>Dear All, In the medieval trope, "Quem quaeritis", played during the Easter
>Mass, there are three Marys who visit the tomb of Jesus. Can anyone tell me
>who the third Mary is? Where did she come from? How did she get into the act?
>The earliest ms I know of the trope is from St. Gall (ca. 950?), though it
>spread throughout Europe, taking on variations from place to place, eventually
>becoming the "Visitatio Sepulchri" plays. Any help would be appreciated.
>C. Thomas Ault
>Indiana University of Pennsylvania
>Indiana, Pennsylvania 15705
>USA
Dear Tom,
The three Maries are named in Mark 16.1 ("And when the sabbath was past,
Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet
spices, that they might come and anoint him".) According to Matt. 27.56,
Mary Salome was the wife of Zebedee and mother of James and Joses--cf also
Mark 15.40. Matt. 28.1 mentions Mary Magdalene and "the other Mary"; Luke
24.10 Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and other women;
John 20.1 Mary Magdalene alone. I think there is confusion in the gospel
accounts about all these Maries, but in the medieval tradition of the
mystery cycles these three were settled upon as the ones to be represented
visiting the tomb.
I hope this helps.
Brian donaghey
Brian Donaghey - Dept of English Language & Linguistics - Ext 6291
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