Religious narration was a form of folk religion used to teach common people. Simple stories connected religious ideas to everyday people, events, and objects that were relatable and also taught moral lessons in a way that everyday people could understand, just like a biblical parable. The content and intended purpose of the stories and lessons depended on the intended audience and the teacher addressing that audience. Jacques de Vitry's religious purpose of writing The Virgin Mary Saves a Monk and His Lover differs from King Alfonso of Saint Mary's performed miracles and using the characters, their actions, and the outcomes of the story to teach a moral lesson. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Jacques de Vitry, a Christian priest and scholar, wrote The Virgin Mary Saves a Monk and His Lover to teach laypeople about the moral life.[ 1] Due to the high costs of producing the Bible and the high levels of illiteracy among the common people, many commoners “had a simple understanding of their faith” and religion.[2] Ordinary people depended on priests for biblical knowledge and education.[3] As a priest, de Vitry's duty was to teach his parishioners, but he was also a scholar. The challenge was to teach people at a basic level that they could understand, a more basic level of understanding than his. Stories about “the lives of the saints reached a wide audience,” and the clergy “encouraged the writing of vernacular poems on biblical themes that could be recited publicly.”[4] Ordinary people were interested in hearing these stories, and the stories were memorable, easy to understand, and easily spread. De Vitry's writings accomplished his goal by effectively reaching and teaching ordinary people. King Alfonso He was a Christian king and "a great patron of law, science and the arts".[5] The lyrical poetry of Song 159 incorporated its artistic value as well as Christian values: praise to the Virgin Mary. Popular saints like Saint Mary "could unite a country, strengthening its political order".[6] King Alfonso was able to unite the religious and political communities of his entire kingdom in the common faith and praise of Saint Mary. Furthermore, he could gain political support as king. Alfonso's purpose in compiling these songs may have been personal, but it was more likely to promote himself politically. In The Virgin Mary Saves a Monk and His Lover, pious (moral) attitudes and actions were encouraged through approving praise and reward. The "pious matron often came to church and served God devoutly day and night", and the monk was "custodian and treasurer of the monastery, had a great reputation for piety, and was truly pious".[7] ] Through repeated acts of service, which demonstrated devotion and humility, the monk and matron both had a positive reputation for being pious. Even after the scandal, their pious actions were rewarded. When they confessed their sins and prayed to the Virgin Mary, she "was overwhelmed by their prayers [and] summoned the demons who had caused the deed" to "put an end to the infamy".[8] They were rewarded with forgiveness of sins and a miracle from Mary, which saved their reputation and that of all religious people. The people were taught that if they followed the example of the pious matron and the monk, so would they.