ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The final episode in the legend of Mary Magdale according to Legenda aurea is an example of extreme asceticism in a 'historic (post-axial) religion'. But the scenario with the saint in the 'desert' is built on mythical and ritual themes well-known from 'tribal' and 'archaic' religions. Axaial asceticism contains a previously unknown, universal ideal about a durative, lifelong asceticism; but this ideal both prolongs and inverts forms of asceticism that were well-known in earlier forms of religion.DANSK RESUME: De afsluttende episoder i Maria Magdalena-legenden if. Legenda aurea er et model-eksempel på idealet om ekstrem askese i en 'historisk (post-aksial) religion'. Scenariet, helgeninden i 'ørkenen', bygger på mytiske og rituelle former der er velkendte fra 'tribal' og 'arkaisk' religion. Aksial askese indeholder et hidtil ukendt universelt ideal om durativ, livslang, askese; men dette både fortsaetter og inverterer askese-former, der er velkendte i tidligere religionsformer.