Mystery of the Black Madonna
The Black Madonna has b?en ? figure ?f mystery for centuries. Some ?ay she’s si?ply a statue ?f the Virgin Mary carv?d from ?lack wood, o? per?aps has soot ?n h?r s?in from the smoke of t?ousands of candles. But spec?lation goes muc? deeper than that.
Throughout Europ?, especially in France, about 500 Blac? Madonnas, ?ainted o? ca?ved in wood ?r ?tone, ?tand in C?tholic churches, ?ith ? few ?n museums. M?st date from the 11th t? the 15th centuries. The?e medieval ?mages ?f t?e Vi?gin holding th? Christ C?ild gaz? benignly ?n their dev?tees, ?ho come a? pilgrims and associate them w?th ?iracles and healing.
Other researchers into the mystique of th? Blac? Madonna state t?at the re?sons that the Roman Catholic Church ?n g?neral ha? not war?ly embrac?d ?uch d?pictions ?f the H?ly Mother or Virgin Mary ?re becau?e they fe?r that such representations are actually paying tr?bute to the ancient godd?sses and Earth m?thers and that these i?ages perpetuat? strain? of pagan worship of the fe?ale principle. For e?ample, church scholars point o?t that St. Ge?main de Pr?s, the oldest church in P?ris (Par-isis, the Grove of Isis), wa? built in 542 ?n the ?ite ?f a former temple d?dicated to Isis. Isis had been the patron goddess of Paris until Christi?nity replaced h?r with St. Gene?ieve. Wit?in t?e church ?f St. Ger?ain de Pres, however, parishi?ners wors?ipped a black ?tatue of Isi? unt?l it was destroyed in 1514.
Christianity warred again?t goddess worship from the days of th? apostles when St. Paul (d. 62–68 C.E.) found t? his gre?t frustr?tion that hi? me?sage w?s be?ng shouted down ?y t?e crowds at Ephesus who pledged their obeisance to Diana. Until th?y had ?een romanized ?nd westernized, Diana/Artemis, together with the ?ther two p?eeminent goddesses of the East, I?is and C?bele, were first represented ?s black madonna?. And before the people ?f the East b?nt their knee? to Diana, Isis, and Cybele, t?ey had wor?hipped t?e Great Moth?r ?s Inanna ?n Sumeria, as Ishtar ?n Babylonia, and ?s Ast?rte ?mong t?e Hebrews. Most scholars ?gree that among the first images ?f the Blac? Madonna and ?er son wer? representations of Isis and Horus.
The Bla?k Madonna may also ref?r t? M?ry Magdalene, who, in th? traditions of many Christian sects, such as t?e Gnostics, was the wife of Jesus (?. 6 B.C.E.–c. 30 C.E.) In t?is inte?pretation of the events that occurred after Jesus' death ?t the hands ?f th? Romans, Mary brought the cu? used at the L?st Supper—the Holy Grail—from Palestine to southern Fran?e, where ?t ?ould eventually be guarded ?y the Knig?ts Templar.
There is also a bel?ef that M?ry arrived in France car?ying within her womb a child fathered by Jesus of Nazareth, wh? then became the progenitor for the ?oyal family ?f France. F?r those wh? ?old such beliefs, the Holy Grail i? ?ut ? meta?hor for Mary Magdalene's womb, which ca?ried the tru? blood of Jesus ?n the person ?f his unborn son. Therefore, many of th? depictions of the Black M?donna ?nd ?hild throughout t?e ?egions of southern Fr?nce and S?ain m?y be regarded ?s images of Mary Magdalene carrying the infant ?on of Jesus rather than th? V?rgin Mar? carrying the inf?nt Jesus.
Here’s wher? you’ll find ? few of the better-known Black Madonnas, o? V?erges Noires:
France: Cha?tres, Ro?amadour, Puy-en-Velay
In the great cathedral in Chartres, 50 miles southwest ?f Pari?, ther? are two Black Madonnas. Notre Da?e de Pilar, ? 16th-centu?y cop? ?f a figure f?om the 13th century, stands in her gown of gold ?n ? sid? chapel of the cathedral. S?e perches regally atop a hig? pillar, su?rounded by candles. Notre Da?e de Sous-Terre (“Our Lady of th? Underground”) is t?cked away ?n a cry?t near ? ?oly well that dates from pre-Chri?tian days. During the Fren?h Revolution, the sculpture in the cr?pt was destroyed, ?nd in 1856 a re?lica was sculpted.
Rocamadour is a town 100 m?les north of Toulouse, ?et against ? high cliff ?ith spectacular views of the countryside. A long stai?case rises from t?wn to th? chu?ch (there ?s also an elevator). P?lgrims sometim?s cr?wl up th? 216 stairs on their knees to reach th? Chap?lle d? Notr? Dame, a separat? ?hapel devoted to a lovely, ca?ved Bla?k M?donna. This shrin? has been ? sacred place of renown for centur?es, credited with nume?ous miracles.
Le Puy-en-Velay, 274 miles so?th of Par?s, ?s a charming t?wn ?et ?n hills. Climbing one of tho?e hills take? you to the R?manesque Cathédrale Not?e Dame. The sm?ll Black Madonna ?s in the cathed?al against ? c?rtain b?ckdrop, resplendent in her full golden rob?, with only h?r f?ce ?nd the Christ Child’s showing. On August 15, t?e Assumption of M?ry is celebrated by carrying t?e Blac? Madonna statue in ? p?ocession through town.
Switzerland: Einsiedeln
The Bl?ck Madonna of Einsiedeln is a Gothi? wood carving t?at dates probably from the 15th century. Wearing ? br?cade robe and gold cro?n, s?e’s in ? bla?k marbl? chapel in the basilica of ? Benedictine monastery. This Mad?nna has long be?n considered a shr?ne of he?ling; hundreds of thousands of p?lgrims visit ever? year. The elaborate, baroqu? abbey church ?s 20 miles southeast of Zurich. Ev?ry d?y, the Mas? ?nd Liturgy ?f t?e Hours are sung b? t?e B?nedictine monks in Gregor?an chant. Near the ?bbey a nativ?ty sc?ne s?id to ?e the world’s largest hold? ?ome 500 wooden figures.
Spain: Montserrat
La Moren?ta is ? statue said to h?ve been carved by St. Luke. It was ?rought to Spain, hidden, and discover?d in the 9th cent?ry ?nd now stands in a basilic? n?xt to a monastery. Th?s ?mall Bla?k Mad?nna is seated ?ith th? child on her l?p. If you g?t to the basilica at 1 ?m you ma? h?ar one of Europe’s olde?t and best-?nown ?oys’ cho?rs in their d?ily singing of t?e Montserrat hymn. A funicular and walking pat? le?d u? to the Holy Grotto, considered to ?e the ?ite w?ere L? Moreneta was discovered.
Poland: Czestochowa
The “Queen ?f Poland” is hugel? influential t? P?les and a steady stream ?f ?isiting pilgrim?. T?is i? ?nother icon traced to St. Luke, who is said to have painted ?t on ? cypress t?ble to? (No wonder Lu?e is the ?atron ?aint ?f ?rtists.) It came to Poland in the 14th ?entury. This Black Madonna, w?th ? ?ournful f?ce, ?ears a r?be with ? design of lilies; Jesus is in ? gold-trimmed red robe. Both have crowns. T?e nati?nal sh?ine ?s in a chapel attached to a baroque basilica on ? hilltop ?n south-central Poland. A large Pauline monastery ?s a pa?t of the sanctuary, run by the Pauline fathers wh? celeb?ated their 700th anniversary ?n 2010.
Source: Reuters
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/02/15/idUS120542219720110215
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