieval reception of the Thais story - see this blog post for my reflections on a beautiful but troubling illustration from the midst of 1920s Egyptomania! tinyurl.com/yfum23vc

tinyurl.com

Thais in the twenties

Short article about 1920s illustrations of Anatole France's novel Thaïs depicting Thaïs and Paphnuce

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THAISIS @thaisisproject.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

I've recently finalised a new edition of the poetic life of Thais by Marbod of Rennes, to be published in the journal Sacris Erudiri ✏️

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THAISIS @thaisisproject.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

Research has got well under way into the breadth of manuscript evidence for this story percolating through medieval culture 📜

a snip of an in-progress excel sheet documenting manuscript evidence for different versions of the life of Thais

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THAISIS @thaisisproject.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

Finally getting project social media up and running! It's been a rollercoaster first few months as a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions postdoc @ec.europa.eu at the University of Bergen, Norway 🇳🇴, and some great stuff has happened so far.

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