medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Hello,
There was an article a couple of years back on such Black Madonnas in the
American Historical Review: "From Majesty to Mystery: Change in the Meanings
of Black Madonnas from the Sixteenth to Nineteenth Centuries" by
MONIQUE SCHEER (Vol. 107 no. 5, December 2002). The issue even sported the
Black Madonna on its cover. It may be helpful?
Best,
June Mecham
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>medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
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>A website that appears reputable has this to say:
>
>"If it is true that a large proportion of the ancient miraculous Madonnas of
>the world are black, why is this phenomenon generally so little known today?
>A poetic verse from 1629 catalogues some of the national shrines of Europe,
>all of which, at the heart, seem to represent an ancient tradition of
>devotion to a statue of the Black Virgin. Many such Black Virgins exist,
>often having survived centuries of war, some in large basilicas, others in
>village churches, yet others in museums and libraries. Many more are also in
>private hands, for a variety of reasons. Some are painted statues, others
>are murals or paintings, and some are statues carved from ebony.
>
>Some of the most famous Black Virgin shrines are Chartes, Loreto, Zaragoza,
>Rocamadour, Montserrat, and Guadalupe. Early textual references describing
>images of Black Virgins are few, although Peter Comestor (12th c. biblical
>scholar of Troyes and Paris), St. Bernard of Clairvaux (an early leader of
>the medieval Knights Templar) and Nicephorus Callixtus (1256-1335), the
>Byzantine church historian, all have had something to say on this subject.
>
>Many Christians, both clergy and laity, simply accept that these shrines to
>the Black Virgin, and the loyal, fervent devotion they foster, are
>ultimately inexplicable, a mystery of the divine feminine. Some writers
>believe they represent a Christian form of Isis, as a mother with child.
>These shrines are believed to have special healing powers, among other
>things, and to be places where newly married brides can go for fertility
>blessings. There is also a strong religious folk tradition connecting the
>Black Virgins to the medieval Knights Templar and also with Mary Magdelene.
>A famous Black Virgin - la Madone des Fenestres (the Madonna of the
>Windows), near St-Martin-de-Vesubie (one site where many Templars were
>massacred) was believed by folk tradition in the area to have originally
>been brought to southern France by Mary Magdelene. Whether such legends
>spring from a kernel of truth, or are purely legendary, it is still
>intriguing to examine the sheer number of such place-names, legends, and
>beliefs about these subjects and their interconnections, at least in the
>popular mind. And that in itself says something."
>
>I don't believe that the "black" in question has anything to do with
>Benedictines, traditionally called "black monks," because of the color of
>their habits. My question was spurred by what is mentioned above: "folk
>tradition" and "sheer number."
>
>MG
>
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June L. Mecham, Ph.D.
Visiting Assistant Professor
Department of History (0117)
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Blacksburg, VA 24061
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