You are currently browsing the category archive for the 'Black Madonna' category.
Black Madonna
Lori Gloyd (c) 2006
I think that living in a time of truly heartless attacks by global business and mergers and acquisitions mentality by governments as well that as women we see the world running contrary to everything that women hold in their nature. We see the world plundered, we see justification for poverty rather than a helping and healing hand, we see wars for the sake of war, the posturing of alpha countries, and all of them at one time or another justify this in the name of “their” god. We seek another image of “god”ess, a nurturing and healing spirit which inspires us to do better, build a better world, spread love, joy, kindness and humility.
I think the Madonna is so inspiring because here was a teenage mother, with bastard child who did what she had to survive and look after the child god entrusted her with. It was she who stood by her son through his entire life, he loved her enough to accompany her to a family wedding and help out when the wine ran out. His first miracle was for his mom. She stood under his cross and wrapped his lifeless body, and never did she lose composure or point blame. She was there after his death, hanging out with the Apostles. Her son was ridiculed his entire life, she stood by him. Her son was the target of government harassment, she stood by him. Inspired by the women in his life her son embraced the idea that women should be the equal of man. She was brave, dignified, not ever less than a man, in a place and time when that was radical if not downright dangerous thinking.
She was a natural to embrace in the northern bits of Europe as many of the previous prehistorical tribes had been matriarchal or at the very least near equals (celts). Negotiating with these tribes the early Christian missionary/apostles found he an easy sell among the locals and made her a focal point of the Christian religion. It is more of a European concept to worship the mother figure, with some similar stories in aboriginal cultures in North America, don’t know much about Australia, curious, though anyone?
aletta
The following books focus in the main on topics other than the Black Madonna. Most information can only be gleaned in passing while reading on other topics, either goddess related or on the subject of Mary the mother of God.
Charlene Spretnak, MISSING MARY (Palgrave MacMillan, 2004)
—A polemical work which argues for the reinstatement of Mary the Mother of God as the Queen of Heaven. Her argument leans heavily on the similarities between Mary and the cosmic matrix of the Great Mother. Looks briefly also at the Black Madonnas. Inspiring read.
Sally Cunneen, IN SEARCH OF MARY (Random House, 1996)
—Traces all the different manifestations of Mary throughout history and viewing her through the lenses of religion, art, psychology and anthropology. Includs a brief look at the Black Madonnas. Fascinating story and easy to read.
Ean Begg, THE CULT OF THE BLACK VIRGIN (New edition due out in September 2006)
—Examines Black Madonnas form their pagan origins to their contemporary understandings. One of the classics on the subject.
Caitlin Matthews, SOPHIA, GODDESS OF WISDOM, BRIDE OF GOD (Quest Books, 2001)
—Interprets the Black Madonna or Black Virgin as the author prefers to call her, in the light of the Black Goddess. However only mentions Black Virgin briefly.
China Galland, LONGING FOR DARKNESS: TARA AND THE BLACK MADONNA (Penguin, 1991)
—One woman’s search for the Sacred Feminine and how her search brought her to the recognition of the many links between the Black Madonna and the goddess Tara.
WEB SITE LINK:
http://campus.udayton.edu/mary//meditations/blackmdn.html
–Excellent source of information about the Black Madonna. Further links at end of web page. Worth checking out. Also links to images.
The statues known as Black Madonnas are a particular type of statue of Mary, the Mother of God. Usually measuring about 3 feet in height, they were carved from a single piece of lightweight wood which rendered them easy to carry in processions, reminiscent of the processions for the Goddess. Many of these statues were painted, the ones in black being associated with the greatest number of miracles. There is a striking resemblance between the images of these statues and the images of Byzantine icons of the Holy Mother, notably the look of compassion that is found in many.
The usual story related about the origins of the Black Madonnas is that they were found by chance in a natural setting, eg, a cave or near a river. The story usually goes that when the statue was removed and placed into a church that it escaped and returned repeatedly to where it was found originally. In the end the church tended to be built on the site where the Black Madonna was found.
Folklore usually told that these statues were not carved by human hands, having instead being created by natural forces, which then embued them with the elemental energies of life and death. The Black Madonnas are a concrete expression of the divine which the individual person can literally reach out and touch. In this way they are a continuation of the ultimate meaning of the Goddess statues and thus have their roots in them. Indeed for many of the statues it is impossible to say whether they were originally Mary or a Goddess. It is likely that many of them were pagan in origin and then ‘borrowed’ later by Christian churches.
There has been much debate over the years about why and how the Black Madonnas were black, whether they had always been so or whether they became that way later as time wreaked its ravages upon them. But no consensus of opinion has yet been made thereby leaving open the possibility that the blackness of Black Madonnas stand for the life giving properties of the fertile earth symbolized in the Goddess.
Perhaps if we follow the trail of the Black Madonna she might take us to some surprising places, places beyond the boundaries that tradition has attempted to encase her in, and in the very process of overcoming her captors, she may teach us also how to be whole and free again.
I inherited some blocks of wood 20×20″x1.5″ and am thinking of doing a combination of woodwork and painting, meaning the frame is an integral part of the work itself. Last night I got started painting in watercolour as a base to work from. I thought the dyes would penetrate a few layers of the wood, so when shaping it is still visible enough to work as a guide. I have always had a fascination for women “floating”, probably left over from the feelings of achieving flight when I was in the ballet. Carefree, joyful. If anyone else has done work throwing an extra half dimension into a painting and has some tips? My rotary tool sits poised.
I have ten of these block, enough to put together an entire exhibit on floating women or round happy womenfolk, or whatever direction unfolds to me. My moments when the old eyes will focus have been spent looking through the blogs, what wonderful energy, enjoying it very much.
The black Madonna is wonderful. I have seen others, a Polish Madonna reproduction graces part of my hallway, my nephew brought it back from a trip a few years ago.
Living in Luxembourg is enviable. Was there whenever my mother had a singing engagement there when I was a child. We then lived in Rotterdam and later Limburg, which is very near Luxembourg. My absolute favourite place to explore in the region is Valkenburg in the very South of Limburg with it’s grottos, coves and catacombs under the ruin of St. George’s castle. Wonderful memories. I have alas, no photos of it, so if you should ever be in the neighbourhood?
aletta
This is the black Madonna of the church of St John, in the Grund, in Luxembourg. She is made of walnut wood, probably in the 14th century in Cologne. She is generally considered to be pregant and the statue is beautiful as is the church she lives in. She has been linked to the city of Luxembourg for the last 500 years.
Recent Comments