The Vie de sainte Eufrosine is a thirteenth-century French verse hagiography of the saint whose preferred name was Esmarade. Composed around 1200, this Life introduces an individual whose gender identity does not conform to a binary model. Esmarade's queer gender is inextricably linked to their devotion to God as they leave secular society for a monastery in which they spend the rest of their life living as a eunuch. In their accompanying illuminations, the manuscripts of this Life offer hitherto relatively unexamined visual representations of the saint and their gender expression. This chapter considers Esmarade as a genderqueer saint, since they express an identity that does not fit into a binary understanding of gender. Unlike other similar texts, Esmarade does not make an explicit statement outlining their identified gender, and the gendered language used by both protagonist and narrator is inconsistent. However, the saint does present themself to others as a eunuch. This could be seen as a way for them to articulate a non-binary, genderqueer identity. Consequently, this chapter uses they/ them pronouns and the saint's preferred name, Esmarade, to recognize the saint's expression(s) of gender.

The Life of Eufrosine/Esmarade tells the story of a saint assigned female at birth who does not wish to marry the partner chosen by their father, preferring to retain their virginity. After a brief stay at a monastery with their father Pasnutius, they realize they wish to enter the religious life.