The Adventures of Marina the Monk [Movie Transcript]

Miranda: A long a time ago, in Bitnia--that's in Asia Minor--there was a man who had a daughter named Mary. And one day this man's wife passed away. And he told Mary, "Listen, I want to renounce all worldly things, enter a monastery, and end my life there." And Mary wanted to go with him, but she couldn't because she was a girl and they didn't allow girls in the monastery obviously. But she persisted. So her father had her hair shaved and she dressed up like a boy and went with him. And there she took the name, Marina.


Miranda: She stayed there a number of years and she gathered a lot of learning. She had a reputation for being very obedient and pious and doing lots of good work like healing people. Therefore, one day the Abbot sends Marina to an inn. The innkeeper's daughter, who's already pregnant by some other soldier, blames her pregnancy on Marina.

When her father, the Innkeeper, finds out, he's furious and he goes to the monastery and tells the Abbot, "Look! This monk who's supposedly so pious , he impregnated my daughter!" "What kind of establishment are you running here?" is basically what he says. The Abbot is also furious and he summons Marina and asks him to explain himself. And Marina simply throws himself on the ground and says, "Forgive me, I have committed a horrible transgression." The Abbot kicks him out of the monastery; Marina waits outside the gate and just sets up there.

After the baby is born, the Innkeeper comes and just deposits the baby in front of him and says, "This is the product of your wickedness! Go ahead and raise it!" And Marina does.

Marina's out there for three years. And the monks are very sorry to see their comrade, Marina, out there. They go to the Abbot and say, "How can we just walk right by him without taking pity on him? This is horrible. Let him back in! This has just been too much punishment." The Abbot lets Marina back in. Marina returns to the monastery with the baby and she remains there for the rest of her life. And eventually, she passes away.


When her body is being prepared for burial, they undress the corpse and find out that she's a woman. And they're very amazed and shocked by this. Immediately, the Abbot begs God for forgiveness. He summons the Innkeeper and says, "Look! Your daughter could not have been made pregnant by this man because this man is NOT a man!" The Innkeeper is also very repentant.

So, everything gets sorted out. And Marina, or Mary, is buried with all respect and honor in the monastery.