In Angela Carter's The Bloody Chamber, there is a reference to Saint Cecelia. Carter has adapted Charles Perrault's original fable "Bluebeard" into a terrifying, sexualized horror story. It is interesting that a medieval saint is referenced in such a tale! The female protagonist of the story is a pianist, and her bridal chamber contains "an early Flemish primitive of Saint Cecelia at her celestial organ (Carter 14)." The description of the saint continues: "In the prim charm of this saint, with her plump, sallow cheeks and crinkled brown hair, I saw myself as I could have wished to be" (14). I think we see the same idealization of women as religious figures in this quote, though with the modern addition of musical talent and beauty on the part of the venerator.
Carter, Angela. The Bloody Chamber. New York: Penguin Books, 1993.
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