One example of this motif is the story of Saint Pelagien. In this story, Margaret, a woman of noble birth, is forced to marry a man she does not love. The prospect of her losing her virginity causes her to change her appearance and enter a monastery as a man, Pelagien. Similarly, Saint Eugenia also dressed up as a man and went to a monastery to become a servant of the Lord.
Both of these stories have another recurring motif: perceived adultery. Saint Pelagien is accused of impregnating a woman while he is overseeing the nunnery. Saint Eugenia is also accused of adultery while embracing the life of a monk. Saint Eugenia's story has a different ending than the story of Saint Pelagien, because the former manages to convert someone before her death, whereas Pelagien dies in his prison cell.
Another interesting recurring motif is dragons. In two of the legends, dragons play an important role in helping solidify the holiness of the women that defeat them. The legend of Saint Margaret tells of how a dragon appears in Margaret's prison cell and swallows her, but she makes the sign of the cross and defeats the dragon. The dragon in Saint Martha has become famous and was even named the Tarasque. The legend describes this woodland dwelling dragon as a Leviathan, and one that would eat men and destroy the land. Martha uses holy water and the sign of the cross in order to subdue the creature, and afterwards the people slay him. Both dragons seem to show that the cross is holy enough to defeat anything.
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