medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Doctissimi,
with due respect, I wonder how the analogy Mary / Venus would work. Venus dicitur pelago exorta, as indeed Apuleius says in the Apology, and in Metamorph. 11, 2 he calls her regina caeli, and alma (frugum) all right, and she is a goddess tout court, who has power over the fate of mortals, but I'm afraid it is here that the verbal analogy breaks down.
First of all Mary is no goddess, and was never thought to be one (certainly not by the bishops of the Council of Ephesus). She is mortal (think of the ubiquitious 'koimesis' sc. Theotokou icons), but she was elected (that is, not by her own power, though her consent had to be solicited by the good services of Archangel Gabriel at the Annunciation) to give birth to the Son (on earth, within the created world, to be distinguished from the Generation from the Father). She has no power over the fate of mortals, only about her own consent - consenting to the will of god. I think these are crucial differences. Oh yes, and never does Apuleius say that Venus would have remained a virgin (esp. after giving birth to Aeneas, a fact well known to a Roman).
So what does the 'Ave maris stella' mean then?
Instead of being an afterthought to a Veneric hymn, I rather feel that as the sea (that is, water, see Heraclitus and innumerable 2nd c. CE references) is the symbol of the material world, and the star is among the highest ranking creatures, closest to god on the (meta) physical map of the day, these lines hail Mary reminscent to other hymns, or at least in tune with their theology as the most honoured creature. E.g. in the lines in the 'liturgy of St John Chrysostomus,' "... thee that art more honourable than the Cherubim, and incomparably more glorious than the Seraphim... " (called Megalynarion) has a rather straightforward meaning for good reasons: the Seraphim and the Cherubim could carry the throne of god, but they were not known to be honoured by the role of being the 'porta coeli' : that is, opening up the created world for the uncreated, or bridgeing over that infinite chasm, so to say. She is the 'star' of the created world, a unique creature, while remaining a creature. (In this respect the history of Marian doctrines and their growing wild recently is of great interest, I think.)
I'm sorry if I put the burden of way too much theology on your screens, but as I myself had been once an apprentice to the historical school, I could not resist to comment on Diana Wright's remarks. Now I think that these similarities, or 'connections' are much more complex than being 'influences' or 'adaptations'. Si duo dicunt idem non est idem, n'est ce pas? :-))
Sincere apologies,
George
G. Gereby
associate professor
Ancient and Mediaeval Philosophy Department, Eötvös Loránd University Budapest
recurrent associate professor
Medieval Studies Dept.
Central European University
Budapest V.
Nador u. 9.
H-1051 Hungary
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>>> Diana Wright <[log in to unmask]> 09/08/06 9:06 PM >>>
medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Christopher Crockett wrote:
>medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
>
>putting at severe risk my present position of near-pristine Ignorance, may i
>pose two questions, O Oriens?
>
>From: Bill East <[log in to unmask]>
>
>
>
>> Ave, Maris stella,
>> Dei Mater alma,
>> Atque semper virgo,
>> felix caeli porta.
>>
>>
>
>
>
>> �Hail, star of the sea, gracious Mother of God and ever-virgin, happy
>>
>>
>portal of heaven.�
>
>
>
>>The title �Star of the Sea� is very popular in modern Catholic devotion.
>>
>>
>One finds it for example in the hymn �Hail, queen of heaven, the ocean
>star�: �Mother of Christ, star of the sea, pray for the wanderer, pray for
>me.� Here we have a very early example of it � I dare not say the earliest,
>for someone is sure to write in with an earlier one.
>
>
>
f the ancestress
poems, from Apuleius ca. 160.
DW
O blessed Queen of heaven, whether you be the Dame Ceres who is the
original and motherly nource of all fruitful things on earth, who after
the finding of your daughter Proserpina, through the great joy which you
did presently conceive, made barren and unfruitful ground to be ploughed
and sown, and now you inhabit in the land of Eleusie; or whether you be
the celestial Venus, who in the beginning of the world did couple
together all kind of things with an engendered love, by an eternal
propagation of humankind, are now worshipped within the Temples of the
Isle Paphos, you who are the sister of the God Phoebus, who nourishes so
many people by the generation of beasts, and are now adored at the
sacred places of Ephesus, you who are horrible Proserpina, by reason of
the deadly howlings which you yieldest, you have the power to stop and
put away the invasion of the hags and Ghosts which appear men, and to
keep them down in the closures of the earth: you who nourishes all the
fruits of the world by your vigour and force; with whatsoever name or
fashion it is lawful to call upon you, I pray you, to end my great
travail and misery, and deliver me from the wretched fortune, which had
so long time pursued me. Grant peace and rest if it please you to my
adversities, for I have endured too too much labour and peril. Remove
from me my shape of an Ass, and render to me my pristine estate, and if
I have offended in any point of divine Majesty, let me rather die then
live, for I am full weary of life.
http://www.big.com.au/fallen/roses.html
>> It depends, no doubt, on a pun: �Maria� besides being a woman�s name,
>>
>>
>is the plural of �mare� �the sea�. For a full explanation of this very
>popular title I refer members to the article �The Name of Mary� in the
>Catholic Encyclopedia, available on line. It apparently goes back to the
>phrase �stilla maris� in Jerome.
>
>
>the implication is, i assume, not just any old garden variety "star of the
>sea" but the Pole Star, the Constant Guide of mariners cast upon the trackless
>expanse of the ocean?
>
>
>
>> A far more significant title is �Dei Mater�, �Mother of God�.
>>
>>
>
>and you have translated the modifyer "alma" as "gracious".
>
>would not "nurturing" be more appropriate, in this context?
>
>taken literally, "gracious" might be "full of [or despensing] Grace, implying
>Merciful and Compassionate.
>
>but the Maternal role is, above all, a Nurturing one, the despensation of
>Grace, Mercy and Compassion being inclusive but, as it were, secondary.
>
>c
>
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