Black Madonnas Many of the ancient images of the Virgin Mary are portrayed with dark skin. They are called Black Madonnas. This term is applied to any dark skin colored representation of Mary and specifies the artwork of African or African American artists for people of the same or similar cultures. This term also refers to skin tones in the portraits of Mary and Jesus. They lived in a hot climate therefore their skin would be dark brown or olive in order to survive the intensity of the sun. Only during the Renaissance period Jesus and Mary on the portraits were pictured with white skin, blue eyes and blond hair.
Previously, all religious artwork reflected the olive skin with black or brown hair and eyes attributed to the Holy Family and the Apostles. The first important studies of the history of dark images of Virgin started in the 1930-ies. With time, after the continued researches, the images were divided into the following categories: the images that were painted as dark brown or black the images that turned black as a result of certain physical factors such as: deterioration of lead-based pigments and smoke from the use of wax candles burnt in front of the paintings. the images the darkness of which cannot be now explained. There are several theories concerning the reasons of the darkness of the images. The first assumption is that the images were darkened to illustrate the text from the Song of Songs: I am black but beautiful.
So Black Madonnas may be explained by artistic traditions rather than theological motives. The other assumption is that the Black Madonna is the ancient earth goddess converted to Christianity (Stephen Benko).
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His argument begins by noting that many goddesses were pictured as black, among them Artemis of Ephesus, Isis, Ceres, and others. Ceres, the Roman goddess of agricultural fertility is particularly important. Her Greek equivalent, Demeter, derives from Ge-meter or Earth Mother. The best fertile soil is black in color and the blacker it is, the more suited it is for agriculture. Some people believe that Black Virgins represent a Christian form of Isis.
The cult of the Goddess of Egypt named Isis was widespread in Egypt during the dynastic period, and in the first century BC Isis was probably the most popular Goddess in Rome. Perhaps her image was carried by Roman legions and was pictured black because of its African origin if in ancient Egypt she was pictured as pale virgin. There is also a strong religious folk tradition connecting the Black Virgins to the medieval Knights Templar and also with Mary Magdalene. 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. During the centuries many images of the original Black Madonnas were destroyed and sometimes replaced by reproductions with pale or white skin color perhaps to cancel the pagan origin. Many of them survived centuries of wars, either in churches, museums or libraries. Some of them are paintings, a few are icons and several are frescoes.
Others are sculpted, usually out of wood, sometimes from stone. The Black Madonnas with a Child are among most sacred icons of the Catholic Church and they are found in most venerable Cathedrals. The majority of the Black Madonnas are found in France, perhaps due to the fact that the earliest researches were conducted in France. In south the Black Madonna is associated with St.Sara. She was said to be the black assistant who accompanied the three Maries to France when they fled from the Holy Land after the Crucifixion. In local gypsy tradition, she is said to have been a gypsy (some say ‘Egyptian’) woman who helped them to land safely.
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According to Scheer Black Madonna’s have went from majesty to mystery with the construct of race as a science toward the end of the 18th century. With this construct of race it begins to dramatically undermine the pious interpretations of the objects and images surrounding the Black Madonna. A common theme used is that the Madonna’s became black unintentional, has greatly affected the depth into ...
There are also Italian and Spanish Black Madonnas. But in the Eastern Churches the darkened features of the Black Madonna is a really popular iconographic feature. The Templars brought with them the devotion to the Black Madonna from Ethiopia. They were devoted to the Mother of God specifically under her title Our Lady of Light as she has dark skin, for anything that is placed up against the sun (Christ is the Light and the Sun) turns dark. For this reason, which is quite in keeping with the Eastern Church’s theology and iconography, the Templar Madonnas were Black. The Black Madonnas images are found in USA and Mexico, also in many of European countries. At Montserrat in Spain the Black Virgin has been venerated since the 12th century.
The icon of Our Lady of Czestochowa has been venerated in Poland since the early 14th century. The picture of Our Lady of Guadalupe commemorates an alleged apparition of Mary to Native American Juan Diego in Mexico in 1531. In the 19th century a number of apparitions of Mary were reported that inspired the development of shrines, devotions, and pilgrimages – for instance, in Paris (Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal); Lourdes (Our Lady of Lourdes); Knock, in Ireland (Our Lady of Knock); and Fatima, in Portugal (Our Lady of Fatima).
But probably theres no representation of the Virgin with her Divine Son than the most ancient and glorious painting of Our Lady of Czestochowa. This miraculous painting is the most valuable treasure in Poland. It became the countrys most famous sanctuary among the numerous sites to Marian devotion.
The tradition says that St. Luke painted this portrait on the top of the cypress-wood table that came from the home of the Holy Family, a table built by the carpenter Jesus. And Mary herself sat for this portrait. And while Luke was painting Mary told him about the events in the life of Jesus that he eventually incorporated in his gospel. When the portrait was finished, she was pleased, saying that “My grace shall accompany it.” And still its miraculous influence attracts pilgrims from all over the world. This painting has a long and meaningful history.
Its the very core of Jasna Gora, the place where it can be found. Without the painting, it would be nothing but a museum of artworks, which are undoubtedly precious and beautiful but are devoid of any vitality. The painting are the mystery, the fulcrum, the atmosphere of the Jasna Gora sanctuary. But why it has so much power and attractiveness? Maybe because Mary herself sat for it. Her face is dominating on the painting. When the one looks at Mary, he finds himself immersed in her eyes.
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The Childs eyes are looking elsewhere. But the two faces have a serious and thoughtful expression adding to the emotional tone of the painting. Jesus right hand is raised in a magisterial gesture, of sovereignty and benediction. The hand of the Virgin rests on Her breast, as if she were indicating the Child. An important element is the auras around the Virgin and Child since their luminous quality contrasts with the dark facial tones. So, this painting is about 2,000 years old. And for nearly 300 years it was hidden in Jerusalem, before it was discovered by St.Helen, who gave it to her son Constantine. A lot of miracles were attributed to the intercession of Mary by persons praying before the portrait. During the years of attacks, the chapel with the portrait was a center of hope for the people of Constantinople.
Many times the city was saved but one time during the attack the chapel caught fire, and everything was destroyed except a small section of wall upon which hung the portrait of Mary and Jesus. In the 14th century after being damaged the painting was transferred to Jasna Gora in Poland. When the horses drawing the wagon with the painting stopped, nothing could make them go on. So this place became a new home for the Miraculous Image. Later, in the 17th century the Lady of Czestochowa became the symbol of Polish national unity and was crowned Queen of Poland. It happened after people successfully drove out the invaders.
The King of Poland placed the country under the protection of the Blessed Mother. After the heroic defense of Poland the remarkable history of the painting continued. For centuries there have been reports of miraculous healings of those who made a pilgrimage to the portrait. Out of many images of Black Madonna that still exist today this one is probably the most remarkable and miraculous. Unlike this one most of the paintings and statues have their origins in the middle ages or little earlier. Sometimes when an ancient Black Virgin was destroyed, it was replaced by another similar to previous.
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Often she differed from the ancient one, and thats one of the reasons why not so many Black Virgins survived till present times. Also there are artworks of Africa whose artistic and spiritual values have been ignored for quite a time, and some of the images came to prominence only recently. The prominence of the Black Madonna is mostly due to the miraculous character of the image. Then dark or black features which exact origins are not always easy to determine is the only difference between White and Black Madonnas? Many of Black Madonnas are quite popular among the faithful. Our Lady of Czestochowa is a very good example of faith and loyalty. 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. Bibliography (sources) Begg, Ean The Cult of the Black Virgin Benko, Stephen The Virgin Goddess Duricy, Michael Black Madonnas http://www.jasnagora.pl/english www.udayton.edu/mary/resources/blackm/blackm.html.
